Homemade Chili Oil 辣椒油

Chili oil (辣椒油 làjiāoyóu) is an essential Chinese flavoring oil and condiment, made by combining hot oil and finely ground chiles. You can also pre-infuse the oil with star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, scallions, garlic, shallots, or sesame seeds. The finished oil is a gorgeous ruby red color, with a sediment of roasty scorched chiles at the bottom, and just a dribble or dab of it adds intoxicating savoriness.

A jar of this stuff always lives in my refrigerator, and I spoon it onto rice and noodles, eat it with dumplings and savory buns, use it to dress cold dishes and Chinese salads, stir it into sauces, and use it as a finishing oil for dishes like mapo tofu or soup.

Why make chili oil at home?

Making chili oil is easy and tastes infinitely better than store-bought. It’s highly customizable and every restaurant and home cook has a different formula, so feel free to test out this basic recipe and tweak it according to your preference!

Essential Ingredients

• Neutral-flavored oil (like vegetable oil, canola, grapeseed, rice bran, or avocado oil)
• Coarsely ground or fine-ground dried Sichuan chiles (Korean gochugaru is a good substitute)

My family’s favorite recipe includes three common Chinese spices and sesame seeds:

• Star anise (八角 bajiao)
• Chinese cinnamon (cassia) stick (桂皮 guipi)
• Bay leaves (香叶 xiangye)
• Raw or toasted sesame seeds

Optional add-ins (for extra aroma)

• Fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• Garlic cloves, peeled
• Scallions, both green and white parts, thinly sliced
• Chinese black cardamom pod (草果 caoguo)
• Fennel seeds (小茴香 xiaohuixiang)
• Dried tangerine peel (陈皮 chenpi)

Instructions

1. Combine the oil, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, and other optional spices in a small saucepan. Heat the oil over medium heat until tiny bubbles rise slowly from the spices (about 230°F/110°C), and keep it at that temperature for about 10 minutes to infuse the oil with flavor. Reduce the heat if the spices appear to be darkening too quickly. When the oil has a gentle fragrance, remove it from the heat and strain out and discard all the spices.

2. Place the ground dried chiles and sesame seeds in a separate heatproof bowl and set aside.

What kind of ground chiles should I use?

I recommend using Sichuan chiles for the most authentic flavor. They usually come coarsely ground with seeds, and provide more aroma than heat— you can find them at your local Asian grocery or online (this is my favorite brand, from Mala Market!). Korean ground chiles (called gochugaru) are your next best choice. Avoid using Western crushed chili flakes, which have very little aroma.

3. Return the saucepan to medium heat and heat the oil to 320-340°F (160-170°C). (At this temperature, a slice of ginger dropped in will slowly rise to the surface with small bubbles.) Pour about ¼ cup of the oil into the bowl of ground chiles and sesame seeds— the chiles will fizz and release a rich aroma. If the chiles bubble up too energetically, the oil may be too hot and could burn the chiles. Let it cool for 30 seconds, then pour again. Continue adding all the oil, stirring to the bottom, until the oil is rich red and has a toasty aroma. If the flavor is not as fragrant as you like, return the oil to the saucepan and heat over low heat for a few more minutes to continue to infuse it.

4. Let cool, then transfer the oil and sediment to an airtight glass jar. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 4 months, or in the refrigerator indefinitely.

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