Homemade chili oil just hits differently to the shop bought one. Not only do you know what goes in, you can make the oil to your taste. It is a simple process that starts with infusing your neutral oil with spices. This is then poured onto a chilli mix. The smell of the oil when it hits the spices is amazing. In this post I will guide you on how to make chilli oil at home.
I prefer to make little batches of chili oil. That way I know it is fresh and it can be consumed quickly. The recipe below will make 2 medium size jars.
Ingredients for making Chilli oil at home
This recipe has many variations and I have found this one works best for me. There are 2 parts to this recipe. One is the infused oil and the other is the base spices to add in beautiful aromas and spices to this infused oil.
For the infused oil, shallots, dried coriander, star anise, fresh ginger, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and Sichuan peppercorn as used.
For the base, crushed garlic, chilli flakes and sesame seeds are used.
You can vary the ingredients depending on how spicy you like your oil or what flavours you enjoy. Some add fennel and cardamom to the infused oil (this is not to my taste).
Top tips on making the perfect Chinese chilli oil at home
- Be patient when making the infused oil. This will ensure the oil does not burn and the spices in it do not burn either giving a bitter taste. The infused oil is the secret to the best chilli oil.
- What temperature should the oil be: You need the right temperature so you can toasted your spices but not burn them. The oil should be around 110 degrees Celsius and spices should have small bubbles around
- What oil to use to make chilli oil: Something neutral and one with a high smoking point. I use rapeseed oil which generally is advertised as vegetable oil (look at the ingredients at the back) . I would not recommend Olive oil.
- How long can I store the oil for: Store your cooled oil in glass jars similar to the Kilner ones. Store this in the fridge for a maximum of 3-4 weeks. I like to label the jar with the date I made it.
- Use clean utensils and storage jars – I do not boil my Kilner jars however I add boiling water to them and leave them for 15 minutes because pouring the water out and letting the jar dry on its own.
- There have been a few articles on food botulism as a result of using garlic and shallots in chilli oil. Here is a useful article.
What can chilli oil be enjoyed with?
Chilli oil is adds oomph to every dish including fried eggs. It works perfect with some plain boiled rice too. Chilli oil is a great addition to have to my dimsum / dumpling dipping oil.
The fried ingredients from the infused oil work great as a curry base.
Here is what you need to make this dumpling sauce:
- 4 tbsp chilli oil (recipe on one of my recent posts)
- 2 tbsp chopped spring onion
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- 1 tsp raw sugar
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
How to make Chilli Oil
Ingredients
Ingredients for the infused oil
- 1 cup neutral oil canola or peanut oil
- 3 sliced small round shallots or equivalent
- 1 tsp whole dry coriander
- 3 star anise
- 2 large slices ginger
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 10 Sichuan peppercorns optional but recommended
Ingredients for the spice mix
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup gochujang flakes
- 1/4 cup chilli flakes, ideally Sichuan chili flakes NOT Italian red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp red chilli powder optional for extra heat
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- Generous sprinkle of salt (1-2 teaspoons)
Instructions
- Start by preparing all your ingredients and getting them ready.
- Put your spice mix (apart from the salt) ready in a heat proof bowl that will be big enough to hold your spices and infused oil. Extra space will also be needed for when the oil is poured in and is bubbling.
- In a pan heat your oil with the infused oil ingredients (shallots, coriander, star anise, ginger, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, Sichuan peppercorns) on low heat. You want to cook the spices and shallots to get the full flavour but not burnt. The oil should be around 110 degrees Celsius
- Let this cook for 30 minutes until the onions are crispy.
- Take all the cooked ingredients out the oil with a slotted spoon. They work great as a curry base.
- Now heat the oil further on medium heat until it reaches between 190 and 200 degrees Celsius then carefully take off heat. Oil over 200 degrees Celcius will burn the spices. The oil should not be smoking. If your oil is smoking, take it off the the heat and wait for a couple of minutes before pouring it onto the mix.
- Get ready to pour this onto your spice mix. Be careful. When you pour the oil onto your spices it will bubble as it cooks the chilli and garlic . It will start with small bubbles then they will get bigger as the oil rises.
- Now add in your salt, stir and let this cool completely.
- Store in a glass jar in the fridge and use within 4 weeks. Always label your jars so you know the exact date it was made.
Do you love homemade condiments? Have you tried the famous Indian cilantro/coriander chutney?
