How to make Chili Oil

 Super flavorful, delicious and easy to make; this Chili Oil is PERFECT with potstickers or over noodles. 

Full of chili flakes and garlic this condiment is a MUST-HAVE for Asian food lovers!

Chili oil is such a flavorful condiment of Asian cuisine. Flavored with various add-ins, it is a staple for so many homes. 

Looking at the ingredients it does look intriguing to make at home, but trust me; once you try this version you will ALWAYS make it at home. 

This oil is handy if you are enjoying dumplings or bao at home (hello Trader Joe's!). The dumplings with this chili oil can easily bring home the same experience you would have at a Chinese restaurant! 

For the longest time we have been BIG fans of dumplings. We make them at home as well as buy them from the store. We LOVE them with Chili Oil. 

I confess to buying so many different brands of Chili Oil before I started making my own. But ever since I started making it, there is no looking back!

What is Chili Oil?

An Asian condiment that is a staple in Asian households, Chili Oil is now a popular recipe in so many places.

The glass jar filled with red colored oil with chili flakes and garlic at dumpling houses and so many Asian restaurants is essentially Chili oil. They all taste similar but not the same. 

Every Asian restaurant will have their recipe and list of ingredients that go into it. Similarly, we have a version. that we enjoy the best and it is this one. 

It may be similar to the ones you have tried before or different; but it is definitely super flavorful and delicious.

It is a five minute recipe that needs just a few ingredients and results in a bright colored oil with all the flavorful add-ins. 

This Chili Oil

• Is super quick to make from scratch. It takes only a few minutes to put everything together. This is my favorite feature of the recipe.
• Only needs a handful of ingredients. Plus swap the ingredient you do not have with the ones you have in your pantry!
• Is a great condiment to have with noodles, rice or dumplings. I have even used it with some Indian curries and dal!
• Is super easy to scale up or down with little effort. I like to make a big batch and refrigerate till required.

This oil has been a favorite in our household for a long time. Whenever we are having Asian dishes like steamed buns, dumplings or potstickers it is definitely on the table.

With it's bold flavors, bright color and taste it has found it's way over so many of our Indian dishes too. 

Whether it is a flatbread like paratha or fried rice or dal of some kind, a little bit of this flavorful oil makes it EVEN more delicious. 

This condiment is just like so many other Asian condiments; a small spoon of it takes the dish to a whole new level. 

Video Recipe 

Ingredients to make Chili Oil

Gochugaru Flakes: The key ingredient here is Gochugaru. These Korean style red chili pepper is super spicy and full of flavor. Buy yours here.

I like to use a teaspoon in ¾ cup oil for the spicy flavor. Reduce the amount if you like the oil to be less spicy.

Chili Flakes: The flavor and the color in the oil comes from these flakes. They can be added in more amount or less based on how you like your oil. I like to add these as they have the perfect color that I like.

These are milder than Gochugaru and help balance the flakes. 

Garlic: Most recipes become EVEN better with some garlic in them. This oil becomes flavorful with the garlic that cooks in the hot oil. 

I like to add it and love the flavor it imparts. Skip it if you are into garlic-y things but I HIGHLY recommend it! 

Salt and Sugar: Salt is necessary to bring out the flavors from the spices. 

The sugar gives the oil a hint of sweetness but does not make it sweet at all. I would recommend not skipping these at all.

Oil: Hot oil flash cooks all the spices and chili. Honestly, any oil works for the recipe. 

I use a 1:1 mix of light Olive Oil and Sesame Oil. Only sesame oil is way too strong for us to enjoy. 

This combination or Vegetable oil will work. Often people use grape seed, avocado, soy bean, canola or canola oil.

A lot of spices like bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise can be added to this oil. I sometimes add onion, green onions, ginger too. Fresh red chilis do taste amazing but they can make the room smoky so be aware of that if using.

Step by Step Instructions to make Chili Oil

1- Add chili flakes, gochugaru, salt, sugar and minced garlic in a heat proof bowl.

2- Heat the oil you are using over medium flame till it is hot (350-370F). 

3- Pour the oil over the prepared spices and mix well to distribute the oil in the aromatics. 

4- Wait for the oil to cool and transfer to a bottle. 

5- Enjoy as you like. The chili oil can be stored at room temperature for 2 weeks and refrigerated for 5-6 months.

Tips and Notes

• Make sure the oil is super hot when adding to the spices. If the oil is not hot enough, the spices will not cook in it.
• Use a heat proof bowl to make the oil. 
• Using a higher proportion of chili flakes to gochugaru will yield a milder flavor oil.
• Sichuan peppers can be used in place of gochugaru flakes for a spicy numbing flavor.

 This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in 2022.