If you haven’t heard of chilli oil, you must live under a rock! This one has taken the internet by storm, and I think it’s for all the right reasons. The recipe is quick and easy, and it's the perfect way to alleviate a simple dish! Let’s find out how to make chilli oil at home…
Ever since I made my first batch of chilli oil last year, I always make sure to have a bottle in my fridge at all times. It’s the perfect way to make a boring dish instantly more fun. From noodles and stir frys to eggs, toasts, pasta, you can add this quick chilli oil to just about anything! And the best part is that it's really simple to make chilli oil at home. So trust me, once you start making your own chilli at home, there is just no going back.
Quick Walk Through: Chilli Oil
Reasons Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A super simple yet flavourful condiment that helps alleviate anything it’s added to
- Extremely versatile. Can be added to a variety of dishes to enhance the taste
- Making it at home means it’s cleaner and you know exactly what’s going into your chilli oil
- Homemade chilli oil is a lot more economical than buying it readymade
- A lot more affordable than its store-bought counterparts
- Easily customisable. You can adjust the spice level depending on your tolerance
Ingredients You Need To Make Chilli Oil At Home
- Oil: You need a neutral-flavoured oil with a high smoke point to make chilli oil. I have used vegetable oil, but you can use canola, peanut or sunflower oil if that’s available to you more easily.
- Garlic: Whole garlic cloves, peeled and washed. Adds so much flavour and aroma to the oil.
- Sesame seeds: Lightly toasted to enhance the flavour. Adds a beautiful nutty flavour, authentic to Chinese cuisine. I used white sesame seeds in this recipe, but you can use the black variety too. You can use both or either, depending on what’s available to you.
- Chilli flakes: I have used regular red chilli flakes for this recipe as they are the most easily available.
- Salt: Just a little bit to help enhance the flavour.
- These ingredients will give you a basic chilli oil. However, if you want to take things a notch higher, you could also add star anise, sichuan peppers, scallions, ginger, cinnamon, bay leaves, etc. for more flavour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Owing to the high fat content of chilli oil, it has a pretty long shelf life. You can store it on the counter in a clean, airtight container for up to a month. However, make sure that it’s away from direct sunlight. Alternatively, you could even place the jar in the refrigerator to increase its shelf life. This condiment stays good in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
A drizzle of this mouthwatering chilli oil can transform just about anything. I am not kidding when I say that I add a little bit of this to almost everything. But I especially love adding a little chilli oil to my fried rice, noodles, and stir fried veggies and chicken. I also use some of it as a dip to have with momos and dumplings. Adding a little bit to my breakfast eggs and toast is another one of my favourite ways to eat this delectable condiment. However, I urge you to be creative with using this one, because honestly, this one's so good that you just cannot go wrong with it!
There are two requisites to choosing the oil when making chilli oil. First, it needs to have a neutral flavor since we don't want the flavor of the oil to dominate the condiment. Secondly, because we need to heat the oil until it's boiling, we need to pick an oil that has a high smoke point. Hence, some oils I would recommend are peanut, canola, rice bran, sunflower or vegetable oil.
Top Tips To Make The Best Chilli Oil
- When pouring the hot oil over the chilli flakes, make sure that your oil is the perfect temperature. If it’s too hot, then you could end up burning the spices and chilli flakes.
- Keep a spoon handy to mix the hot oil with the other ingredients. This will allow the heat to distribute evenly making sure nothing gets burnt.
- Allow the garlic and sesame seeds to toast lightly in the hot oil. This not only helps release the flavour better, but also reduces bitterness. Alternatively, you can fry garlic and sesame in the oil over a low flame before adding the chilli flakes and salt. This method gives you more control.
Watch The Video On How To Make Chilli Oil
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Easy Chilli Oil
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
- 8 Cloves Garlic thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds White or Black or both
- 2 Tablespoons Red Chilli Flakes
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Heat oil on a low flame until hot (350F or 175C).
- Add sliced garlic, sesame seeds, red chilli flakes and salt to a jar. Pour the hot oil into the jar and mix. Allow the mixture to cool.
- Use the lid to cover the jar and ensure it is airtight. Store for up to a month on the counter, away from sunlight, or for up to 3 months in the fridge. Use as desired.
Video
Notes
- When pouring the hot oil over the chilli flakes, make sure that your oil is the perfect temperature. If it’s too hot, then you could end up burning the spices and chilli flakes.
- Keep a spoon handy to mix the hot oil with the other ingredients. This will allow the heat to distribute evenly making sure nothing gets burnt.
- Allow the garlic and sesame seeds to toast lightly in the hot oil. This not only helps release the flavour better, but also reduces bitterness. Alternatively, you can fry garlic and sesame in the oil over a low flame before adding the chilli flakes and salt. This method gives you more control.
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