Crispy Chilli Oil: A Spicy Crunchy Condiment

Dish of homemade crispy chilli oil with red chillies.

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Crispy Chilli Oil: A Spicy Crunchy Condiment

Easy recipe for homemade crispy chilli oil. Packed with shallots, garlic and warming spices, this rich aromatic oil is savoury, punchy and addictive. Transform noodles, rice, veg, eggs and more with just a spoonful of this delightful condiment. Enjoy all of the flavour without the additives of shop-bought.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Course: Dips, Spreads & Sauces

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: chillies, condiment

Servings: servings

Calories: 57kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Equipment

Ingredients

250 ml sunflower oil or other neutral tasting oil suitable for deep frying
3 shallots thinly sliced
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
8 clove garlic roughly chopped
20 g fresh red chilli finely chopped
2 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns roughly crushed
1 tsp black peppercorns roughly crushed
2 tbsp chilli flakes mild, medium or hot
1 tsp sea or rock salt
1 tsp caster sugar
2 tbsp tamari (affiliate link) or your favourite soy sauce

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Heat the oil to a medium heat. I go for my middle setting which is 5 on my induction hob out of a possible 9. Oil depth should be at least a centimetre (about half an inch).
250 ml sunflower oil
Test the heat with a slice of shallot. If it starts to sizzle, it's hot enough. Add all of the shallots to the pan and fry for about fifteen to twenty minutes. Add the star anise and bay leaf after the first five minutes. Give everything a good stir at this point and then every 3 minutes or so to make sure the shallots are evenly cooked. They're ready when they just start to turn brown. Don't leave them to get properly brown as they will carry on cooking a bit after you take them out.
3 shallots, 1 star anise, 1 bay leaf
Place a metal sieve over a heatproof bowl or jug and carefully pour the shallots and oil through it.
Leave the shallots in the sieve to crisp up and pour the oil back into the pan. Remove the star anise and bay leaf. Transfer the shallots to a clean plate after a couple of minutes and spread them out so they can crisp up further.
Whilst the shallots are frying, prepare the garlic, chilli and peppercorns.
8 clove garlic, 20 g fresh red chilli, 2 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns, 1 tsp black peppercorns
Once the oil is back up to heat, fry the garlic for 3-5 minutes. Watch it carefully as garlic gets horridly bitter if burnt. Stir after the first couple of minutes. As soon as it starts to change colour, drain the garlic through the sieve as you did with the shallots.
Return the oil to the pan, bring back up to heat, then fry the fresh chillies for about five minutes. They're ready just as they start to change colour. You want to keep them as red as possible.
Place the crushed peppercorns, chilli flakes, salt and sugar in the heatproof bowl and stir to combine. Carefully drain the chillies through the sieve into the bowl so that the hot oil pours through into the peppercorn mix.
2 tbsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp sea or rock salt, 1 tsp caster sugar
Give the oil a good stir, then add the tamari (soy sauce) and stir again.
2 tbsp tamari (affiliate link)
Once the oil has cooled, stir in the crispy shallots, crispy garlic and crispy chilli.
Spoon into a clean 400ml jar or two smaller ones. I used a 385ml jar in the images you can see here, but had a bit leftover. Screw the lid on tightly and store in the fridge. It will keep for at least a couple of months, though it will probably be long gone before then.

Notes

Try to leave it a day before tucking in so that the flavours have a chance to develop into something even more delicious. Give the jar a good stir before using.

Serving size is anything from one to three teaspoons per person. It's a punchy condiment, so you don't need much of it.

You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.

Nutrition