Chili Oil

Chili oil is an essential condiment in Asian cuisine, especially in Chinese cuisine. This homemade chili oil recipe is simple yet delicious and aromatic. Let’s learn how to make chili oil — Sichuan style chili oil.

Course sauce

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 111kcal

Author Tracy O.

Equipment

1 Pot
1 Chopper

Ingredients

2 cups Vegetable oil
2 whole Garlic (Large, 2.5 oz)
2 cups Dried chili peppers (Around 64-76 pieces or 60 grams or 2.1 oz)
1 Onion (Small)
1 bunch Green onion (5 sticks, 4 oz)
6 slices Ginger (1.5 oz)
4 pieces Bay leaf
4 pieces Star anise
½ tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns (Adjust according to your spiciness)
2 tablespoons Salt
1 tablespoon Sugar
3 tablespoons Soy sauce

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Wash and soak 2 cups of dried chili peppers (around 60 grams or 2.1 oz) in a bowl for 15 minutes.
Peel 2 whole garlic (2.5 oz).
Slice an onion (small).
Half a bunch of green onions (5 sticks, 4 oz).
Then, put the peeled garlic cloves from step 2 into a chopper. Chop them until they are small. Don't need to be fine.
Next, put the soaked dried chili peppers from step 1 into a chopper. Chop them until they are small. The same doesn't need to be fine.
After that, heat up 2 cups of vegetable oil.
Until it reaches around 350F. You can use a wooden chopstick to test if the oil is hot enough. When you see little bubbles around the chopstick, the oil is hot enough.
Slowly put onion and green onion into the hot oil. (Be careful it will overflow when you put onion, green onion, ginger and other spices into hot oil. I suggest turning off the fire or to very low heat when you add them.)
Add 6 slices of ginger (1.5 oz), 4 pieces of star anise, 4 bay leaves and ½ tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorns. (You can adjust the amount of peppercorns according to your spiciness.) Let it cook for 15 minutes, so the fragrance will come out.
After that, remove all the spices from the oil and put on a plate.
The following, slowly add the minced garlic. Stir them once a while and let it cook for 5 minutes.
After, add the chopped chili peppers and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
Lastly, add 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon sugar and 3 tablespoons soy sauce. Keep stirring them until the salt and sugar is melted. Let it cook for another couple minutes after pouring soy sauce. (Be careful when pouring soy sauce, it may overflow. Turn the fire very low or off when you add soy sauce.)

Video

Notes

Cooking tips for how to make chili oil:

Wait until oil is hot around 350 F. You can use a wooden chopstick to test if the oil is hot enough. When you see some little bubbles around the chopstick, it means the oil is hot enough.
Be careful it will overflow when you put onion, green onion, ginger and other spices into hot oil.
Add the ingredients slowly or turn the fire to very low when you add the ingredients.
Let it cook the ingredients for 15 minutes until the fragrance comes out.
Keep stirring it when adding salt, sugar and soy sauce. To prevent sticking at the bottom of the pot.
You can adjust the amount of Sichuan peppercorns to your spiciness.
Since I like garlic, in this recipe I used 2 whole pieces of garlic. (You can just use one whole garlic if you want more oil than the filling.)

Nutrition