If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! – Mike H. There are many great brands on the market, but I find it best to make my own when I need a small batch, or even to give as a gift, and to really customize what I’m looking for. Making chili oil from scratch is incredibly easy, and it’s also fun to make your own variations with flavors you’ll never find anywhere else. You can use most types of vegetable oil, though a neutral oil is ideal for highlighting the chili pepper flavor. Let’s discuss how to make chili oil, shall we?
Oil. Chili Flakes or Crushed Dried Chilies. You can also make it with fresh chilies.
I like to include a pinch of salt with mine, as well as a small amount of other preferred dried seasonings. More on that below. They can be used, however, depending on your final flavor preferences and preferred application.
1 cup canola oil – or any neutral oil such as peanut oil 3 tablespoons crushed dried peppers Dash of salt if desired
Prepare Your Chili Flakes & Spices. Add the chili flakes and your additional spices to a heat proof bowl. Mix well. Heat the Oil. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a small pot. Do not allow the oil to smoke. If it smokes, remove it from the heat to reduce the temperature. Mix the Hot Oil & Chili Flakes + Spices. Pour the hot oil carefully over the chili flakes. It will sizzle up nicely. Mix well. Cool and strain if desired. Transfer to a glass container. Use immediately or store. BOOM! Done! Super easy, isn’t it? Soon you’ll be making chili oils of your own and drizzling it over anything and everything. If you do not have a temperature gauge, you can test it by adding a tiny pinch of chili flakes to the hot oil. It is ready when the flakes sizzle. I recommend the Thermoworks Thermapen ONE thermometer (affiliate link, my friends!). It works GREAT for meats and making oils. You can strain your oil through a thin sieve or cheese cloth to remove the peppers/sediment, depending on how finely you chop/crush the peppers. You can also include whole dried chili peppers into the oil, which can be decorative. You can essentially infuse your oil with any number of ingredients and creative combinations. Feel free to dream up your own personal creation.
Chinese Chili Oil. Use Chinese chili peppers or Sichuan chili flakes, along with Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon stick, and Chinese vinegar or black vinegar. Japanese Chili Oil. Use gochugaru and shichimi togarashi to make Rayu (Japanese Chili Oil). Calabrian Chili. Use Calabrian chili peppers to infuse the oil. Garlic Chili. Use garlic and spicy chili flakes. Nashville Hot Sauce. Nashville hot sauce is essentially a hot oil infused with cayenne and other spices.
There are many, many possibilities to explore your creativity. See my Chili Crisp Recipe (Hot Chili Oil with Crispy Bits) to learn how to make it. You can keep the chili flakes and spices in the oil and serve it that way, or strain and serve only the oil. The dried peppers that eventually sink to the bottom of the oil are called the “sludge,” and can be served on their own in a variety of applications. NOTE: This post was updated on 2/22/23 to include new photos and information. It was originally published on 12/15/15.
