This Garlic Chili Oil Recipe is spicy, flavorful, and easy to make. Shelf-stable and ready to garnish your soups, noodles, and dishes with spicy homemade garlic chili oil.
Chili oil is a perfect flavoring vessel for rice, ramen, soups, and noodles. It also has a beautiful red color that catches the eye. The spiciness comes from the Thai red chilis, which have this really great smoky flavor and richness to it compared to other chilis.
Store-bought chili oils are fine, but for me, it was either super spicy or not spicy enough. Making it yourself means you can control what ingredients go in there and how much. You can personalize it and cater it to your own tastes. Below is my recipe for garlic chili oil. Check it out!
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Ingredients for Garlic Chili Oil
Chili Oil is technically two things: Chili powder and oil.
- Chili powder. I grounded up whole red Thai chilis to make the powder. This has the classic red color that chili oil is known for. You can also use chili flakes or Aleppo instead. Smoked paprika can also be put in to reduce the spiciness. But don’t get regular chili powder that is a mix of other spices. Get chili powder with only 1 ingredient; chilis.
- Oil. Any neutral oil can be used. I used Canola oil, but you can use sunflower, safflower, peanut, or any other neutral oil.
- Salt. To add seasoning.
Other ingredients you can use to spruce things up, could be:
- Black Pepper.
- Garlic. I thinly sliced the garlic cloves so they could cook evenly. You can also mince the cloves of garlic.
- Crispy fried shallots. Adds texture to the chili oil. This also makes it a chili crisp.
- Cloves
- Star anise
- Cinnamon sticks
- Sliced Scallions
- Sesame seeds
- Mushroom seasoning. To add umami to the oil. This is made from dried mushrooms and is like a more natural msg.
Keep in mind that the less moisture you have from fresh ingredients, the more the shelf life. Just to be sure it doesn’t go bad, I keep mine in the fridge.
Storing It
Chili oil itself is pretty shelf-stable on its own. If you do a basic chili oil of just oil and chilis, then it will last 10 months. If you use any fresh ingredients, like fresh garlic or fresh scallions, it will reduce the amount of time to about 8 months. But if you leave it in the fridge, then it will last longer.
The best way to keep it preserved is get a jar with an airtight lid. Also, sterilize your jar by filling it with boiling water and then pouring it out. The hot water will kill any bacteria in the jar.
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Garlic Chili Oil
Equipment
- 1 jar with an airtight lid
Materials
- 1/4 cup dried chili powder
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- Garlic from 1 head of garlic, peeled and sliced thinly you ca also mince it if you want
- 1 1/2 cup canola oil or another neutral flavored oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup fried shallots
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp mushroom seasoning
Instructions
- Add all your ingredients except the oil to a shallow bowl.
- In a small pot, heat the oil until hot, but not smoking. Anything from 320-350°F. Be sure it doesn't reach over 380°F
- Pour it over the ingredients in the bowl. It will sizzle and release its spicy aroma. Stir and let rest at room temp until cooled.
- Pour into a sterilized glass jar and cover with an airtight top. It will last 10 months at room temp or 8 months in the fridge.
I hope you try this recipe. If you tried this recipe, let me know in the comments below.
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The chili oil looks succulent. I can’t wait to try it with ramen. I too have a store bought one that is way too spicy.
Thank you for your thoughtfulness.