This homemade chili crisp recipe will elevate your meals with a spicy burst of flavor and the BEST crunchy texture! Vegan, Gluten-free.
Chili crisp is a spicy, flavorful chili oil with “crispy bits” that originates from the Sichuan province of China, used as a condiment. Versatile and customizable, Chili Crisp has become an essential condiment at our table. Made with dried chilis, dried onion flakes, and spices and aromatics, it adds a zippy crunch and depth to almost everything.
We use a combination of hot and mild chili varieties, dried onions, and garlic to create a deep and complex flavor profile. Using dried onion and garlic not only saves preparation time but also gives the dish a super satisfying crunch. The chilies and onions toast lightly as the oil absorbs all the harmonious flavors, resulting in a heavenly flavor bomb.
Why You Will Love this Chili Crisp Recipe
- Customization: Making chili crisp at home allows you to have full control over the quality of ingredients and their quantities. Whether you want it to be extra spicy, mildly hot, or have a unique flavor twist, you can easily customize it to your liking.
- Complex flavors: The combination of different chilies in this recipe creates deep and complex flavors. It adds a delightful kick and a hint of smokiness to any dish.
- A multitude of uses: Chili crisp can be used in many ways! It pairs well with eggs, avocado toast, tossed with roasted vegetables, tossed with noodles, drizzled over rice bowls, stir-fries, and soups; the possibilities are endless.
- Easy to make: With just a few simple steps, you can have a jar of homemade chili crisp ready to elevate your meals. It also makes a great gift!
Chili Crisp Ingredients
- Dried minced onion flakes and Dried minced garlic flakes (or dehydrated onion, shallot or garlic) See recipe notes for fresh garlic and onion
- Red pepper flakes for the spicy kick.
- Gochugaru pepper flakes or Aleppo Chili Flakes for smoky mildly spiced flavor.
- Smoked paprika for depth of flavor.
- Coconut sugar- or brown sugar, optional but the sugar really adds balance and deeper flavor.
- Soy sauce– or gluten-free liquid amino acid- just a touch gives umami.
- Cinnamon sticks and star anise pods for aromatic spice and fullness.
- Oil that is neutral in flavor, such as avocado oil, light olive oil or expeller-pressed grapeseed oil. Peanut oil lends a delicious flavor. (We prefer to avoid highly refined vegetable oil or “seed oils” in general, as they can be inflammatory.)
- Optional additions: Toasted Sesame Seeds, crushed roasted peanuts, crunchy crushed soybeans, fried shallots
This recipe is yours to shape and play around with. Make it spicy or mild, add more flavor with aromatics like green or black cardamom pods, fresh ginger slices, and mushroom powder.
How To Make Chili Crisp
Step 1: In a small pot, add the oil, dried onions and garlic, red pepper flakes, gochugaru or Aleppo, salt, and cinnamon sticks and star anise.
Step 2. Heat on the lowest setting for 30 minutes, stirring a few times. Do not exceed 225 degrees. (Too high a heat will result in burning the chilies, which will make them bitter.) Watch closely, and if you smell the chilies, check the temperature with a thermometer. The oil should just very lightly bubble with tiny bubbles.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, add the black pepper, smoked paprika, sugar, and soy sauce.
Step 4: Place a metal, fine-mesh sieve over the bowl. Pour the warm oil into the sieve, letting the oil strain into the bowl over the spices. Remove the bigger aromatics (cinnamon sticks, star anise, cardamom pods. Spread out the cooked chili mixture. Let cool for about 10 minutes in the strainer.
Step 5: Combine. Mix the cooled toasted chilis back into the oil.
Storage
Store in an airtight container either at room temp or refrigerate. Chili Crisp is shelf-stable for 3 months.
We can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe! In the comments, let us know your favorite dish to enjoy chili crisp with! Enjoy!
Ways to Use Chili Crisp Recipe
- Spoon chili crisp over avocado toast!
- Toss with noodles or make this Spicy Cold Noodle Salad
- Drizzle over chili crisp cauliflower
- Drizzle over roasted veggies
- Swirl into ramen or Wonton Soup
- Add to cucumber salad
We love it spooned over avocado toast, tossed with ramen noodles, or spooned over hard-boiled eggs with tinned sardines (my favorite!).
FAQs
Chili oil is traditionally made with just crushed chilies and oil, while chili crisp incorporates crunchy, aromatic ingredients like dried minced onion and garlic flakes.
Chili crisp is made with oil, crushed chilies, dried minced onion and garlic flakes, salt, and sugar. We added cinnamon, star anise, pepper, smoked paprika, and soy sauce for even more depth of flavor!
The good news is, you get to control the heat in this recipe. As written this recipe is spicy, but keep in mind that this is a condiment that you can add to recipes to bring in a kick of heat, controlling the amount. See notes for milder chili flake options, or if you wish for more heat see the hot suggestions too!
More favorite Condiments
Chili Crisp Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/8 cups 1x
- Category: Condiment, sauce
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Incredibly easy homemade Chili Crisp will elevate your meals with a spicy burst of flavor and the BEST crunchy texture! Vegan and Gluten-free.Â
Ingredients
- 1 cup oil avocado oil, peanut oil, or light olive oil
- 1/3 cup dried minced onion flakes or dehydrated shallots
- 1 tablespoon dried minced garlic flakes
- 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes (*see notes for alternative suggestions)
- 1 tablespoon Aleppo chili flakes or dried gochugaru (*see notes for alternative suggestions)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 star anise
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons coconut sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
Optional Aromatics: green or black cardamom pods, fresh ginger slices, Sichuan peppercorns, and bay leaves.
Optional flavor additions: toasted sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, or crunchy soy nuts.
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add oil, dried onion and dried garlic, red pepper flakes, gochugaru or Aleppo, salt, and cinnamon sticks and star anise.
- Heat on the lowest heat for 30 minutes, stirring a few times. Do not exceed 225 degrees. (Too high a heat will result in burning the chilies, which will make them bitter.) Watch closely, and if you smell the chilies, check the temperature with a thermometer. The oil should just very lightly bubble with tiny bubbles.
- To a medium bowl, add black pepper, smoked paprika, sugar, and soy sauce.
- Place a metal (plastic will melt!) fine mesh sieve over the bowl. When the chili oil has finished cooking, pour it into the sieve, letting the oil strain into the bowl over the spices.
- Â Spread the cooked chili mixture out in the sieve to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the larger aromatics (cinnamon sticks, star anise, cardamom pods).Â
- Mix the toasted chilis from the strain back into the oil in the bowl. Cool completely. Â
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature, or refigerate. Chili Crunch is shelf-stable for 3 months.
Notes
This recipe is pretty spicy, so adjust accordingly. Keep in mind it is a condiment, and you want it to be lively and flavorful, as you drizzle it on food, the heat is nicely distributed.
Hot Chili Varieties: Sichuan chili flakes, red pepper flakes, japones, arbol chilies, or chipotle peppers.Â
Mild to Medium heat Chili Options: Aleppo, guajillo, maras, ancho chili flakes, Kashmiri or gochugaru chili flakes. We highly recommend combining different types of chilies for a more complex flavor. You can use ready-made flakes and powders or grind up from whole peppers.
It’s important to note that if you want Chili Crisp to be shelf-stable, you should use dried onion and garlic. However, if you prefer using fresh garlic, shallots, or onion, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 7 days. Or alternatively, slow cook the alliums separately until fully crisp, as garlic and shallots that still have water content carry the risk of botulism.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 teaspoons
- Calories: 36
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 91.7 mg
- Fat: 2.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.3 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 0.3 g
- Cholesterol: 6.2 mg
Make this chili crisp — it is sinfully delicious and I am now addicted!! I used a combination of Aleppo, Hatch and Red chiles, cardamon pods, coconut sugar, and it is WAY better than expected. I’m now having rice with black beans, topped with a fried egg and a hefty portion of Chili Crisp for breakfast most mornings – not sure I’ll ever get tired of it.
Awesome Denise!
Amazing flavor! I used fresh garlic and a shallot along with Kashmiri, gochugaru and Aleppo peppers for a milder version.
Sounds great! So helpful to hear, thanks for taking time to review.