How to Make Chinese Chili Oil (辣椒油)

In the Chinese restaurant in China, you can not see salt and pepper, olive oil or balsamico on every table. What stands on it are rice vinegar and homemade Chinese chili oil.

The summer comes. Do you want to eat something spicy while grilling? Try chili oil with a different taste this summer? A bit of Chinese chili oil on the grooved meat and potato, or still in the salad, or on the bread? Your guests will ask for the recipe!

Different chili oil

The chili oil is a must for today’s Chinese. It’s called chili oil, but it’s more like a chili paste. When eating you take little of the oil, but more of the paste.

Since China is quite large, there are different varieties of chili oil in almost every region that likes spicy food. Some use only chili, oil and salt. Some add many spices such as star anise, Szechuan pepper, garlic and more. Some fry the chili pieces in the oil, some pour over the oil on the chili powder.

What I cook today is more Peking and Sichuan style, with a method for the home.

Ingredients 1 – Which chili powder?

The main ingredients should definitely be Chinese chilies. In the Asia store, you should easily find dried Sichuan chili/chili powder /chili flakes.

I made this oil here with two different chilies. One reason is This time, the chili flakes I bought were very spicy. But the chili powder is really mild. I want to have a taste between the two levels of sharpness.

Another reason is: the consistency of the paste becomes too coarse if I only cook with chili flakes.

You can try after buying it if it is too hot or rather mild. Then you can decide whether you are cooking with two different chili powders or just one with your chili oil.

Ingredients 2 – Ma pepper or Szechuan pepper?

Szechuan pepper is used for cooking throughout China. But as a specialty of Sichuan cuisine, the two tastes are important in the dishes: sharp and deaf (in Chinese 麻 má). For Ma pepper is optimal. Because he is even stronger than Szechuan pepper.

If it’s too strong, you can replace it with Szechuan pepper (Ma pepper).

Ingredients 3 – which vegetable oil?

Like vegetable oil, you should use an oil that is suitable for frying. For example, Sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, peanut oil, soybean oil.

How can I make a less spicy Chinese chili oil?

In China, you eat much hotter than in the United States. If you have barely eaten chili, I would suggest reducing the amount of chili properly (you can use even less than 1/10 of the amount)

If you’re used to the spicy taste and want to make a less spicy Chinese chili oil, the following methods are for you:

1. Double or triple the amount of oil.
   Reduce the amount of chili powder /chili flakes.
   Use a variety of dried chili that is less spicy. He is red but round. Not very pointed.

Properly store after manufacture

The oil can be used very universally for cooking. It is stable for several months. That’s why you can always store a bottle of chili oil in the kitchen.

For storage, the oil should be cool and not directly in the sun. But it does not necessarily have to be stored in the fridge.

Now comes this recipe! What is your experience with it? Just tell me in the comment below!

Print Recipe

Chinese Chili Oil Recipes

Cuisine

szechuan pork

Prep Time

5

Cook Time

10

Passive Time

15

Servings

Ingredients

ingredients

• 10 g chili flakes
• 20 g of chili powder
• 3 teaspoons white sesame
• 1 teaspoon salt

spices

• 1 star Anise
• 1 teaspoon fennel
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon Ma pepper or Szechuan pepper
• 1 piece of cinnamon stick

Cuisine szechuan pork Prep Time 5 Cook Time 10 Passive Time 15 Servings Ingredients ingredients 10 g chili flakes 20 g of chili powder 3 teaspoons white sesame 1 teaspoon salt spices 1 star Anise 1 teaspoon fennel 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon Ma pepper or Szechuan pepper 1 piece of cinnamon stick

Instructions

1. Mix chili flakes, chili powder, white sesame seeds and salt in a heat-resistant bowl. Take out 1/3 of it and keep it extra.

   
2. Heat all spices in a wok or pan with vegetable oil until the spices are slightly bubbly. Then fry briefly over medium heat until the spices are almost dark brown in color. Remove all spices with a slotted spoon.

   
3. Allow the oil to cool for a few seconds. Then pour over the chili mixture in the bowl.

   
4. After 2-5 minutes, add the remaining chili mixture to the bowl. Stir well and let cool.
5. After the half, an hour stirs briefly and let cool. When the chili oil is quite cool, pour in a glass. With the lid covered you can store it in the kitchen for a long time.

   

Recipe Notes

Watch out: when working with very fine chili powder, the oil must be even cooler before being poured over the chili powder. Otherwise, the powder will burn quickly.

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