The BEST Chili Oil recipe you will find online!!
Hi guys! I’m back with The BEST Chili Oil Recipe!
Thank you so much for your patience and for waiting for my new recipe! I’ve been quite busy with new projects… such as popup restaurants!
So far have done 3 popups in Sacramento, California, and it has been MAGICAL!!
I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your support and love! It was my dream to cook for you. Thank you so much for being there and enjoying the food! It was magical!
Going back to my chili oil recipe… So I had the best chili oil in the air, while I was flying to Taiwan from SF. It was SO GOOD I had to remake it at home and I’ve been obsessed with it. I can’t eat a meal without it so I had to share it with you guys!!
The first thing we need to do is toast Sichuan peppercorns.
Toast Sichuan peppercorns on a dry wok or pan for 45 seconds to 1 minute over medium heat. You can definitely smell the Sichuan peppercorns!
Grind with mortar and pestle or coffee/spice grinder to fine but still a little coarse powder. Set aside.
Chop shallot into small dice. Shallot is a very important element of this chili oil recipe. It gives a beautiful savory and naturally sweet flavor. If shallot is hard to find, you can use green onions or red onion but shallot is the best option for this recipe.
Stir fry shallot with some oil. I used avocado oil, but you could use one of the oils down below.
- Vegetable oil
- Canola oil
- Peanut oil
- Grape seed oil
- Sunflower oil
Do not use sesame oil or extra-virgin olive oil, as they will burn and waste the flavor.
Stir fry the shallot for 4 to 5 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Add soy sauce around the edge of the wok, so it will give a nice smokey flavor. Also, add toban djan at this point. Stir fry the sauce and shallot mixture for 1 to 2 minutes.
Toban djan is a Chinese chili bean sauce. It is very easy to find at Chinese/Asian grocery stores or online. Check out here to get from online!
Add remaining oil, red pepper flakes (regular red pepper flakes for the mild version or Thai chili flakes for the spicy version), sugar, salt, Chinese five-spice, msg, and Sichuan peppercorns. Msg is optional because without it still tastes AMAZING! But it definitely makes a huge difference before and after. So it’s completely up to you.
Stir and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container.
This chili oil is great for spiceing up any type of soup, dressing, or main dish. I love my egg omelet and porridge. You could also just toss in your favorite noodles (e.g., egg noodles, or spaghetti) or add your ragu sauce for a kick. One traditional way in Chinese dishes is to toss in tofu sheets. You can find the tofu sheet in the refrigerated section of the Chinese market.
Keep it at room temperature is fine, and it will last 15 days. Enjoy!
The BEST Chili Oil
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 30 tbsp 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, optional
- 1 cup avocado, vegetable, canola, or peanut oil - divided
- 2 large shallots, chopped
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp toban djan, Chinese chili bean sauce
- 1/2 cup red pepper flakes for the mild version or Thai chili flakes for the spicy version
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- small pinch of Chinese five spices, optional
- 1 tsp msg, optional
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Toast Sichuan peppercorn in a dry wok or pan for 45 seconds to 1 minute over medium heat. Grind with mortar and pestle or coffee/spice grinder to fine but still a little coarse powder. Set aside.
- Heat a wok over medium-low to medium heat, add 1/4 cup of oil, and chopped shallot. Stir fry the shallot for 4 to 5 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Add soy sauce around edge of the wok so that it will give nice smokey flavor. Also add toban djan at this point. Stir fry the sauce and shallot mixture for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add remaining oil, red pepper flakes, sugar, salt, Chinese five spices, msg, and Sichuan pepper corn. Stir and cook for additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool then store in an air tight container. Keep it in a room temperature is fine and it will last 15 days. Enjoy!
Notes
If you want more oil, you can add additional 1/2 cup more oil to this recipe.
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
The BEST Chili Oil
Description
This is the best chili oil recipe you can find online!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sichuan peppercorns, optional
- 1 cup avocado, vegetable, canola or peanut oil – divided
- 2 large shallots, chopped
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp toban djan, Chinese chili bean sauce
- 1/2 cup red pepper flakes for mild version or Thai chili flakes for spicy version
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- small pinch of Chinese five spices, optional
- 1 tsp msg, optional
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Toast sichuan pepper corn on a dry wok or pan for 45 seconds to 1 minute over medium heat. Grind with mortar and pestle or coffee/spice grinder to fine but still a little coarse powder. Set aside.
- Heat a wok over medium low to medium low heat, add 1/4 cup of oil and chopped shallot. Stir fry the shallot for 4 to 5 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Add soy sauce around edge of the wok, so it will give nice smokey flavor. Also add toban djan at this point. Stir fry the sauce and shallot mixture for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add remaining oil, red pepper flakes, sugar, salt, Chinese five spices, msg and sichuan pepper corn. Stir and cook for additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool then store in an air tight container. Keep it in a room temperature is fine and it will last 15 days. Enjoy!
Notes
If you want more oil, you can add additional 1/2 cup more oil to this recipe.
93 comments
This chili oil looks fantastic and I will try it but FYI…no one wants msg in anything. There is already salt and soy sauce. MSG is a migraine headache trigger for me as for many others… Cher’s to you for great recipe…thank you!
Did you make it without MSG? How was it? I think the recipe is a winner no matter what; MSG or not! You can do it! 🙂
Hi I was just wondering how long this stores and the best way to store it? Excited to make it this weekend!
I store them in a mason jar in a cool dry place, and they will last up to 6 months, but make sure to refrigerate once opened!
Hi!
For how long can I store it ? Has to be stored at the room temperature. Can I make it and pack in small jars and store?
I suggest storing in the refrigerator if you are using it often for eating rather than cooking with it. Yes, you can make it and pack in small jars to store in the pantry until ready to eat as well! Hope this helped (:
I’m definitely down to make this recipe but I’m eating soy free. What can I substitute for toban djan?
Toban djan can be substituted with soybean paste and sambal. This can mimic the flavor but I highly recommend you to get a small jar of toban djan because you will get addicted to this chili oil! Here is the link:https://amzn.to/2ySox5A
My bad! I should have clarified I’m allergic to soy, not just eating soy free. I’ve been looking for an easy modification for months!
Hi! If you want to substitute the soy sauce and toban djan, maybe try something like salt, 5cm of finely chopped ginger and two very big garlic cloves (cut the garlic in a few chunks and take them out when they’re light-brown).
I added three small modifications while following the recipe:
1) I kept the heat on low to medium, so the oil would just barely sizzle, to let everything slowly release flavor and avoid burning anything.
2) I added one star anise from the start
3) recipe says small pinch of Chinese 5-spice, I used quite a big pinch! 🙂
Tasted UH-MA-ZING!
Big tip: Don’t hold back on the amount of sjalots!
I had some boiled mung beans which I ground to a paste and substituted with .. worked beautifully.
do ban jiang is traditionally made with broad beans not soy beans. if you can find non lee kum kee authentic sichuan brand it shouldnt have soy beans, only broad bean. you should be able to find at any chinese grocery store.
Hi Seonkyoubg! Just one question: How large is the mason jar you use to store this after you make it? 16oz or 32oz? I love so many of your recipes and can’t wait to try this one out!
I THINK it was a 32 oz but I made more than just one jar in that batch I believe.
The one you had on the airplane, can you check and give any links to buying it in the USA? I’d like to try it before getting the ingredients to make it myself. Thank you
https://tinyurl.com/fje9w8xv
I’ve found a link of it on eBay but it is very over priced. I would suggest looking around in your local Asian grocery store. But you can trust me, this chili oil is something to die for. It tastes good on everything! Hope this was helpful ❤️
MSG is not a trigger nor has it ever been unhealthy in moderation. You are believing and spreading lies and propaganda from a racist doctor that got a headache after eating at a chinese place once.
Exactly!! Thank you. Same with GMO food. By the way, this chili oil really is delicious. Just had it with boiled squid?
So glad I could help!
MSG made me very sick when I was younger. Now, after almost 50 years, my body no longer reacts to it, I am happy to say. But I used to get migraine-level headaches and severe tachycardia. It is not ”propaganda,” nor is it ”racist.” Ffs, it’s a FOOD ADDITIVE, not a finger in Asia’s face. Get real and relax, folks! I bought the same MSG that Seonkyoung uses and I’m thrilled to finally be able to eat and cook with it.
Look up nocebo effect. What you experienced can easily be described by science. In 2020 saying that MSG is a food additive and that it can lead to adverse effect on the body is racist. PERIOD! Glad to hear your conditioning to MSG passed…
This is a very good authentic recipe, I’m ashamed to admit I added a little extra salt in the end before tasting. Big mistake! Follow the recipe! I’m excited to try this with some gyoza. I’m a big fan thank you!
SO GLAD you found my recipe helpful!
I beg to differ, I want MSG in everything 🙂
I want MSG. Don’t go eating Doritos or other of the zillion salty snacks out there that contain MSG.
Many more people, billions, are not sensitive to MSG. Frankly, MSG is a byproduct of producing soy sauce. If you are trying to avoid all MSG you will also need to stop eating parmesan cheese, tomatoes, oysters, clams, mussels, seaweed, to name a few.
I will try this tonight as I hand everything at home!
But is there a way to make this last longer? There’s no way I can finish this in 2 weeks. I know you said shallot is important, and since it’s the only fresh ingredient, I guess is that the reason why it won’t last too long?
I’m wondering the same thing! I saw Seonkyoung commented above that it keeps for 6 months unopened and to refrigerate after opening. I guess the two weeks is from when you open it?
What is the original brand of chilli sauce that you purchased? I’m headed to Asia soon and may look for it to try.
Do you have any alternative for the chinese chili bean? Like gochujang or others?
I have never used gochujang for this recipe but I think it might work!
Wow! I made this recipe yesterday and it was a huge hit with my husband who is a native! He said it tastes authentic. The only thing I would do next time is lower the amount of sugar to .5 Tbsp. And according to hubs, next time I should add meat. 🙂 Hahaha. 선경, thank you for the great recipe. Anyone on the fence, please try it. It’s easy and super delicious.
For those still reading, this recipe is a dream. Truly. I’ve made other chili oils in the past and this one uses so little ingredients and tastes amazing. Also, about MSG -and I will reply to the one who mentioned it- I get it. If that’s the case, as Seonkyoung said, don’t use it. I think it’d still be delicious. 🙂 Also, no shallot? 1/2-3/4 medium yellow onion, chopped finely and 1 clove of garlic, minced. Oh, and no red pepper flakes? Well, go find some. 🙂 But pretty much any will do. I used a mixture of gochugaru and Chinese flakes (辣椒面）because I didn’t have enough of any one of the flakes. Hubs couldn’t tell which means it worked! No excuses. 🙂
Thank you! Love the fact that you improvised with the ingredients that you had in your kitchen, and so glad to hear that it was a success!
I made this chilli oil and it is amazing. Way better than any of the other store bought chili oils i usually buy.
Thank you.
Thank you! This is my favorite chili oil recipe as of right now
I made this today and it is delicious. I was out of Chinese chili bean sauce so I substituted it with Sriracha. It was still the best chili sauce I have made. Next time I’ll use chili bean sauce though – thinking more umami will make it even better. Thank you Seonkyoung (and the other commenter too) about the MSG comments. I don’t have an allergy to it but it was so ingrained (pun) in me that MSG was bad that I missed out on using a great flavor enhancer for years….now I have it in a salt shaker on my dinner table!
Yes!!! MSG enhances flavors soooo well.
Can you tell me the name of this chili oil? Got my supplies today! This is one of my COVID19 projects while staying home!! ??
Hello!! What is the brand of chili sauce that you had on the flight to Taiwan? I’d like a taste test before making my own from scratch. Love all your videos!! Thank you!!
“The best” chili oil recipe, indeed. Love, love, love this.
Thank you!
Such an addictive oil. Hubby & I absolutely love this recipe. I have to make a new batch at least once a week as we can’t help but put it over everything x thank you
YESSSSSS, I eat this chili oil with literally EVERYTHING!!
This recipe is PERFECT!! We eat this chili oil on everything. My boyfriend said he wants to have it in the fridge for the rest of his life. Thank you Seonkyoung!
You’re welcome! Thank you for trying out my recipe and giving me this good feedback!!!
We have made this recipe twice now and absolutely love it! The sweetness from th shallots and spicyness from the peppers is such a beautiful harmoney. w
Thank you so much for the feedback! So glad you guys enjoyed my recipe (:
This is such a winner of a recipe. So very easy and absolutely delicious. The kitchen smelled amazing for days after making it too. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Thank you so much for trying! Make sure next time to take a picture and post it on instagram so I can re-share!
Hi Seonkyoung! My boyfriend usually uses Lao Gan Ma chili oil, but after I tried your recipe, he said he won’t ever purchase that or anything else at the supermarket. He wants me to use your recipe from now on. I don’t blame him at all LOL!! It tastes SO amazing, authentic and aromatic that I made this twice. Thank you so much for this recipe! Your cooking always makes me very happy 🙂
YES!!!! I only use my own chili oil for personal use. SOOOOO GOOD I can never have enough.
OMG! I made this today. I used Thai chilli flakes…i like it super spicy. Had it with some dumplings. LOVE LOVE it. I’ll be having it with literally everything. Being stuck at home due to the covid lockdown….this superb chilli oil will make it bearable…ha ha. Thank you Seonkyoung…all the way from Malaysia.
Thank you so much for the support from so far away! It means so much to me (:
Wow! The addition of toban djan is a genius move. I’ve been playing around with a lot of different chili oil recipes since discovering Lao Gan Ma and the S&B crunchy garlic topping from Japan on Amazon. A 110 g jar of the S&B was selling for around $6 last fall and is now up to $9 since COVID started. Your recipe is spicier and definitely a Chinese flavor profile so it’s different from the S&B but it is sooooo good and so flavorful. I’m adding just a little chopped toasted almond and fried garlic for extra crunch. 10/10 will make again and again and stop buying expensive chili oil from Amazon.. Thanks!!
Thank you so much for believing in my recipes!
Hi! I really want to try your Dan dan noodles recipe but the recipe suggests a different chili oil recipe. Can I use this one to make your dan dan?
Yes! This chili oil should work just fine for my dan dan noodles!
Just made my second batch of the best chili oil!!! We shared our first batch with some friends and now we will be supplying them whenever we make a batch. It is so delicious!! Extremely fragrant and mouth watering.
I didn’t have msg and it’s still so good. Will try to pick up msg at the store for next batch and see how much better it will be.
Thank you for this recipe!!! The only thing changed was adding garlic because I can’t live without garlic, and in her other chili oil recipe she used garlic.
Yay(: SO glad you find one of my recipes helpful!
Also can I add some extra garlic with shallots while sautéing them in the oil?
Just made this. Is it suppose to turn out fairly sweet?
Not really, might have been the shallots that were a little extra sweet!
I’ve made this recipe several times, always get compliments! I did NOT use MSG, and all the people I’ve given it to love it! My son went overboard and ate a LOT with his shumai and got a tummy ache, so my husband gave him some aloe to eat.
What kind of chili’s did you use, Seonkyoung? I used dried Thai chili’s, which made it SUPER spicy! Lol
Hi Seonkyoung, hope you have well settled in your new house. I was wondering if we can make this a chill garlic oil and if yes, can you please let me know, how? Thanks
Absolutely LOVE this chili oil! My hubs uses it in everything. Eggs? Chili oil. Veggies? Chili oil. Noodles? Chili oil. SO GOOD. I add another 1/2 of oil to this recipe since we double the amount of shallot used. I LOVE having the extra bites of shallot in this, though adding the extra shallots adds a lot of sweetness so I use just a pinch of sugar, you could probably do without. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
So glad you guys enjoy my recipe! Thank you for the feedback!
Will this last longer if stored in the fridge?
It will last MONTHS even without it being refrigerated, We’ve been using ours from 6 months ago, however it will last a little longer if you do refrigerate it.
Hi there!
LOVE your recipe! I added minced garlic and ginger and used green onions instead of the shallots, as I didn’t have them at home. Only need to find the soy sheets! Couldn’t find them in the Asia food market in Germany, so I used Ramen. Oh my God- this is highly addictive!! ? And I wanted to lose weight, haha. I’ll postpone the diat… Noooo way I’m eating anything else in the next days… ?
Best regards,
Anja
So glad you found my recipe helpful! I hope you find my other recipes just as helpful (:
Hi Seonkyoung! I just made this and it’s a little sweet for me. Any suggestions on how to spice it up some more? I’m thinking of cooking some chopped Thai chilies in the oil for a little bit and adding that in?
Just made it and it taste amazing. The peppercorn really opens up the chili flavor without making it spicy. We will definitely make this as part of our normal kitchen spice. Thank you for the recipe!
I don’t cook. And when I try, everyone at home laughs at me for messing up something. This was the first thing I attempted from your recipe line. It came out so good, no laughs just wagging tongues!
I recently discovered you on YouTube and love love love the fact that you break down the recipes with pictures not to mention your spicy personality. I watch your videos for two reasons a) enjoy listening to your commentary, b) when I’m eating something not delicious I watch your vids and whatever I’m eating auto tastes better.
Aw, This almost made me tear up! ): I’m so glad I could inspire you to cook with my videos!
Question can you add more oil to the recipe???
Yes you can!
Hi SeonKyoung…In you video on Dan Dan Milan Noodles you stated that the chili oil you make has garlic and ginger and green onions in it but the recipe for the chili oil does not list those…can you explain, please?
I have made this recipe several times with vegetable oil. The last time I used peanut oil and I admit I refrigerate it and it solidified with the peanut oi. Needs to be at room temperature with the peanut oil.
I would like to make this chili oil. I was wondering if I can use Sichuan Red Chili Powder instead of the Thai Chili Flakes. I have a big bag of the Sichuan Red Chili Powder. It’s not a fine ground powder. I still see whole seeds and flakes in the bag.
This Sichuan Red Chili Powder is one I bought off of Amazon. Here is the Amazon link. https://www.amazon.com/Sichuan-Red-Chili-Powder-Savory/dp/B06XKHQH9V/ref=sr_1_16?dchild=1&keywords=CHILI+FLAKES&qid=1606336585&sr=8-16
Please let me know. Thank you and happy Thanksgiving.
Yes! You can use that for this recipe!
Do you have a link for the chili oil that you had on your flight? I’ve been looking for it everywhere but, can’t find it.
Yes! here is the link -> https://yummybazaar.com/products/agv-spicy-chilli-sauce-sichuan-mala-jiang-58-oz-165g?variant=31789891387453&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&template=PLA&gclid=CjwKCAiAwrf-BRA9EiwAUWwKXjIGobS2_ReRDb3m2fGtvyAbyFUqAWiDQ3eLVUHIczXXTo8HGYFGRxoC2fAQAvD_Bw
I LOVE THIS! THE TOUBANJAN REALLY CAME THRU!!!! 10/10 WOULD MAKE IT AGAIN, NEXT TIME I MIGHT ADD MORE SICHUAN PEPPERCORN AS I REALLY LOVE THE NUMBING FEELING <3
I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times but this is the first time I’ve had shallots (rather than red onions) and made the recipe 100% as written. It is also the first time I found the inspiration for the recipe at 99 Ranch and bought it to compare. I’mma be real honest, this tastes NOTHING like the jar version and that’s a good thing. I do really like the AVG version, it definitely has its strengths, but I can literally eat it right out of the jar (and do so shamelessly, often) because it’s just not that spicy. This recipe has a beautiful spicy oniony umami flavor that I crave in everything. I literally make things just to put SYL’s chili oil on it. My favorite is slathering it on a tortilla, sprinkling shredded cheese over it, microwaving for 15 seconds and rolling it up. The cheese helps alleviate some spiciness but I still get the shallot/onion/garlic flavors. My boyfriend told me, unprompted, that SYL’s chili oil was better than the jar version when I put only the jar version on his mac & cheese (and he complains about the spice level otherwise!) So good in mac & cheese, pizza, anything with a little dairy to help tone down the spice level. It’s crazy to me that she set out to mimic another product but made something so unique that’s so much better than what she tried to imitate. I’m glad she introduced me to the jar version because I do sometimes need a mild chili oil, but I always keep a jar of her recipe on hand.
Thank you so much! This is my fave chilli crisp and I haven’t been able to find it in stores for months. I looked through dozens of recipes and was super excited when I saw a pic of the jar, it is delicious and I’m v grateful. Can’t wait to fry an egg in it 🙂
I just made this and it is wonderful. For the chili flakes I used 1/2 regular chili flakes and 1/2 gochugaru. I didn’t have toban djan and did not want to go to the Asian market for only one item, so I used gochujang, which I always have on hand. I also added a little garlic and ginger since I like them. I definitely won’t be buying chili oil again.
This is the best chilli oil EVER. I make it every year for people as Christmas presents and they tell me its the best they’ve tasted. Just about to make it now! Thanks Seonkyoung!
Thank you Talia! <3
Oh my!!! This has to be the best chili oil in the world! I have made a few but this is tops!! This will be my go to from now on! It is even fantastic on a soft boiled egg and some spring onions on top. OMG. The best! And hell yeah I added MSG!
This made my day Beatrix! Thank you so much for trusting my recipe and trying it 🙂
This is really the best chili oil I have ever tried!! I’m rather obsessed with it! It goes great on a soft boiled egg en spring onion omg!
I’ve been making this since you posted this on YouTube because my mom liked it and will always ask me to make it. I use gochujang or ssamjang as an alternative to toban jjan and it still taste really really good.
I’m so happy you and your mom enjoy the chili oil so much! Using gochujang or ssamjang is a great idea, I’ll have to give it a try 🙂