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Homemade Crispy Chilli Oil

Recipe by The Cozy Bowl Kitchen

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  • Total Time25 minutes
  • YieldAbout 350 ml (1 medium jar) 1x

A fragrant, crunchy chilli oil made by pouring 180C aromatic oil over a mix of coarse and fine chilli flakes, finished with fried garlic, shallot and sesame seeds. Toasty rather than fiercely hot.

Ingredients

Scale

For the chilli bowl

  • 4 tbsp coarse dried chilli flakes (Chinese or Korean gochugaru)
  • 2 tbsp fine dried chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp caster sugar

For the aromatic oil

  • 300 ml neutral oil, such as rapeseed, sunflower or groundnut
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 small piece cassia bark or cinnamon stick, about 4 cm
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly and evenly sliced
  • 1 banana shallot, thinly sliced

To finish

  • 2 tsp light soy sauce

Instructions

  1. Put both types of chilli flake, the sesame seeds, salt and sugar into a large heatproof bowl made of stainless steel or heavy stoneware. Never use thin glass. The bowl must be at least three times the volume of the oil, because the mixture will foam up dramatically. Set it on a heatproof surface next to the hob.
  2. Put the oil, star anise, cassia bark, bay leaves and Sichuan peppercorns in a small saucepan. Warm over a medium-low heat for about 8 minutes, so there are only small bubbles around the spices. You are infusing, not frying.
  3. Add the sliced garlic and shallot and raise the heat slightly. Fry for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until they are a pale to medium gold. Remove them immediately with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. They will darken further as they cool, so do not wait for deep brown.
  4. Fish out and discard the star anise, cassia, bay leaves and peppercorns.
  5. Bring the oil up to 180°C. Without a thermometer, drop in one chilli flake: it should sizzle steadily and darken over about three seconds. If it blackens instantly, take the pan off the heat for a minute and test again.
  6. Carefully pour about one third of the hot oil over the chilli mixture and stir. It will foam up and smell fragrant and sweet. Wait 20 seconds.
  7. Pour in the remaining oil and stir again. If you smell anything acrid or ashy, the oil was too hot.
  8. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the soy sauce and the drained garlic and shallot. Do not add the soy while the oil is still very hot, as it will spit.
  9. Transfer to a clean, completely dry glass jar. Leave to cool fully before putting the lid on, so no condensation forms inside.
  10. Stir well before every use, since all the best sediment settles at the bottom. The flavour improves after 24 hours.

Notes

Temperature is everything: 180°C is the target. Hotter and the chilli burns irreversibly bitter within a second. Cooler and it never toasts, leaving a raw, dusty taste. Use a thermometer if you have one, or the single-flake test.

The mistake to avoid: Using a bowl that is too small or made of thin glass. The mixture triples in volume for a few seconds, and thermal shock can crack thin glass. Stainless steel or heavy stoneware, three times the oil volume.

Storage: A clean, bone-dry jar with a tight lid, kept in a cool dark cupboard. Always use a dry spoon, as water is what causes chilli oil to spoil. Discard if it becomes cloudy, fizzes, or smells sour or musty. We have not carried out formal shelf-life testing, so use your judgement.

Variations: For a milder oil, use gochugaru only and reduce the chilli by a third. For much hotter, add 1 tsp finely ground bird’s eye or Naga powder. Double the Sichuan peppercorns and grind half into the chilli for a numbing version. Stir in 1 tbsp black bean sauce for fermented depth, or 2 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts for extra crunch.

Equipment: A small saucepan, a large metal or stoneware heatproof bowl, a slotted spoon, a cooking thermometer if you have one, and a clean dry glass jar.

Allergen note: Always check the label of every ingredient you use, as recipes and allergen information can change. People with food allergies or intolerances must also consider cross-contamination.

Take particular care with the sesame seeds (sesame), soy sauce (soya, wheat), chilli flakes (may be packed alongside nuts or mustard), and the optional peanut variation (peanuts). Groundnut oil is a peanut product. Allergen information must be confirmed by The Cozy Bowl before it is relied upon.

This is a home recipe inspired by a dish or flavour available at The Cozy Bowl. It is not the restaurant’s exact commercial recipe.

Find it online: https://thecozybowl.co.uk/homemade-crispy-chilli-oil/