Chinese Hot Chili Crisp Seasoning Mix
A dry, shelf-stable take on chili crisp: coarse chili flakes, numbing toasted Sichuan pepper, nutty sesame, and crunchy fried garlic and shallot. Sprinkle it on noodles, eggs, rice, dumplings, tofu, or popcorn for savory heat and crunch with no oil to spoon out.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 6 min
- Wait
- 10 min
- Total
- 26 min
- Makes
- About 1 cup (110 g), sixteen 1-tablespoon servings
Steps
Before you start
- Buy ready-made crispy fried garlic and crispy fried shallots (sold in tubs or bags at Asian grocers). They should be crisp, so check that they snap and aren't soft or greasy.
- Use coarse Chinese chili flakes if you can. Sichuan erjingtiao flakes give mild-to-medium heat and bright color. Gochugaru works for milder heat. Cayenne-style fine flakes will taste much hotter.
- Don't toast the chili flakes. They scorch in seconds and turn bitter. The mix uses them raw.
- Have a plate ready to spread the toasted spices on so they cool quickly instead of continuing to cook in the hot pan.
Measure everything
- Measure all ingredients into separate small piles or bowls.
- Pick through the Sichuan peppercorns and discard any black seeds, stems, or twigs, which taste gritty and bitter.
- Break the star anise pods into a few pieces.
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Ready when: Everything is measured and within reach.
Tip: Once the pan is hot, the toasting moves fast, so measure first.
Toast peppercorns and anise
- Set a dry skillet over low heat for 1 minute.
- Add the Sichuan peppercorns and star anise in a single layer.
- Stir or shake the pan constantly for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Tip them onto a plate right away and spread out.
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Ready when: The peppercorns smell citrusy and floral, turn slightly darker, and a few may start to pop. The anise smells sweet.
Tip: If you see smoke or smell sharp, burnt notes, the spices are scorched. Start over, because burnt Sichuan pepper tastes bitter.
Toast sesame seeds
- Wipe out the skillet if any husks remain.
- Return it to medium-low heat, add the sesame seeds, and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour them onto the plate in a separate pile from the spices.
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Ready when: The seeds are light golden, smell nutty, and a few jump in the pan.
Tip: Seeds keep browning from residual heat, so remove them from the pan immediately.
Cool completely
- Leave the toasted spices and sesame seeds on the plate, spread thin, until they are fully room temperature.
- Warm spices release steam that softens the fried garlic and shallot later.
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Ready when: The seeds feel cool, not warm, when you touch them.
Grind the spices
- Grind the cooled Sichuan peppercorns and star anise in a spice grinder in short pulses for about 15 seconds, or crush in a mortar, until mostly a coarse powder.
- Pass through a fine-mesh sieve into the mixing bowl and discard or re-grind the large husks left behind.
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Ready when: The powder is fine and fragrant, with only a spoonful of tough husk left in the sieve.
Tip: Sift the powder, since leftover husks make the mix gritty rather than pleasantly numbing.
Crush fried garlic and shallot
- Put the crispy fried garlic and shallots in a zip-top bag and press out the air.
- Gently roll a rolling pin over the bag 3 to 4 times to break the pieces into rough pea-size bits.
- Leave some larger shards for crunch.
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Ready when: Mostly pea-size pieces with some larger flakes, and no fine dust.
Tip: Don't pulverize them in the grinder, because fine dust turns pasty and loses crunch.
Combine the mix
- To the bowl with the ground Sichuan pepper and anise, add the chili flakes, toasted sesame seeds, crushed fried garlic and shallot, salt, sugar, and mushroom powder if using.
- Toss with a spoon for about 1 minute until evenly distributed.
- Taste a pinch and adjust: add salt for savoriness or a few more chili flakes for heat.
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Ready when: The salt and sugar are not clumped, and the red flakes and golden bits are evenly mixed.
Tip: Taste on a bit of plain rice or noodle, since the mix tastes stronger on its own than on food.
Jar and store
- Spoon the mix into a clean, completely dry airtight jar and seal.
- Shake gently once.
- Use right away or let it sit for an hour so the flavors blend.
- Sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons over food per serving, then adjust to your heat preference.
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Ready when: The jar is sealed with no visible moisture inside.
Tip: Any moisture in the jar will make the fried garlic and shallot go soft, so use a fully dry jar.
Good to know
Tips
- Adjust heat by swapping part of the chili flakes for sweet paprika, which keeps the color but lowers the spice.
- Stir the jar before each use, since the heavier salt and seeds settle to the bottom.
- Try it on fried or soft-boiled eggs, cold cucumber salad, plain noodles, dumplings, avocado toast, or sprinkled over popcorn.
- Use 1 teaspoon per serving to start, since the numbing Sichuan pepper builds as you eat.
Make ahead
"The whole mix can be made up to 2 months ahead. For the crispest texture, stir the crushed fried garlic and shallot in just before serving or within a week of making."
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 1 month in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard. Refrigerator: up to 3 months in an airtight jar, and let the jar come to room temperature before opening so condensation doesn't soften the crisp bits. Freezer: up to 6 months. No reheating needed. If the fried pieces soften, spread the mix on a sheet pan and warm at 250°F (120°C) for 5 minutes, then cool completely.
Substitutions
- coarse Chinese chili flakes → gochugaru (Korean chili flakes). Gives milder heat and a fruitier, sweeter flavor. Use the same amount.
- whole red Sichuan peppercorns → green Sichuan peppercorns. Stronger, more lemony numbness. Use 1½ tablespoons (4.5 g) instead.
- crispy fried shallots → additional crispy fried garlic or crispy fried onions. Use the same weight. Fried onions are a bit sweeter and less aromatic.
- raw white sesame seeds → toasted peanuts, finely chopped. Adds a different crunch. Use 3 tablespoons (25 g) and skip toasting.