Sichuan Chili Oil
A fragrant, deep red chili oil made by pouring hot, aromatic-infused oil over chili flakes and Sichuan peppercorns. It is numbing, savory and layered, and it's perfect for dumplings, noodles, eggs and rice.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Wait
- 4 hr
- Total
- 4 hr 30 min
- Makes
- About 2 cups (480 ml), roughly 24 one-tablespoon servings
Steps
Before you start
- Use a dry, heatproof bowl (stainless steel or ceramic, not plastic or thin glass). Any water will make hot oil spatter.
- Measure and prep everything before you heat the oil, because the pouring steps are time-sensitive.
- Use a clip-on thermometer or an instant-read thermometer if you have one. The oil temperatures matter: too hot burns the chili flakes and makes the oil bitter.
- Ventilate the kitchen. Chili fumes can be irritating when the hot oil hits the flakes.
- Allow at least 4 hours of cooling and steeping. The flavor is better after 24 hours.
Toast the peppercorns
- Place 1 tablespoon (3 g) of the Sichuan peppercorns for grinding (the 'ground_sichuan' amount) in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat.
- Toast, shaking the pan, for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Tip them onto a plate to cool for 5 minutes, then grind finely in a spice grinder or mortar.
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Ready when: Peppercorns smell citrusy and floral and darken slightly; they must not smoke
Tip: Scorched peppercorns taste bitter, so pull them off the heat as soon as they smell fragrant.
Build the chili base
- In the heatproof bowl, combine the coarse chili flakes, sesame seeds, ground Sichuan peppercorns, salt and sugar.
- Stir well and spread into an even layer.
- Make sure the bowl and spoon are completely dry.
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Ready when: Mixture looks evenly speckled
Tip: Use a bowl that holds at least 1.5 quarts (1.4 L); the oil foams up when poured.
Start the oil infusionOven 225°F / 105°C
- Add the oil, whole Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves and ginger slices to the saucepan.
- Set over medium-low heat and bring slowly to about 225°F (107°C), which takes about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Small bubbles will gather around the ginger and spices.
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Ready when: Steady fine bubbles around the ginger and a warm spiced aroma; thermometer reads about 225°F (107°C)
Tip: Never leave hot oil unattended.
Fry the garlicOven 250°F / 120°C
- Add the sliced garlic and keep the heat at medium-low.
- Stir occasionally and cook for 3 to 4 minutes at 250°F (120°C), until the garlic is pale gold and the ginger edges look slightly dry and curled.
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Ready when: Garlic is pale gold, not brown; ginger edges curl
Tip: Garlic that turns dark brown will make the whole batch bitter. Move on if in doubt.
Strain the oilOven 300°F / 150°C
- Pour the oil through the fine-mesh strainer into a dry heatproof measuring cup or second pot, discarding the solids (or save the crisp garlic as a snack).
- Return the strained oil to the saucepan and reheat over medium heat to 300°F (150°C), about 2 minutes.
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Ready when: Thermometer reads 300°F (150°C)
Tip: Pour slowly and keep your face back from the steam.
First pourOven 300°F / 150°C
- Pour about one third of the 300°F (150°C) oil over the chili mixture.
- It will sizzle and foam.
- Stir with a dry spoon for 20 seconds to wet all of the flakes evenly.
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Ready when: Flakes are all moistened and sizzling gently, with a toasty chili aroma
Tip: Pouring all of the oil at once can scorch the flakes.
Second pourOven 340°F / 170°C
- Reheat the remaining oil to 340°F (170°C), about 1 to 2 minutes over medium-high heat.
- Pour it over the chili mixture and stir.
- The oil should foam and the color should turn deep red.
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Ready when: Vigorous sizzle that settles in about 30 seconds; oil is deep brick red and smells toasty, not burnt
Tip: If you have no thermometer, a wooden chopstick dipped in the oil should bubble steadily at the 340°F stage.
Add soy and cool
- Stir in the optional soy sauce only after the oil has cooled for 10 minutes, standing back as it will spatter and foam.
- Leave the bowl uncovered at room temperature for 4 hours, stirring once or twice, until completely cool.
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Ready when: Oil is at room temperature and the flakes have settled to the bottom
Tip: Skip the soy if you want a longer shelf life, because water-containing ingredients shorten storage.
Jar the oil
- Spoon the chili oil and flakes into a clean, completely dry 16-oz (500 ml) jar.
- Cover and refrigerate.
- Stir before each use so the flakes are evenly distributed.
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Ready when: Oil covers the flakes by about ½ inch (1 cm)
Tip: Always use a clean, dry spoon to serve to avoid contaminating the jar.
Good to know
Tips
- Pouring the oil in two stages at different temperatures gives both a deep red color and a toasty, rounded flavor without burning the flakes.
- Keep everything completely dry. Moisture in the oil shortens its shelf life and causes dangerous spattering.
- For more heat, use a hotter flake such as chiles facing heaven or add 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper; for a milder oil, use all gochugaru.
- Spoon the flakes and oil over dumplings, cold noodles, tofu, fried eggs, or steamed rice.
Make ahead
Make up to 1 week ahead. The flavor deepens and is best after 24 hours of resting.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 1 week in a tightly sealed jar away from light (without soy). Fridge: up to 2 months, or 3 weeks if you added soy sauce; the oil may turn cloudy but will clear at room temperature. Freezer: up to 6 months in a freezer-safe container; thaw in the fridge and stir. Serve cold or at room temperature, or warm gently for a few seconds in a small pan.
Substitutions
- Sichuan-style coarse chili flakes (or Korean gochugaru, coarse) → Korean gochugaru or a mix of half crushed red pepper flakes and half mild paprika. Gochugaru gives a milder heat and vivid color; crushed red pepper flakes are hotter and seedier.
- neutral oil (peanut, canola or grapeseed) → Rice bran or avocado oil. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point works. Avoid olive oil and toasted sesame oil.
- star anise → 1 teaspoon fennel seeds. Gives a similar sweet licorice note, though milder.
- garlic → 2 small shallots, thinly sliced. Shallots give a sweeter, more mellow base. Fry until pale gold as for the garlic.