DIY Chile Oil
Making your own flavorful chile oil at home is easy! This spicy condiment is great on Chinese foods or to add heat and flavor to any food.
Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, there will be no extra cost to you, but I will get a small commission, which helps keep this blog running. All opinions remain my own.
It’s no secret that I love hot sauce. I regularly have at least 3 different types stashed around my kitchen, and actually, right now, I have 6. They’re all different, and they all serve their own special purpose.
Included in the 6 is my newest hot sauce obsession, Chile Oil. It’s not your typical hot sauce per se, but it’s hot, and it’s a sauce, so there you go.
What is chile oil?
Chile oil is a spicy condiment that’s usually made from oil and crushed chile peppers. The chile flavor infuses into the oil, and the result is a spicy oil that’s used to add flavor and heat to foods.
Chile oil may or may not contain other ingredients to add flavor, such as garlic, shallot, soy sauce or fermented soy beans, and/or spices.
It is commonly used as an ingredient and condiment in Chinese cooking.
I had never even tried chile oil until recently, maybe about 4 years ago, and didn’t start to truly enjoy it until about 2 years ago. Previously, the few times I had tried it, it was often bland – just chile and oil. Spicy, but really no flavor other than that.
But my favorite local Chinese restaurant changed my mind. They make their own delicious version – it’s salty, savory, a little sweet, and of course, spicy. The tiny bowl they bring is always gone by the end of the meal. I definitely needed to recreate my own to keep on hand at home.
How do you make DIY chile oil?
Making chile oil (at least making GOOD chile oil) is not simply steeping chiles in oil – you need to add other ingredients to add flavor.
Soy sauce adds salt and umami. Sugar adds sweetness. Garlic, cinnamon, and star anise add more depth of flavor. The result is a thick, spicy paste-like oil that is absolutely delicious smeared on green onion pancakes or tossed with otherwise plain noodles.
Not a fan of heat? Make sure to use chile flakes or powder that are less spicy – Korean gochugaru would be a great option.
DIY Chile Oil Ingredients
- Canola oil – or use another neutral-flavored cooking oil
- Chile flakes – Sichuan chile flakes are a good choice if you can find them. I use Korean gochugaru because I like their milder flavor and the fact that I can get a giant bag of the locally for a very good price. You can also use regular red pepper flakes, but it will be spicier. Sichuan chile flakes or gochugaru are available in Asian markets (I buy mine at H-Mart).
- Soy sauce – Make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari to make your chile oil gluten-free
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Garlic cloves
- Cinnamon stick – this is optional, but recommended
- Star anise – this is optional, but recommended. You should be able to find it in the spice aisle or international aisle of well-stocked grocery stores.
- Sichuan peppercorns – these are optional. Sichuan peppercorns are the “numbing” peppercorns that are common in Sichuan dishes. They’re less spicy, and more citrusy than regular black pepper.
Want more Condiment recipes?
Chile Oil Nutrition Notes
The above nutrition information uses low sodium soy sauce, which is what I always use at home. It does not include the garlic, cinnamon, or star anise as those are not actually consumed and don’t contribute a significant amount of nutrients to the chile oil.
DIY Chile Oil
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add 1/2 cup canola oil to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until it measures 300°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove pot from heat and stir in 1/3 cup chile flakes, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 medium garlic cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, and 1/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (if using).
- Cool mixture completely and remove the garlic, cinnamon, and star anise before serving. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and serve with your favorite foods.
Thanks for the recipe! I live in Madison, so I am just curious which is your favorite Chinese restaurant. I haven’t found what I think is good Chinese in the midwest yet.
Thanks for reading! The restaurant I was referring to is Taigu in Middleton. It’s just a small place, and they specialize in handmade noodles, which are SO good! My kids also really like their dumplings and green onion pancakes, and my husband and I love the Beef with Pickled Cabbage. I’d definitely recommend giving it a try if you haven’t yet 🙂