Ever wanted to level up your dumpling sauce or add amazing flavour to your next stir-fry? This chilli oil is great on everything! Wonderfully spicy with a nice hit of numbing Szechuan peppercorns and fragrant spices. It will be your new secret ingredient.
Why this recipe is amazing
Flavour & texture: Incredibly fragrant, vibrant red oil that is deliciously spicy, with a touch of numbing Szechuan and infused with ginger, garlic and other wonderful spices.
Difficulty: 2/5. This recipe is really simple just mix, proof, dump into and bake. The toughest thing
Time: 30 minutes to prepare. You can use it straight away but I recommend 2-3 days for it to infuse. It gets better over time.
Versatility: Amazing for gifts. You can tailor the level of spices to your preference. You can leave the Szechuan spices out and just have a regular chilli oil if you like.
What ingredients are needed:
Dried Birds eye chillies or Asian chilli powder: I like to use a combination of both. I usually buy 3-4 whole bird eye chilli and let them sit on my counter for 1-2 weeks to dry out. Asian chilli powder is available at Asian grocers. while you may use red pepper chilli flakes, I’ve found they lack the depth of flavour and colour compared to the ones I get from the Asian store.
Neutral flavoured oil: Rice bran, canola, or peanut oil is great for this recipe. You need something that is relatively bland that will support the fragrant spices and chilli to shine through.
Szechuan peppercorns: The wonderfully distinct flavour, complete with the tongue-numbing effect. While this can be omitted, you’ll just have a regular chilli oil. I honestly believe the oil is 10000x better with it.
Whole star anise: Grab these from your grocery section. Store the remaining package in an air-tight container. Great for making Pho or curries.
Cinnamon stick: The unmistakable sweet and woody flavour.
Bay leaf: Add a wonderful aroma and flavour.
Ginger: Fresh slices of ginger will give you the best flavour but some Asian grocers have dried too.
Garlic: Like in most savoury cooking, the wonderful taste and smell of garlic is paramount to a dish. It gives an excellent depth of flavour.
Cardamom pods: I like to use green cardamom for the wonderful herbal citrusy flavour and some recipes use black cardamom too. I find that black cardamom is usually harder to source. It has a smokier flavour compared to green cardamom and is a nice inclusion if you’d like to.
Salt and MSG: Brings out the flavours of the spices and inclusions. I understand that MSG isn’t for everyone and I seriously suggest you do your research into it if you’d like to omit it. Use both or just the salt if you wish but it is needed to help enhance the flavours in the spices and aromatics.
How to Use chilli oil
Szechuan chilli oil adds a spicy and flavourful kick to various dishes. It can be used in stir-fries, noodle dishes, dumplings, soups, marinades, and even drizzled over pizza or roasted vegetables. It’s a versatile condiment that enhances the taste of many savoury recipes.
- As dumpling sauce: Grab 1-2 heaped spoonfuls and mix with a nice drizzle of black vinegar. You’ll have a wonderful combination of heat, numbness, and acid/tart that just tastes so good with your favourite Chinese food. Try my Sheng Jian bao.
- Drizzle over your noodles, fried rice or in your next stir-fry marinade.
- Avocado on toast. NO JOKE! I love a fresh piece of toast, loaded with smashed Avo, goat’s cheese and a drizzle of my Szechuan chilli oil. Even add some scrambled eggs!
- Drizzle through or on top of cheesy scrambled eggs.
Setting you up for success – Tips & Tricks
- Fresher spices are best: Yes I know spices are dried but they do lose their flavour punch over time and can become bland.
- Crush and toast: Give the spices a little bash with the mortar and pestle or even the back of your knife to help liven them up to release their flavour.
- Control the heat level: If you prefer milder chilli oil, remove the seeds and membranes from the chillies before using them. The seeds and membranes contain most of the heat. For a spicier oil, leave them intact or even add extra chilli flakes.
- Use high-quality oil: Choose a neutral-flavoured oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil. Avoid using oils with strong flavours like olive oil, as they can overpower the chilli flavour.
- Use Heatproof utensils: You’ll (hopefully) only melt one plastic spatula in your life before you realise you need something metal or silicone.
- Season with salt: Taste your chilli oil and add salt to your preference. Salt helps balance the flavours and brings out the taste of the chillies and aromatics.
- Store properly: Transfer the chilli oil to a clean, airtight jar or bottle. Store it in a cool, dark place or refrigerate to maintain freshness. Proper storage helps preserve the flavours and extend the shelf life.
- Perfect Homemade Gifts: Jars of chilli oil make a banger of homemade gifts. Make them for Christmas or a birthday gift, your friends will love you!
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
It is really important that you let it cool so that you don’t burn yourself but I think it gets better after 3-7 days as it gives the flavours an opportunity to meld and enhance.
Homemade chilli oil can last for several months when stored properly in a cool, dark place or refrigerated. However, it’s best to consume it within a few weeks to enjoy the freshest flavours.
No, I don’t recommend it. If you aren’t going to use it, give it to a friend, Chilli oil makes an amazing gift.
Keep it in an airtight container and only use a clean spoon. Ideally, you’d keep it at room temperature for optimal flavour however storing it in the fridge will keep it fresher for longer and avoid the oil spoiling.
Remember to cool the oil slightly before pouring over the chilli flakes. You don’t want them to fry completely, just a little sizzle.
Dried chillies are typically used to make chilli oil as they have a concentrated flavour. However, you can use fresh chillies if you prefer. Just keep in mind that the water content in fresh chillies may affect the shelf life of the oil, so it’s recommended to consume it within a shorter period. You can always use a dehydrator or low oven to dry the fresh chillis yourself.
Szechuan chilli oil adds a spicy and flavourful kick to various dishes. It can be used in stir-fries, noodle dishes, dumplings, soups, marinades, and even drizzled over pizza or roasted vegetables. It’s a versatile condiment that enhances the taste of many savoury recipes.
Looking For More Yumminess?
Whether it is more simple meal ideas or ways to use this delicious oil, we have you covered!
Did you make this recipe?
Let us know how it turned out for you! Comment below, tag @missmolly_makes on Instagram using #missmollymakes or visit us LIVE at twitch.tv/missmollymakes.com
Homemade Szechuan Chili Oil
Ingredients
- 20-40 g dried birds eye chillies or Asian chilli flakes
- 3 cups canola or rice bran oil
- 4 star anise whole
- 2 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaf
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2-3 tsp ginger roughly chopped
- 8-14 cardamom pods bruised
- 3-4 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
- 3 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place a frying pan over medium heat and add the chillies. Toast and toss gently for 2-3 minutes to become more fragrant. Move to a food processor and pulse until it becomes desired consistency – I like a few chunks rather than a powder, so you can see the seeds. Set aside.
- Place the oil in a saucepan over low heat
- In a separate small frying pan, toast the star anise, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, Szechuan peppercorns, garlic, ginger and cardamom pods over medium-high heat until just starting to smoke.
- Add the spices to the warm oil. Turn the heat under the oil up to medium and wait for the spices to gently sizzle. Cook at a gentle sizzle for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes (do not move to next step until it has cooled quite a bit as it will burn the chilli).
- Place the chilli powder and salt in a heat-proof jar or bowl. Pour the oil over the chilli salt mixture (you can strain the spices but, I like to keep them in).
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let us know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @missmollymakes on Instagram and hashtag it #missmollymakes.
Hiya, I’m Lauren but you can call me Molly!
Former OR Nurse and self-taught home cook passionate about Approachable, No-Nonsense recipes to help you level up in the kitchen. Together with my husband Troy, we create simplified dishes for busy people with easy-to-find ingredients!
To learn more about us, our cooking show and more, click here!
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