I think we can all agree that Chili Oil makes everything better. This is an easy chili oil made with a mix of chiles—gochugaru (Korean chili pepper), chili flakes, and ground sichuan peppercorns for that numbing spice.
The gochugaru gives this chili oil that bright red huge and also adds a hint of sweetness while the chili flakes adds a nice texture, and the sichuan peppercorns add that distinct numbing spice you only get from these peppercorns.
This one uses all dry ingredients so it requires very minimal preparation. If you want something with lots of garlic, you can check our my Garlic Chili Oil and Chili Garlic Sauce recipes.
WHY DO I NEED TO USE NEUTRAL OIL FOR THIS RECIPE?
Neutral oil works best so it doesn’t overpower the spices and seasonings. I used vegetable oil for mine but you’re free to use other neutral oil like avocado and canola.
Using oils with strong aroma like olive oil can overpower the seasonings so your chili oil could have a strong olive oil taste if you use that. So I highly recommend using neutral oil for this recipe.
WHAT IS GOCHUGARU?
Gochugaru is Korean chili pepper. The one I have below is gochugaru in fine powder form, but you can also find gochugaru in flakes form. I love gochugaru for its milder spice compared to other spices and it’s also a very bright red.
Gochugaru gives this chili oil a beautiful red colour without too much spice. It also has sweet, somewhat fruity notes. I love using gochugaru for a variety of recipes, especially in Korean recipes such as kimchi, stews, and more but it’s very versatile and can be used in other dishes where you want to add mild spice in.
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED
- gochugaru or Korean Chili Powder, see recipe notes below
- chili flakes or crushed red pepper
- Szechuan pepper (i grounded mine using a mortar and pestle)
- Chinese five spice powder
- sugar
- fine salt
- sesame seeds
- neutral oil (avocado, vegetable, canola, etc)
The full recipe is in the card below 🙂
MAKING THIS CHILI OIL
- Add all the ingredients (except the oil) in a large heatproof bowl. Mix well.
- Meanwhile, heat the neutral oil in a saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles start to appear and the oil is hot, around 200 to 225F/100 to 110C. You can test the heat by dipping a wooden chopstick and it should form bubbles or you can also drop a few chili flakes to see If it immediately sizzles. If it does, it’s good to go.
IMPORTANT NOTE
When the oil is too hot or starts to smoke, I recommend to turn off the heat and allow for the oil to cool down slightly before pouring it over the dry mix. Oil that’s too hot cause burn the sediments and create a bitter chili oil.
- Turn off the heat of the pan and then immediately pour in the oil in the chili mix.
- Enjoy the sizzle and then mix everything well. Taste the sediments and feel free to season with more salt and sugarto taste, if needed. If you want more spice, you can add more chili powder/gochugaru.
HOW DO I STORE MY CHILI OIL?
- To store: Leave the mixture to completely cool before transferring to a jar with a lid. Seal tight and store in room temperature in a cool, dry place.
- Important: Use a clean spoon every time you scoop some of the chili oil to prevent any contamination.
- I usually keep mine for 3 to 6 months depending on how fast I consume my chili oil.
ENJOY THIS WITH:
- Your favourite noodles, dipping sauce, stir-fries, and more! You can use the oil for stir-frying or even scoop up some of the sediment and use as a base for your stir-fries or other dishes.
RECIPES YOU MIGHT LOVE WITH YOUR CHILI OIL:
- Spicy Cucumber Salad
- Crispy Wontons
- Vegetable Dumplings
- Japanese Chahan or Fried Rice
- Chinese Chive Pies
- Pan-Fried Cabbage and Noodle Buns
- Wontons in Chili Broth
- Scallion and Sesame Buns
Easy Chili Oil
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp gochugaru Korean Chili Powder, see notes
- 2 tbsp chili flakes or crushed red pepper
- 1-2 tsp Szechuan pepper (i grounded mine using a mortar and pestle), add more or less if you want more of the numbing spice
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 cup neutral oil (avocado, vegetable, canola, etc)
Instructions
- Add all the dry ingredients (except the oil) in a large heatproof bowl. Mix well.
- Meanwhile, heat the neutral oil in a saucepan over medium low heat until small bubbles start to appear and the oil is hot, around 200 to 225F/100 to 110C.
- You can test the heat by dipping a wooden chopstick and it should form bubbles or you can also drop a few chili flakes to see if it immediately sizzles.
- (Note: when the oil is too hot or starts to smoke, I recommend to turn off the heat and allow for the oil to cool down slightly before pouring it over the dry mix. Oil that's too hot cause burn the sediments and create a bitter chili oil.)
- If it the chili flakes dropped in the oil immediately sizzles, it’s good to go. Turn off the heat of the pan and carefully pour the oil over the dry chili mix.
- Mix everything well.
- Taste the sediments and feel free to season with more salt and sugar to taste, if needed. If you want more spice, you can add more chili powder/gochugaru.
- To store: Leave the mixture to completely cool before transferring to a jar with a lid. Seal tight and store in room temperature in a cool, dry place. Use a clean spoon every time you scoop some of the chili oil to prevent any contamination. I usually keep mine for 3 to 6 months depending on how fast I consume my chili oil.
- Use for: Your favourite noodles, dipping sauce, stir-fries, and more! You can use the oil for stir-frying or even scoop up some of the sediment and use as a base for your stir-fries or other dishes.
WATCH Video
Notes
Gochugaru
- Gochugaru is Korean Chili Powder. It has sweet notes and is a bright red color that’s also milder than other chiles in terms of spice. This is what gives the chili oil the bright red colour. I also used the finer gochugaru used for cooking since there is a gochugaru in less fine/flakes form.
- You can start with 2 tbsp of gochugaru and increase to 3 tbsp if you want extra heat. It also makes the oil a lot redder so the more gochugaru, the brighter red your oil will be.
Chili Flakes
- For the chili flakes, I actually just used regular chili flakes/crushed pepper. You can also use Chinese or Sichuan chili flakes if you have those.
Dried Chili Storage Tips
- I actually store my dried chiles and chili powders in the freezer since I live in a very hot and humid place. I find that this helps retain freshness and the bright red color that chiles may lose overtime as it gets older.
This Post Has 16 Comments
just fantastic. I will do it and I will tell you. Now I use a Chinese one, very good, but everything that is made at home tastes better. Regatds
Let me know when you try it out. Thanks Maria! ◡̈
Great stuff! I used Sichuan Peppers and Sriracha pepper 🌶 😋
Great idea Howard! Hope you enjoy your chili oiL! ◡̈
Made this today. Tastes soo good. So simple to make and no garlic needed either (can’t stand the stuff!) Thanks for sharing.
Hope you enjoy your chilli oiL! Thanks so much Cassandra ◡̈
Hi Jeeca, thank you for sharing this! Do you think I can substitute the gochugaru with gochujang for this recipe? I’ve bought it just the other day, and I don’t think there’s gochugaru in my country :/ I’ve also read hot paprika and cayenne pepper are good substitues for gochugaru, but I don’t know if it applies for this recipe. What do you think? Thank you so much already <3
Hi Bia! I don’t recommend using gochujang since it’s wet and mixed with other ingredients that can cause the chili oil to go bad faster due to the moisture (esp if placed in room temp).You can use other dried chili flakes or powders instead of the gochugaru. So a mix of paprika and cayenne would be good too. ◡̈
I’ve made this probably five times? It’s never lasted longer than a month! I’ve made it with and without the Chinese five spice, so if you don’t have that don’t let it stop you. I’ve put it on everything from sliced boiled eggs, salad, roast chicken, jjajangmyeon, roast carrots, sandwiches… So damn good
Hehe gotta love that chili oil! Really goes well with pretty much anything 👌🏻
Do u have any alternatives for chinese five spice powder?
Hi Tel, you can add a pinch of cinnamon and white pepper powder ◡̈ but leaving it out is totally fine too
Does I have to pick up the cinamon stick and anis?
Yes you can take it out or just leave it soaked in the jar even after cooling then just avoid it/remove it next time ◡̈
Can i swap out sugar for honey or maple syrup or is that going to have the same issue with the wetness?
Hi Rae, I haven’t tried it myself actually. It will likely have a difference in flavor (sweetness) and a little on the consistency too 🙂