Authentic Chinese Chili Oil with Aromatic Spices 🌶️🔥
LAY HO MA (how’s it going in Cantonese!) – Compliments of Yeung Man Cooking!
This smoky, spicy, ruby-red Chinese-style chili oil brings the heat—think ghost pepper level! Perfect for stir-fries, sauces, salad dressings, dumplings, ramen, eggs, or even drizzling over hummus. 🌿 You can always adjust the heat level by skipping the ghost peppers or using milder chili flakes.
Ingredients:
1. Aromatics & Spices:
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced 🧅
- 3 cloves garlic, diced 🧄
- Small piece of ginger, roughly chopped
- 3 sticks green onion, roughly chopped 🌿
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 3 cloves
- 3 cardamom pods
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- ½ tsp Himalayan pink salt 🧂
2. Oil & Heat:
- 3 cups avocado oil 🥑 (or a neutral oil like grapeseed)
- 3 ghost peppers, sliced in half 🌶️ (adjust for heat preference)
- ⅓ cup gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder)
3. For Storage:
- 16 oz glass jar (heatproof)
Instructions:
Prep the Aromatics
- Thinly slice red onion and green onions
- Dice garlic and roughly chop ginger
- Slice ghost peppers in half (wear gloves if sensitive to spice!)
Toast the Spices
- In a dry saucepan, toast the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, and cardamom pods over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until fragrant. Set aside.
Infuse the Oil
- Pour avocado oil into the saucepan over medium heat
- Carefully add onions, green onions, garlic, ginger, and ghost peppers (if using) to the oil
- Once the oil starts lightly bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes
- Remove fried aromatics with a slotted spoon and set them aside on a paper towel (they make a great crispy topping!)
Assemble the Chili Oil
- In a heatproof glass jar, add:
- Toasted spices (cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cardamom)
- Gochugaru, sesame seeds, and salt
- Carefully strain the hot oil over the spices using a fine-mesh sieve.
💡 For extra depth, leave the cinnamon stick or ghost peppers in the jar
Storage & Shelf Life:
- Store in the pantry for up to a month.
- Refrigerate for 4–6 months.
💡 Tips & Serving Ideas:
- For extra depth, leave the cinnamon stick or ghost peppers in the jar.
- Topping: Use the crispy fried aromatics as a topping for rice, noodles, fish or salads.
- Flavor Boost: Drizzle oil on stir-fries, ramen, roasted veggies, or even scrambled eggs for a kick.
- Use it as a base for stir-fry sauces or salad dressings.
- Safety Tip: Ensure that all utensils and containers are thoroughly dry before use, as water can cause the hot oil to splatter.
- For optimal flavor, let it sit for at least 24 hours before using.
🔥 Enjoy this fiery, aromatic chili oil in all your favorite dishes! Let me know how you use it! 🌶️🥢
