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Homemade crispy chilli oil

By: Tom Shingler
Head of food, delicious.

Published: 19 Jan 23
Updated: 2 May 24

This is a full-flavoured, in-your-face crispy chilli oil, with plenty of fire, spice and floral numbness from the Sichuan peppercorns. Use it as a base recipe to then tweak, amend and experiment with until you’ve found your perfect combination.

Try it drizzled over mackerel and miso udon soup.

Easy
January 2023

Test kitchen approved

Makes 250ml
Hands-on time 30 min, plus overnight infusing

Try it drizzled over mackerel and miso udon soup.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 105kcals
Fat: 11.4g (0.8g saturated)
Protein: 0.1g
Carbohydrates: 0.5g (0.3g sugars)
Fibre: 0.1g
Salt: 0.6g

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Ingredients

250g vegetable or sunflower oil
2 slices fresh ginger
3 banana shallots, finely sliced
5 garlic cloves, finely sliced
3 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp fennel seeds
50g gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
25g chilli flakes, or crushed dried chillies
½ tbsp sweet paprika
2 dried bay leaves
2 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar

You’ll also need

Thermometer
Sterilised jar

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Method

Pour the oil into a saucepan with a spout. Add the ginger, shallots and garlic, then place over a medium heat and gradually bring to 160°C. Meanwhile, put the Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon stick and fennel seeds in a dry frying pan and toast over a medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant. Crush the peppercorns and fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar.
Mix the toasted spices with the remaining ingredients in a heatproof container that holds at least a litre, as the oil will bubble up a lot when you pour it in. Mould the mixture into a pyramid, then make an indent in the tip – this is what you’ll pour your oil into.
As the oil heats up, the ginger, shallots and garlic will sizzle and begin to colour. As soon as they turn golden, remove them with a slotted spoon. Discard the ginger and leave the shallots and garlic to crisp up as they cool.

Once the oil is up to temperature, very carefully pour around a quarter of it into the chilli mixture – it will instantly bubble up and produce a lot of steam. Give everything a good mix, then continue to pour the oil slowly, until the bowl or jar is filled. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, add the fried garlic and shallots, then transfer to a sterilised jar. Seal and leave to infuse at room temperature overnight.
The next day, carefully remove and discard the star anise, cinnamon and bay leaves. Keep the chilli oil in the fridge for up to a month.