This is the best Chilli Crisp I have ever had in my life. Proper crunchy bits with layers upon layers of aromatic, savoury flavour followed by a warm spiciness that won’t blow your head off. Easy to make with accessible ingredients, I can’t stop putting this on everything!!
Another great recipe from our RTM Chef Hannah, in consultation with her father, Chef Haibing Huang!🇨🇳
Cutting to the chase
If you’ve been disappointed with store-bought chilli crisp or want to skip paying a premium for the good stuff, this is the recipe for you!
It’s got truly crunchy bits, addictive garlicky savouriness, layers of aromatic flavour, and a warm, balanced heat that won’t blow your head off. We worked really hard to make it easy with accessible ingredients, without compromising the end result. It lasts 2 months (!), has a real flavour you’ll never get in a jar and it’s so tasty you’ll eat it by the spoonful (I do!).
I’m so proud of this recipe. It really is the perfect Chilli Crisp in my eyes!!
Created by our RTM Chef Hannah with her father in China, Chef Haibing Huang, who critiqued every round until it earned his approval – so you know this Chilli Crisp is the real deal!
Our Easy Chilli Crisp
My search for the best Chilli Crisp has finally come to an end. This is The One. And we made it easy so anyone can make it. No special special equipment, no strange ingredients, a recipe suitable even for learners.
If you’re new to Chilli Crisp, it’s that bright red Chinese chilli oil loaded with crunchy fried bits that’s become a global obsession, spooned over everything from noodles to eggs to (apparently) ice cream. It goes by many names – chilli crunch, crispy chilli oil – and these days there’s everything from supermarket staples like Lao Gan Ma (Angry Auntie!) to boutique jars at eye-watering prices.
But I’d never found one that ticked all my boxes. Some lack crunch, others are chewy, bland, lack savouriness or are so spicy you can’t taste anything.
I finally realised that to be able to enjoy my idea of the perfect Chilli Crisp, I’d have to make my own. And after years of trying and failing, we finally cracked it thanks to Hannah, our actual proper real Chinese Chef at our food bank RecipeTin Meals.
Developing this recipe – what we wanted
Even in China, the flavour and spiciness of chilli crisps varies widely. Some taste simple, while others have far more depth, some are barely spicy and others are blow-your-head-off!🔥
We developed ours after taste testing many, debating obsessively, then chasing our ideal chilli crisp. We even had a much-hyped jar shipped in from the US (ironically, the least impressive of the lot!).
Chilli Crisps in western countries tend to be well seasoned so you could literally stir them through a bowl of plain rice and call it dinner. And good crunchy bits are highly valued! Interestingly, in the Sichuan province where Hannah is from, chilli oils tend to be highly aromatic but low in salt so they actually taste quite bland straight out of the jar, but come alive when it hits hot food.
Because I wanted a Chilli Crisp that can do everything, I’ve leaned into the western style. I promise, you will be eating this by the spoonful straight from the jar!
Snapshot of key ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of what-does-what in our chilli crisp:
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The crunch – from store-bought crispy Asian shallots and garlic bits, and it stays crunchy for months. Using store bought is what makes this chilli much easier to make than from-scratch recipes. Even professional chefs struggle to fry paper thin slices of garlic and shallots evenly and consistently.
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The red oil colour is mostly from paprika, not chilli. Some recipes use gochugaru, the Korean chilli powder that colours oil without adding much heat. We chose not use that because it’s not traditionally used. 🙂
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The spiciness is from chilli flakes (red pepper flakes). We deliberately selected this over chopping dried whole chillies because whole Chinese chillies can vary so wildly in spiciness, even if you stick to the same brand! Chilli flakes, on the other hand, are much more standardised globally so the end result is more consistent. Also, it’s easier to control the spiciness.
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The layers of aromatic flavours is from all the above, plus a handful of other spices and aromatics including sesame, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, fennel, green onion and ginger.
Ingredients in our easy Chilli Crisp
Hannah’s Chill Crisp is a carefully concocted balancing act of spices and aromatics so you can taste the right amount of everything and not too much of any single ingredient. Here’s what you need to make it. I think you’re going to be surprised how accessible everything is!
1. dried spices
These are the base aromatics of Chili Crisp. You should be able to get everything – even Sichuan peppercorns – from regular large grocery stores if you live in a multi-cultural area, (Coles, Woolworths, Harris Farms – for Australians), or Asian stores or produce stores that carry a good range of herbs and spices.
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Pink Sichuan peppercorns – A key flavour ingredient in our Chilli Crisp, with a distinct citrusy aroma. Sichuan peppercorns are known for their signature tongue-tingling buzz but you won’t taste that in our Chilli Crisp as they are kept whole to infuse the oil with flavour. Find them in the spice or Asian aisle of larger supermarkets or any Asian grocery store. Use leftovers to make Kung Pao Chicken and Xinjiang Cumin Lamb Stir Fry (<– THIS! Incredible!).
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Cinnamon stick – Only half, just break it by hand.
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Star anise, fennel seeds, green cardamom pods and cloves – Using whole pieces rather than ground is key here for infusing the oil with flavour.
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Bay leaf – Dried is the preference though fresh will work too.
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Water – Just 2 teaspoons, to coat the dried spices to prevent them from burning in the oil.
2. oil infusion
In addition to the above spices, here’s what you need for the oil infusion step.
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Oil – Vegetable oil, canola, peanut or any neutral flavoured oil can be used here. The oil is simmered very gently so it doesn’t have to be a high smoke-point oil.
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Green onion and ginger – The fresh aromatics simmered in the oil with the spices.
3. OIL SIZZLE INGREDIENTS
These are the ingredients that the hot oil is poured over which makes the flavours bloom – especially the chilli flakes and sesame seeds. The recipe only calls for 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese black vinegar (Chinkiang) so it can be substituted with rice vinegar or another clear vinegar.
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Smoked paprika – This does the heavy lifting to give the oil a bright red colour as well as adding a touch of smokey flavour.
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Chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) – This is what adds spiciness into this chilli crisp. The recipe calls for 3 teaspoons which might sound like a lot, but the oil absorbs and softens the spiciness so the chilli flakes are way less spicy than eating them dry. Put it this way – I eat this Chilli Crisp straight out of the jar, but I can’t do that with Sriracha!
Can’t handle spiciness? You can reduce the chilli flakes down to whatever you feel comfortable with, though if you go below say 1 1/2 teaspoons, you’re really taking the Chilli out of Chilli Crisp and just making a tasty crunchy (kid-friendly!) condiment. 💡Recipe idea!
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Sesame seeds – Just your regular white sesame seeds, adds beautiful sesame flavour into the oil when hot oil is poured over it. If you’ve only got pre-toasted ones which are sold in large shake-canisters at Asian stores, that’s ok to use too but un-toasted white is preferred for more flavour extraction.
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Chinese black vinegar (Chinkiang) – As noted above, because we use such a small amount, it’s fine to substitute with another vinegar. Rice vinegar is preferred, a neutral flavoured vinegar (apple cider vinegar, white vinegar) or even balsamic vinegar (regular, not sweet syrup).
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Light soy sauce or a regular all-purpose soy sauce – This adds a bit of salt plus colour into the oil. Do not use dark soy sauce (way too intense in colour). Tamari can be used for gluten-free.
4. crunch and seasoning
This is where things get really interest! Flavour! Crunch!
As mentioned earlier, the use of store bought crispy friend shallots and garlic makes this Chilli Crisp easier than making it entirely from scratch. Frying paper-thin slices of garlic and shallots until crispy is tricky even for professionals because they go from perfect to burnt in seconds, and even slight variations in thickness or heat can leave you with bitter or soggy bits instead.
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Crispy fried shallots and crispy fried garlic (photo below) – This is the main source of CRUNCH in our chilli crisp!! Paper thin slices of eschalots (ie French onions, called shallots in the US) and garlic are fried until crisp, often used as garnished in Asian dishes. These also release flavour as they sit in the oil – whilst staying crispy for an impressive 2 months.
Where to find them – Crispy fried shallots are widely available at grocery stores (Coles, Woolies) and of course Asian stores (~$2.80). Crispy fried garlic are a little less common but can be found at grocery stores in multicultural areas (Woolworths here, Coles here), or Asian stores (~$3.00).
What else to use them for – I use crispy shallots all the time as a crunchy garnish for salads, noodles, curries and soups. Crispy fried garlic works the same way, just use a little less unless you want it extra garlicky.
Substitutes – Crispy shallots are easy to find. Fried garlic is less common, so swap with garlic granules if you can’t find them, but please read the FAQ for a minor recipe alteration.
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Chicken stock powder, preferably Chinese (photo below) – Another important ingredient! Also called just Chicken Powder, or Chicken Bouillon Powder, this is a yellow powder that adds salt plus savouriness.
Knorr Chicken Powder (the Chinese one) is my preferred, around $7.00 a can, though I also use Lee Kim Lee Chicken Bouillon powder (see here). Otherwise use another Asian brand, or a western one like Vegeta, Continental, OXO. Yep, the Asian ones have MSG in them, and even most of the western ones do. That’s what makes it “tastier”. 🙂
What else to use Asian chicken stock powders for – I use them to make liquid chicken stock for cooking if I’m out of cartons of liquid stock. I personally find them much better than western stock powders. I don’t use it for clear broth soups though, I find it doesn’t have as “clean” a flavour as liquid stocks.
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Sugar – We only use 1 teaspoon and you will be surprised what a difference such a small amount makes! Note: not all chilli crisps have a touch of sugar, but all the ones I like do. I really do think it brings another layer of tastiness.
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Salt – We use salt for additional seasoning, because if you only use chicken stock powder then it tends to taste a bit too chicken-y, and we don’t want that.
OK! Ingredient chatter done, now let me show you how to make it so you can get into the kitchen!
How to make this Easy Chilli Crisp
There’s nothing tricky about making your own Chilli Crisp. Just be careful when simmering the oil with the spices – use a gentle simmer as if anything burns, it will taint all the oil.
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Chop (special step) – Cut the cinnamon, bayleaf and star anise, just roughly into pieces about 1cm / 0.2″. This is to help release more flavour.
- Soak whole spices (special step) – Place the chopped spices (including all the crumbly bits) in a small bowl with the cardamom, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds and cloves. Add 2 teaspoons water and toss with your fingers. There won’t be any water pooling in the base of the bowl. Leave for 30 minutes to hydrate.
Lightly hydrating the spices helps draw out more flavour by softening them slightly and ensuring the small chopped bits don’t burn in the oil.
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Infuse oil – Put the soaked spices into a 20cm/8″ saucepan.* Add the green onion, ginger and cold oil.
* Saucepan size – don’t use one too much smaller else the spices will be too crowded and won’t fry properly. If you use one too large and the oil depth is too shallow, you’ll end up pan frying those spices – not what we want!
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25 minutes fizzy simmer – Start the stove on medium low then adjust the heat up or down until you see small fizzy bubbles coming up from the base (kind of like soda), with a few little bubbles every now and then. Maintain that gentle bubbling for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and making sure nothing burns. Towards the end, the bubbling will slow (a sign the water has evaporated from the spices, ginger etc) and the ginger and green onion should be golden or dark golden, not burnt.
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Finish fizzy simmer – This is what the green onion should look like at the end of the fizzy simmering time, or even more golden.
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Prepare the hot-oil-bowl – Just before the oil simmer time is finished, mix the sesame seeds, chilli flakes, smoked paprika, soy sauce and vinegar into a heat proof bowl (I use metal). It has to be strong enough to withstand hot oil. ⚠️ Don’t do this step too far ahead of the oil finishing else the liquids get absorbed by the dry ingredients.
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Strain the oil into the bowl using a fine-mesh metal sieve. Discard the used spices caught in the sieve.
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Fully cool (30 minutes) – Mix the oil, then leave it to fully cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. ⚡️If you’re in a hurry, you can cool for just 10 minutes before proceeding but you’ll still need to wait for the oil to fully cool before sealing the jar.
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Crunchy bits! Add the crispy garlic and shallots, plus the sugar, chicken powder and salt.
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Mix well – Give the chilli crisp a really good mix and you’re done!
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24 hour flavour melding time – Transfer it into an airtight container or jar with enough headroom to be able to mix it vigorously (essential before every use). Screw the lid on then leave in the fridge for at least 24 hours to let the flavours meld before using. It’s still tasty if you use it immediately, but once the flavours have time to blend, it catapults into OMG! territory.
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To use – Give the Chilli Crisp a really good mix, being sure to get right into the corners of the base to agitate everything that’s settled on the base (especially the sugar and salt). Be sure to get a good proportion of the “stuff” and oil every time you scoop up a spoonful to use!
How long this Chilli Crisp keeps
This Chilli Crisp just gets better with time, peaking at around day 3 then it stays at that level of excellence for at least 6 weeks. Beyond this, I found that the beautiful fresh aromatic flavour starts to fade but it was still crunchy and still better than shop bought ones, so I’ve been happily using them up to around the 10 week mark.
At around 3 months, some batches started to develop a bit of bitterness, I found, and noticeably less aromatic flavour.
What to use Chilli Crisp for
Use chilli crisp on anything that you want to make a little more interesting with a flavour boost, colour splash or textural crunch, or to save a dish that is just a little bland. Spoon it over fried eggs, noodles, fried rice, soups, even avocado toast. Drizzle it on grilled meats or roasted veg, toss it through stir fries, or use it as a dipping sauce for dumplings and wontons with a splash of soy.
Mix it with mayonnaise for an instant sauce for burgers, burritos, potato wedges or fries. Swish through sour cream for an instant taco sauce. Swirl over yogurt and use as a dip.
Once you start using it, you will quickly realise the potential uses are limitless and extend far beyond Asian food!
Thank you to Hannah and her father!
Hannah developed this Chilli Crisp recipe with her chef dad in China critiquing every round. Not red enough, aromatics off, sesame not toasted enough, wrong ratio of oil-to-crunchy bits …….. back to the kitchen she went, making it over and over again.
I feel so privileged that we get to share a recipe that’s been created, tested, refined and signed off by not just one but two talented chefs with impossibly high standards when it comes to the food of their country.
Getting Hannah’s dad’s sign off is especially special because if you grew up in an Asian household, you know parent approval isn’t handed out lightly. So when he finally gave it the nod, we knew this one was something special.
The Chilli Crisp Lovers of the world salute you both! – Nagi x
Chilli Crisp FAQ
2 months in the fridge in an airtight container.
The crispy bits will stay crunchy, and frankly, I feel like the flavour keeps getting better. Beyond 2 months, the crispy bits in some batches started to get a bit chewy and the aromatic flavour starts to fade. But honestly, it’s 27 March today and I’m still using jars Hannah made in early December with no complaints!
Less spicy than sriracha, but enough to know that you’re eating a chilli condiment and not just a crunchy red oil. It is mild enough for me to eat by the spoonful, which I did an extraordinary amount of during the testing phase. There were some days when we were eating over 20 spoonfuls of various chilli crisps!
Yes you can make it less spicy by reducing the chilli flakes (red pepper flakes). The recipe calls for 3 teaspoons which makes this between mild and medium spiciness, noting that oil softens the spiciness so they are way less spicy than eating them dry.
If you reduce to 1 1/2 teaspoons, it will be mild. If you go below 1 1/2 teaspoons I feel like maybe you should just call this Crisp rather than a Chilli Crisp! 😆
Here is a list of the ingredients that I think people might have trouble getting their hands on, and the recommended substitution.
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Chicken stock powder, preferably Chinese – If you can’t find Chinese or Asian chicken stock powders (I use Knorr and Lee Kim Kee), use any western chicken powders.
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Chinese black vinegar (Chinkiang) – Rice vinegar is best, otherwise apple cider vinegar or regular white distilled vinegar. (Recipe only calls for 1/2 teaspoon).
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Crispy fried garlic – Use 1 tablespoon of granulated garlic (dried garlic flakes – easy to find at regular shops). Add it with the sesame seeds. Also add 5 smashed garlic cloves with the ginger to infuse in the oil.
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Crispy fried shallots – This is a major ingredient in this recipe (we use 1/2 cup) for flavour and crunchy texture, so I can’t suggest a substitute. We tried using dehydrated onion (onion granules) but it didn’t work at all.
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Sichuan peppercorns – These have a citrusy, almost lemony fragrance when used whole, and is distinctly Chinese. But the absence of these would not stop me from making this! I haven’t tried, but I think the best substitute would be black peppercorns with a small strip of lemon zest to mimic the citrusy flavour. I think there’s enough other flavours going on in this chilli crisp to hide this little make-do! 🙂
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Gluten free – If you use tamari instead of soy sauce and ensure the chicken powder is gluten free, then yes it can be.
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Vegetarian / vegan – Substitute the chicken powder with a meat-free alternative (I love Vegeta!)
We chose our favourite shop bought chilli crisp based on flavour alone, ignoring price. We think Maesri Crispy Chilli is the best, ousting the similarly priced iconic Lao Gan Ma “Angry Auntie” chilli crisp that started the world-wide chilli crisp craze, and numerous other jars that were far more expensive.
Lao Gan Ma is still a solid performer, and so handy to get your hands on. But it’s a little heavy handed on MSG and there’s much crunchier and much more aromatic chilli crisps in the market these days. The bar has been raised!
Maesri, on the other hand (and FYI, also a supermarket jar), ticks all my boxes – great savouriness, crunch, salty balanced with hint of sweet – except one: fresh, real aromatic flavour. That’s where homemade beats it, hands down! Our version also has more impressive crunch (but then again, with Maesri, it’s probably months between production and getting to our dinner tables).
But other than that, the balance of flavours of our chilli crisp was very much modelled on the Maesri Chilli Crisp. It really is very good – reiterating again, we think it’s the best store bought – and if I find myself out of homemade, that’s the one I’ll be putting in my shopping trolley.
Price
Both Lao Gan Ma and Maesri are similarly priced (Maesri $6,00 a jar, $3.00/100g, Lao Gan Ma $4.40, $2.10/100g), and while you’ll find both at most Asian stores, Lao Gan Ma is more easily found at regular grocery stores (Coles, Woolies) while Maesri is currently usually only stocked at Coles in multi-cultural areas (Gladesville! Ryde!).
The most expensive one we tried was over $20 a jar (excluding shipping).
Notable mention – Mrs C’s
I still have a massive soft spot for Mrs C’s Apprentice Chilli Crisp, made by a small family run business in Melbourne, for the seriously impressive crunch unlike any other I’ve ever had, and the bold garlicky flavour. Be warned: The OG is for chilli monsters only! 🔥
Footnote: For the sake of not hurting small businesses, I have chosen not to name all brands we tried. And to be clear, I would happily spoon any of the chilli crisps we tried over dinner tonight. I am a shameless chilli crisp addict!
Watch how to make it
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Our Easy Chilli Crisp
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Soaking and cooling: 1 hour
Condiments, Sauce
Chinese
Ingredients
Seasoning and Crispy Bits:
Prevent screen from sleeping
Instructions
ABBREVIATED
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Soak Dried Spices with the water 30 minutes. Gently simmer with Oil Infusion 30 minutes. Strain into bowl over Oil Sizzle ingredients. Cool 30 minutes, mix in Seasoning & Crispy Bits. Fridge 24 hours. Mix very well before use!
FULL RECIPE
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Chop hard spices – Roughly cut the cinnamon, bayleaf and star anise into ~1cm / 0.4″ pieces.
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Soak dried spices – Scrape into a bowl with the remaining Dried Herbs and Spices. Add the water and mix so everything is coated. Leave for 30 minutes so they absorb all the water. (This prevents burning when infusing hot oil and softens the surface for better flavour extraction).
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Oil infusion – Put the soaked spices into a 20cm/8″ saucepan with the green onion, ginger and cold oil. Start on medium-low, then adjust the heat until you see small fizzy bubbles coming up from the base.
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30 minute fizzy simmer – Maintain that gentle fizzy bubbling for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times, and ensure nothing burns. Towards the end, the bubbling will slow (a sign the water has evaporated from the spices, ginger etc) and the ginger and green onion should be dark golden, not burnt. (Note 7)
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Oil Sizzle ingredients – Just before the oil simmering finishes, put the Oil Sizzle ingredients in a metal bowl (or high heat-proof container that can sustain hot oil). ⚠️ Don’t do this too far ahead of time else the sesame seeds may absorb too much of the liquids.
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Strain – When the infused oil is done, strain the hot oil into the bowl using a fine-mesh metal sieve. Then mix. Discard all the used spices etc caught in the strainer.
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Cool – Leave the oil to cool for at least 15 minutes.
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Seasoning and crispy bits – Mix all the Seasoning and Crunchy bits into the cooled oil.
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Infuse overnight – Pour into a jar or airtight container. Once fully cool, seal with a lid. Leave for at least 24 hours to let all the flavours meld. It just gets better with time, peaking on day 3 onwards. Keeps in the fridge for 6 to 8 weeks. Always mix well before using, being sure to agitate all the good stuff into the oil!
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Use on stir fries, noodles, fried rice, soups (Asian or not!), eggs, in burgers, dipping sauce for dumplings, turn a boring plain poached chicken or fish into an exciting dinner, serve with steak (I DO THIS ALL THE TIME!), dollop over Lebanese pizza or roast vegetables, smear in this or this gyros and donor kebab wraps. Mix with mayo or sour cream to make an instant dip/sauce for fries, wedges or veggie sticks, or use it for tacos and burritos. The question really is – what can’t you use it for??!! 🙂
Recipe Notes:
2. Chilli flakes / red pepper flakes – This is the spiciness in this chilli crisp. It might sound like a lot, but the spiciness is largely absorbed by the oil so the end result is on the low end of medium. It’s less spicy than sriracha, if that helps as a benchmark!
Reduce spiciness by using less, but I wouldn’t go less than 1 1/2 teaspoons because then you may as well drop the “Chilli” from the name. 🙂
3. Black vinegar (Chinkiang) is a Chinese vinegar the colour of balsamic. No need to get it especially, substitute with rice vinegar or any other clear vinegar.
4. Caster sugar – Better than regular / granulated sugar as the grains are finer and sugar does not dissolve in oil. If you only have regular sugar, stir extra well.
5. Chicken stock powder – Use a Chinese one if you can (I use Knorr which is very popular in the Asian community), else any chicken stock powder (bouillon powder). This is what gives chilli crisp the savoury flavour.
Vegetarian – Vegeta would be my first pick. I love that stuff! 🙂
6. Crispy fried shallots and crispy fried garlic – Provides most of the crunch as well as a stack of flavour! Using store bought is a massive shortcut because it’s actually really tricky to deep fry paper thin slices of shallots and garlic to make them crispy, let alone stay crispy in oil. Even professional chefs struggle to do it consistently.
Where to find them – Crispy fried shallots are very accessible these days, sold at regular grocery stores plus of course Asian stores. Crispy fried garlic bits are sold at Asian stores and large grocery stores in multi-cultural areas (Coles, for Aussies!).
Substitutes – There’s no substitute for Crispy Fried Shallots but see FAQ for making this with dried garlic granules instead which are much more readily available.
7. Oil Infusion step – The goal here is to extract as much flavour as we can from the spices without letting anything burn which will taint all the oil with bitterness. Stronger simmer = more flavour extraction but watch carefully to avoid burning.
Storage – Keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for 6 to 8 weeks. The crispy bits stay crispy! Beyond this, the crispy bits start to soften a bit and the aromatic flavour starts to fade. Then well beyond this (3 months+), you may start tasting a bit of bitterness.
Remembering Dozer
The way I’ve been talking about Dozer since I lost him, you’d think he was a perfect little angel, with a halo and all.👼🏻 But let’s not forget he wasn’t without flaws! I mean, look at him. Zero remorse. And truly expecting me to play with him!
