Easy Chili Crisp Recipe (7 Minutes) (2024)

7-minute homemade Easy Chili Crisp recipe, packed with flavor, and tastes delicious over rice dishes, noodles, toasts, bagels with cream cheese, and so much more! Save money and make your own budget-friendly chili crunch.

Chili crisp, also known as chili crunch, and more generically, chili oil, are essentially hot sauces elevated by a pronounced crunch. This is a very versatile condiment. It pairs well with everything from proteins to desserts. Use as a flavor boosting topping or even a cooking sauce.

The most well known commercial brands include Lao Gan Ma, considered by some as the ultimate chili crunch, Momof*cko Chili Crisp, Fly By Jing, Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch, and Mr. Bing.

Why make chili crisp at home? Making your own chili oil could cost pennies on the dollar compared with store-bought brands, which can cost $15 or more per jar. You can also adjust the level of spice by using a different chili pepper, change the seasonings according to taste, and avoid common allergens like peanuts, soy, and sesame by making your own.

This Easy Chili Crisp recipe pairs well with my Avocado Spread, , as well as this Korean Kimchi Fried Rice on this site.

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

This recipe is very versatile. See the list of substitutions for more ingredient options.

• Crushed red pepper (or red pepper flakes) ismade of dried and crushed, as opposed to ground, red chili peppers. Hot peppers contain varying amounts of the phytochemicals responsible for their spiciness. These are known as capsaicinoids, and may offer several heart-related benefits. For example, people who eat spicy foods — especially chili peppers — tend to eat less salt and have lower blood pressure. Capsaicinoids may also improve cholesterol levels and blood vessel function.
• Garlic and shallots are added for crispiness and flavor. They also boast anti inflammatory properties.
• The cinnamon stick, tamari and maple syrup are optional ingredients added for flavor.
• Grapeseed oil, avocado oil, rice bran or peanut oil, vegetable oil, or any high temperature cooking oil with a neutral flavor works.

See recipe card for quantities.

🌶️ Substitutions

• Crushed red pepper - instead of red chili flakes, you can use dried chilies such as ancho, chiles de arbol, guajillo, japones, morita, kashmiri red, Thai red chilies, and more. Make a milder chili crisp with chilies like poblanos and even bell peppers, or make it hotter with chiles de arbol or fiery Thai chilies.
• Shallots - use onion instead as desired
• Cinnamon - the cinnamon can be omitted entirely or replaced with star anise, or other seasonings such as mushroom powder, seaweed flakes, or cumin (salsa macha)
• Oil - Use a neutral flavored oil with a high smoke point such as rice bran oil, grapeseed oil, refined avocado oil, or vegetable oil. Peanut oil can be a good option because of its high smoke point and umami flavor. Olive oil is not ideal because it has a lower smoke point and can get bitter as it’s heated.
• Maple syrup and tamari - Both are optional ingredients. Explore by adding your choice of seasonings and condiments.
• Ginger - optional but adds a kick and anti inflammatory properties

Pair this condiment with my Stuffed Sweet Potatoes on this site for a delicious high-protein dinner. Visit my Veggie Bowls recipes page for more pairing ideas for your Easy Chili Crisp Recipe.

📖 Instructions

Step 1. Microwave option:Place the shallots, garlic, and oil in a microwave safe dish. Cook in the microwave uncovered for about 7 minutes, or until the shallots and garlic are golden brown and crispy.

Stovetop: Place the shallots, garlic, and oil in a small saucepan and bring the oil to a simmer. Cook to simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the garlic and shallots are golden brown and crispy.

Step 2. Add the cinnamon stick, maple syrup, tamari, ginger, crushed red pepper, and salt.Mix well to combine.

💡 Expert Tips

• Having uniform pieces helps ensure that the garlic or shallots cook evenly.
• Keep a close eye on your ingredients so they are just crisp enough and not too wet or burnt.
• The drier the crunchy bits are, the better from a food safety perspective because more moisture can make chili crisp more likely to develop bacteria and spoil.
• Storage: Chili crisp should be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or frozen immediately for later use. It very important that the garlic and shallots are fried until fully crisp to minimize the risk of botulism. This is true for all homemade chili crisp recipes with allums (garlic, onion, or shallots).

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

Try this recipe with my no-cook 10-Minute Sesame Soy Silken Tofu for a quick weeknight dinner.

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📖 Recipe

Vegan Condiment Recipes