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, Momofuko 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, Caramelized Tofu & Onion Sandwich, as well as this Korean Kimchi Fried Rice on this site.
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
This recipe is very versatile. See the list of substitutions for more ingredient options.
- Crushed red pepper (or red pepper flakes) is made 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
It is an infused chili oil condiment with crunchy bits, made of crushed red pepper (red chili flakes), fried garlic pieces and other alliums, and a choice choice of other crispy bits and seasonings. These include crushed peanuts, soybeans, sesame seeds, cinnamon, star anise, seaweed, mushroom powder, and other seasonings that can vary based on brand or recipe.
You can use it as a marinade for tofu, tempeh, mushrooms, and beans. It's also a great flavor booster in spreads, dips, and dressings. Add some to dipping sauces, or serve with noodles, rice dishes, roasted vegetables, in sandwiches, mixed with mayonnaise, on avocado toast, or add a splash to fresh fruit, yogurt, or even ice cream. There are endless uses for this flavor boosting oil.
Tao Huabi is the woman behind Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp, a hot, crunchy sauce of chopped chillies. The name means “old godmother, " and the jar is known for its image of a stern looking, short-haired woman.
It is a Mexican condiment made with different varieties of dried chiles, garlic, and chopped nuts and seeds fried in oil. It is different from chili crisp mostly because of the many varieties of Mexican chilis it uses.
🍽 Related Recipes
Try this recipe with my no-cook 10-Minute Sesame Soy Silken Tofu for a quick weeknight dinner.
👩🏽🍳 Made This Recipe?
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I would love it if you would ⭐️ rate this recipe and leave a comment. Thank you in advance.
📖 Recipe
Chili Crisp Recipe (7 Minutes)
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Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups grapeseed oil or avocado oil or vegetable oil
- ½ cup thinly sliced shallots
- 8 large cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons grated or minced fresh ginger
- 1 cup crushed red pepper (red chili flakes)
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Cook garlic and shallots: Option 1 Microwave: 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. Continue cooking in 30 second intervals as needed. Set aside to cool for 1 minute. Option 2 Stovetop: Place the shallots, garlic, and oil in a small saucepan and bring the oil to a simmer. Cook over medium-low heat or at a gentle simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the garlic and shallots are golden brown and crispy. Set aside to cool for 1 minute.
- Add the cinnamon stick, maple syrup, tamari, ginger, crushed red pepper, and salt. Mix well to combine.
Notes
- Try to slice the garlic and shallots about the same thickness. 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.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Laurene says
Can you please confirm that this recipe calls for 1 cup of red chili flakes? I think that would light anybody's hair on fire....lol
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes, that is correct! It works out. Many people have made it.
Gillian says
Wow this is going to be a game changer on my condimentDASH BOARD🤣.THANK YOU
Nisha Melvani says
Enjoy:) Thank you for commenting!
JudyR says
Hi Nisha,
This recipe is incredible!
Chili crisp where have you been all my life?
Judy
Nisha Melvani says
Yay! I'm so glad it was a hit. I agree!!! I use it on everything!
Debra McCracken says
Hard to tell when to add cinnamon stick. Is it take off stove after 25 min then add cinnamon stick,pls clarify,
Thanks Debbie.
Nisha Melvani says
Hi. Yes. After the garlic and shallots have browned, remove from the stove and add the remaining ingredients including the cinnamon. You can leave the cinnamon stick inside.