Chinese Chili Oil Recipe — Better Than Bottled!

Chinese Chili Oil is the ultimate condiment—fiery, fragrant, and loaded with bold, addictive flavor. This homemade version is smoky, spicy, and perfectly balanced with toasted sesame, numbing Sichuan peppercorns, and warming spices. Whether you’re drizzling it over noodles, dumplings, rice, or even eggs, this chili oil brings restaurant-level heat and depth right to your kitchen. Best of all? It’s easy and stores beautifully—and trust me, it’s way better than anything you’ll find in a bottle.

Chinese Chili Oil Recipe

Serves: About 1½ cups
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup dried red chili peppers
1/3 cup dried lantern chili peppers
¼ cup paprika powder
3 tablespoons toasted white sesame
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon rice wine, separated
1 tablespoon red Sichuan peppercorns
1 tablespoon green Sichuan peppercorns
1 piece cinnamon stick
1 black cardamom (cao guo)
1 star anise
1 slice Chinese licorice root (gan cao)
2 cloves
2 bay leaves
¼ piece dried tangerine peel
3 slices ginger
6 garlic cloves
1½ cups cooking oil (high smoke point, such as avocado, canola, or peanut oil)
3 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar

Chinese Chili Oil Instructions

1. Prep the spices and chilies:

• Rinse and thoroughly dry all spices and chili peppers.
• Using a spice grinder, grind the dried red chili peppers and lantern chili peppers into a powder. (We use two kinds for a deeper flavor—lantern chilies are especially aromatic.)
• Transfer to a heatproof mixing bowl. Add paprika powder, toasted sesame seeds, and salt. Mix well and set aside.

2. Moisten the Sichuan peppercorns:

• Add ½ teaspoon of rice wine to the red Sichuan peppercorns.
• Add ½ teaspoon of rice wine to the green Sichuan peppercorns. (This step prevents them from burning during frying.)

3. Combine aromatics:

• In a bowl, mix together: cinnamon, black cardamom, star anise, Chinese licorice root, cloves, bay leaves, dried tangerine peel, red and green Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, and garlic.

4. Infuse the oil:

• In a wok or saucepan over the lowest heat, pour in the cooking oil. Heat until it reaches about 180°F (82°C), about 1 minute.
• Add in all the mixed aromatics. Let them gently fry for 2 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and allow the spices to steep for another 20 minutes. Strain and discard the solids.

5. Finish the chili oil:

• Reheat the strained oil over high heat until it’s just smoking. Turn off the heat and let it cool for 3 minutes.
• Carefully pour half of the hot oil over the chili mixture. Stir immediately to release the aroma and prevent burning.
• Pour the remaining hot oil in and mix well.
• Finally, add the Chinkiang vinegar to balance the heat and deepen the flavor. Stir again. (It will sizzle briefly and then settle.)

Tips & notes

• Use a high smoke point oil: Avocado, canola, peanut, or grapeseed oil are great options to handle the heat without breaking down.
• Layered heat: Lantern chilies add aroma, red chilies bring heat, paprika adds beautiful color, and the two types of Sichuan peppercorns give both fragrance and numbing spice.
• Vinegar matters: Adding Chinkiang vinegar at the end prevents the chili from burning and adds just the right tangy complexity.
• Storage: Let cool completely, then store in a clean jar in the fridge. It will keep for up to 1 month—if it lasts that long!
• Use it on everything: Drizzle over dumplings, noodles, stir-fries, tofu, soups, or even pizza—anything that needs a flavorful punch.