Chili Crisp Recipe
A spicy chili crisp recipe that takes only minutes to make with a handful of pantry ingredients. Spoon it on everything from noodles to vegetables to sandwiches and more.
If you love chili crisp as much as I do, you’re going to want this homemade chili crisp recipe. It’s so easy to make, costs a fraction of anything you’d find in the store, and is delicious on just about everything.
I’ve been using it to make my chili crisp tofu, spicy cucumber noodles, eggs, sandwiches, and so much more.
The best part? You likely have all the ingredients in your pantry right now, so you can have homemade chili crisp in just minutes.
See the step-by-step photo directions and tips for success below, or scroll down to the full recipe below.
Chili Crisp Ingredient Notes
- Flavorless Oil: You want something neutral here that doesn’t mask the chili crisp taste. Canola, vegetable (soy) oil, sunflower, avocado, and grapeseed are all good choices. I don’t recommend olive oil, as it will change the flavor.
- Dehydrated Onion Flakes: This is what gives the chili crisp some nice texture and crunch. You can usually find this in the grocery store in the spice aisle, or online. Dried minced garlic will also work. Onion powder will not.
- Red pepper Flakes: The red pepper flakes is what gives the chili crisp the spice. You can decrease or increase the amount slightly, depending on heat preference.
- Sugar: The small amount of sugar here helps to balance the heat and provide a nicer mouthfeel, I don’t recommend skipping it.
- Fresh Minced Garlic: This is the only ingredient that you’ll need to buy fresh, but it gives so much more flavor than dehydrated garlic or garlic powder. I use a microplane to mince the garlic, but a garlic press also works.
- Sesame Oil: The toasted sesame oil added to the ends adds a nice richness. You just need a splash, ~1/4 teaspoon.
How to Make Chili Crisp Oil
Cook the onion and garlic
Combine oil, onion flakes and garlic in a sauce pan or small skillet. Heat on low heat, stirring often, until onion turn evenly golden brown, about 3- 5 minutes. The biggest thing here is not to burn the garlic as it will ruin the dish. If you burn the garlic, start over.
Add the rest of the ingredients
Add remainder of ingredients. Cook for about a minute and remove from heat to cool. Store it in a glass jar and keep it in the fridge.
Tips for Success
The only thing to ensure is that you don’t burn the garlic when you are heating it as it will ruin the oil and you will only taste bitter burnt garlic.
To prevent this, make sure to cook the oil over low heat, stirring often. If the garlic starts to brown, remove from heat immediately.
Best Ways to Enjoy Chili Crisp
Once you make a batch of this chili crisp, you’ll use it repeatedly! Chili crisp is good anywhere you like red pepper.
Try it on pizza, on crispy tofu, stirring into spaghetti, on scrambled egg tacos, in my sesame noodles—the possibilities are endless.
My favorite is my cold cucumber noodles—spicy, chilled udon noodles with cucumber and chili crisp. They are SO good!
More Spicy Recipes
- Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce
- Spicy Vegan Sausage Pasta
- Gochujang Noodles
- Spicy Vegan Pad Thai
- Sheet Pan Tofu with Green Beans
If you make this recipe, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Seeing you make my recipes makes my day, and your feedback helps other readers.
Chili Crisp Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup neutral oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dehydrated onion flakes
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Add the oil, onion flakes, and minced garlic cloves to a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat until just fragrant, about 2-3 minutes, taking care not to burn the garlic.
- Remove from heat and add the sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds and sesame oiland whisk together. Place into a small container and let cool completely.
- Store in the fridge.Â