Go-to Aromatic Chili Oil

This chili oil can brighten up any dish. You can use it in marinades, salad dressings, over soup, stir fry, vegetables, sauces and so much more! Another great thing about this chili oil in particular is that it packs so much flavors thanks to all the different aromatics used. Aromatics that you won’t find in a traditional chili oil.
The other great thing about this recipe is how customizable it is. The blend of spices and aromatics is just a combination of what I had lying around in my pantry. For the spices I used:

cinnamon sticks
black peppercorns
coriander seeds
cloves
bay leaves
You could also add star anis if you have it on hand.

For the aromatics I used:

Garlic
ginger
green pepper
baby onions
scallions
If you want to make the oil even spicier, you can use red peppers, dried ones work too.

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

1 -2 hours

Serving:

10 small jars

Labels:

Ingredients

6 scallions, save the green ends
2 fresh green or red peppers (depends on how spicy you like it)
1 cup garlic cloves
10 baby onions or shallots*, optional
6-inch ginger root
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp cloves
2 tsp coriander seeds
5 bay leaves
1.5L high smoke point oil, I used sunflower oil
500g good quality red pepper flakes*

This recipe makes quite a lot of chili oil. If you want to make a medium-sized jar worth of chili oil, divide all ingredients by 4.
The baby onions add a bit of sweetness. If you would like a stronger chili oil, leave out the onions as their sweetness mellows out the spices.
The Chili flakes you use depend on how spicy you want this oil to be. I did a 2:1 ratio of spicy to mild chili flakes and the end result was not too spicy but still had a kick to it.
The chili oil has a shell life of 2-3 months, but after a month, I recommend storing it in the fridge.

Instructions:

1. Prepare your jar(s): Boil water in a large pot. Once simmering, carefully dunk each jar and the lid in the water with tongs. Make sure the jar is fully drenched for a few seconds. Remove and let the jars dry off on a clean towel.

2. Wash and dry the garlic, baby onions, scallions, ginger, and peppers well. Leave the skin of the garlic and ginger on. Peel the skin off the baby onions. Remove the roots of the scallions, and cut off the greener ends. Cut the ginger root into 3-4 pieces and crush them. They shouldn’t be too crushed by each piece should have cracks. Crush the garlic cloves and set aside.

3. In a cold pot, add all your spices, along with the vegetables, except the scallion greens. Cover with neutral oil. Place the pot on medium-low heat and let it simmer. Once it reaches a simmer, turn the heat to the lowest and let it simmer for 1-2 hours. The more it simmers, the more flavor you extract from your aromatics. If you’re making a smaller batch, this will take 30-40 minutes. Be very careful it doesn’t burn, the aromatics should turn a golden brown color.

4. While the oil is simmering, toss the chili flakes in a large heatproof bowl and place a heatproof sieve or colander over it. Once the timer is up, carefully and slowly pour the piping hot t oil over the chili flakes and let it fry up the flakes. Make sure your bowl has enough room because the mixture will bubble. Let it sit until it’s cooled. Once cooled, store in the sanitized jars.

These jars of chili oil also make great handmade gifts to give out to family and friends.