Learn how to make a simple chili oil at home with this quick and easy recipe. Homemade chili oil is great for drizzling over foods for extra spice and flavor, for mixing into sauces and vinaigrettes, as well as for cooking many meals. You'll also love my homemade chili crisp recipe.
Homemade Chili Oil Recipe
I use chili oils for all sorts of recipes. They're pretty standard in certain parts of the world. They figure prominently in Chinese and Japanese cooking, and in many parts of Asia, although the Italians enjoy their own version as well.
There are many great brands on the market, but I find it best to make my own when I need a small batch, or even to give as a gift, and to really customize what I'm looking for.
Making chili oil from scratch is incredibly easy, and it's also fun to make your own variations with flavors you'll never find anywhere else.
What is Chili Oil?
Chili oil is made from vegetable oil that has been infused with chili peppers of choice. You can use any type of chili pepper, from mild to superhot peppers. Other ingredients are sometimes included.
You can use most types of vegetable oil, though a neutral oil is ideal for highlighting the chili pepper flavor.
Let's discuss how to make chili oil, shall we?
Homemade Chili Oil Ingredients
You only need two ingredients to make chili oil:
- Oil.
- Chili Flakes or Crushed Dried Chilies. You can also make it with fresh chilies.
I like to include a pinch of salt with mine, as well as a small amount of other preferred dried seasonings. More on that below.
Best Oil for Making Chili Oil
Any neutral oil is best for making homemade chili oil. Peanut oil, canola oil, corn oil, avocado oil, or a simple vegetable oil make the best chili oil with real chili flavor. I do not recommend oils with stronger flavors, such as olive oil, sesame oil, or coconut oil, as they can affect the flavor of your final oil.
They can be used, however, depending on your final flavor preferences and preferred application.
How to Make Chili Oil - the Recipe Method
First, gather up the following ingredients:
- 1 cup canola oil – or any neutral oil such as peanut oil
- 3 tablespoons crushed dried peppers
- Dash of salt if desired
Prepare Your Chili Flakes & Spices. Add the chili flakes and your additional spices to a heat proof bowl. Mix well.
Heat the Oil. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a small pot. Do not allow the oil to smoke. If it smokes, remove it from the heat to reduce the temperature.
Mix the Hot Oil & Chili Flakes + Spices. Pour the hot oil carefully over the chili flakes. It will sizzle up nicely. Mix well. Cool and strain if desired.
Transfer to a glass container. Use immediately or store.
BOOM! Done! Super easy, isn't it? Soon you'll be making chili oils of your own and drizzling it over anything and everything.
Recipe Tips & Notes
Oil Temperature. Heat your oil to 180 degrees F minimum, or to 350 degrees F maximum for a darker oil. Do not let your oil smoke or get any hotter, or it can burn your chili flakes and spices, resulting in a bitter flavor.
If you do not have a temperature gauge, you can test it by adding a tiny pinch of chili flakes to the hot oil. It is ready when the flakes sizzle.
I recommend the Thermoworks Thermapen ONE thermometer (affiliate link, my friends!). It works GREAT for meats and making oils.
You can strain your oil through a thin sieve or cheese cloth to remove the peppers/sediment, depending on how finely you chop/crush the peppers.
You can also include whole dried chili peppers into the oil, which can be decorative.
Storage Information
Homemade chili oil can last for 2-3 months when stored in an airtight container in a cool dark place at room temperature, and even longer in the refrigerator, though shelf life can vary depending on ingredients used.
What Other Ingredients Can Be Used to Make Chili Oil?
Other ingredients might include granulated garlic, white pepper, salt or msg, cayenne pepper, paprika or other chili powders, cinnamon, shallots, peppercorns, Sichuan peppercorns (for a Sichuan style or Chinese chili oil), ginger, soy sauce, sesame seed, bay leaves, star anise, crushed red pepper flakes, and so much more.
You can essentially infuse your oil with any number of ingredients and creative combinations. Feel free to dream up your own personal creation.
Different Types of Chili Oil
You can make many different types of chili oil, depending on the ingredients used to infuse the oil. Possibilities include:
- Chinese Chili Oil. Use Chinese chili peppers or Sichuan chili flakes, along with Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon stick, and Chinese vinegar or black vinegar.
- Japanese Chili Oil. Use gochugaru and shichimi togarashi to make Rayu (Japanese Chili Oil).
- Calabrian Chili. Use Calabrian chili peppers to infuse the oil.
- Garlic Chili. Use garlic and spicy chili flakes.
- Nashville Hot Sauce. Nashville hot sauce is essentially a hot oil infused with cayenne and other spices.
There are many, many possibilities to explore your creativity.
Chili Oil with Crispy Bits
You can also use fresh ingredients, such as minced garlic, ginger root, minced shallot, and minced hot chili peppers to make chili oil with crispy bits, which is very popular today.
See my Chili Crisp Recipe (Hot Chili Oil with Crispy Bits) to learn how to make it.
Serving Suggestions for Chili Oil
You can serve the resulting oil as a condiment or stir it into a variety of dishes, like stir fries, chili oil noodles, dressings, drizzles, gyoza sauce, and more. I personally love it for spicing up ramen noodles or drizzling over fried eggs.
You can keep the chili flakes and spices in the oil and serve it that way, or strain and serve only the oil.
The dried peppers that eventually sink to the bottom of the oil are called the “sludge,” and can be served on their own in a variety of applications.
Try Some of my Other Infusion Recipes
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
5-Minute Chili Oil Recipe (How to Make Chili Oil)
Ingredients
- 1 cup canola oil (or any neutral oil such as peanut oil)
- 3 tablespoons chili flakes or crushed dried chili peppers
- Dash of salt if desired
Optional Extras
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- See Recipe Notes
Instructions
- Add the chili flakes and your additional spices to a heat proof bowl. Mix well.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a small pot. Do not allow the oil to smoke. If it smokes, remove it from the heat to reduce the temperature. (**)
- Pour the hot oil carefully over the chili flakes. It will sizzle up nicely. Mix well. Cool and strain if desired.
- Transfer to a glass container. Use immediately. Lasts 3 months or longer in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This post was updated on 2/22/23 to include new photos and information. It was originally published on 12/15/15.
Rob Thomas says
Okay. So I just got done with a 1 liter batch, using extra virgin olive oil and dried bird's eye chilis. Temperature-wise, I held it between 230-250F for 5 minutes, and I'm letting it cool to room temp.
So: my chilis were ground at varying degrees- I have some almost powder, with flakes mixed in. This was deliberate, as more surface area means more/quicker infusion.
My question is, was the temperature too high?
REPLY: Rob, yes, flakes are a very good call. I'm concerned about the temps because extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoking temp, but you didn't sustain that temp for a long time. My gut tells me you're probably good, but I would keep the temps down in the future, and would probably use different oil. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Floyd says
Linda,
I have done both dried and fresh. Either way they go in the Ninja to devastate prior to going in the oil. this way they are getting maximum exposure to the oil. From my experience the fresh chilis made hotter oil. Other than that i didnt notice much difference.
Jez says
I'd quite like to do this with whole chillies and leave a chilli in each bottle, for visual effect. It would probably look better if the chilli pepper was left intact (maybe slit down the length, so the oil can get to the seeds etc), including the top section where it joins the stem. However I'm concerned that leaving this piece of stem attached will adversely affect the flavour of the oil. Have you experienceof this?
REPLY: Jez, yes, the stems might affect your overall flavor. Plus, you do run the risk of spoilage and rancidity when using fresh peppers, so be sure to refrigerate the oil and/or not use it for very long. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Hector says
Hi, do you have any suggestions for drying habaneros without a dehydrator? I guess we could call it a natural way to dehydrate habaneros?
Thanks in advance
REPLY: Hector, you can use the oven. Here is some info: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/drying-chili-peppers-- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Floyd barstool says
I made some from bhut jolicas last year. I kept the oil hot but not t smoking until the chilis turned dark but not burnt.. it seems as though it was about 8-10 mins. Most of it I kept in a mason jar sealed. Did not go bad on me. My brother visited Rwanda Africa, they use chili oil like we do ketchup on every table and he got hooked. I gave him that jar as a wedding gift and he couldn't get enough, it's my new favorite hobby.
Bobby says
Hi Mike.....I'm a 'purist'. When making Hot Oil, using anything other than chilies in the recipe makes it a 'sauce'.
That said, I use any of my hottest chilies, dried to crispiness, & peanut oil. I usually make a liter or so twice a year, & jar it for storage. I've found that my oils usually last for at least 6 months.....I even had a jar that was over a year old I forgot about way back, on the floor of my pantry, out of sight.....I opened it, & used it....wow was it potent, & it tasted real fine. This was 2 years ago, & I'm still fine, & so is everyone else that helped me finish it up, so the shelf life on my oil wasn't a problem/issue at all. I usually stick with a 2 month +/-, but I've never had to throw any out due to spoilage. My pantry temperature can range between 50°F in winter to 90°F in summer, & the pantry only gets lit by natural light when I open its always closed door (which keeps out all light).
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks for the info, Bobby!
dean says
thank you. at last someone explains the purpose & benefit of drying fresh chilies first. i will do this because need shelf life.
Sharon says
Hi my chilies are a little different from your picture they are red and yellow and a bit smaller can I just chop them up and put them in the oil or does it have to be dried chilies first. Thanks
REPLY: Sharon, you can use fresh chiles, but you'll achieve different results. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Linda says
I have a lot of habanero, jalapeño and Serrano peppers and was planning on making chili oil for Christmas gifts. I didn't realize it woul spoil before then. Do you have any suggestions?
REPLY: Linda, you can either freeze them or dehydrate them in order to keep them until Christmas. It would be best to dry them out, I believe, for making oils. Freezing should be OK as well. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Jane Gao says
Hi, I have a new idea, what taste it will be like if your chili oil has nuts ingredients such as peanut, walnut, pinenut, sesame, etc?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I've never tried it this way, but might give it a try. I'm not sure how long it would last, though, with nuts.
Mercy says
Thanks!!! I really appreciate it!! Trying it now! My hubby loves this stuff and I knew there had to be a simple recipe behind it!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent!
Romie says
Hi Mr, Have A Question Can I include all of this? garlic, shallots, peppercorns, sichuan peppercorns (for a sichuan style chili oil) ginger root, soy sauce, sesame seed, bay leaves, star anise, crushed red pepper flakes, Or I Choose the one?
Mike Hultquist says
You can use all of it. See my Chili Crisp Recipe, which is very similar: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/chili-crisp/
sean says
wow tried it and love it thanks
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great!!
AndrEw says
Hey, question. Why to use within a month? Is there some kind of health risk or what? It will decay or what? Thanks..
REPLY: Andrew, with the dried chilies, it will last longer than a month, but some oils can go rancid. If you're going to use fresh peppers, it won't last longer than the month. Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.