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.
Kitchenhutt Spices says
yummmy !!
Thanks for sharing it with us !!
Rubye says
Can this be made with olive oil? Made it and I just love it. Put it on everything.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Rubye. Yes, you can make it with olive oil, though olive oil has a lower smoking point, so watch the heat. Also, olive oil has a stronger flavor, so it will affect the final flavor of your chili oil. Still works, though.
Damien C. says
Made another batch of this today. Always a winner. Added extra chili flakes to go the extra mile. Just right. Family loved it.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome to hear, Damien!
Craig Petraszewsky says
Mike, how can I preserve the chili oil so it will last much longer, unrefrigerated?
Mike Hultquist says
Craig, if you strain the oil, you can keep it out of the fridge for a couple weeks. It is best to refrigerate for longer keeping.
diedre reeves says
Great recipe! Thanks?
Mike Hultquist says
Glad to help!
Ty says
I believe this can be stored in the fridge for at least 24 months. No need to throw away after a month! 🙂
nice easy recipe just what I needed. Will add garlic as well
Cherryl says
Can chili oil be made in large batches kept in the freezer?
Mike H. says
Cherryl, yes, you can freeze the chili oil in freezer containers.
Rosalie says
Great! I have so many peppers this year from my balcony garden. I have been drying lots, pickling lots, freezing some and eating lots. I still have lots of peppers to go and your chili oil recipe worked out great! I used ghost peppers and chocolate habaneros (which I have so many of) and it turned out great. Thank you.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Rosalie!
Christine says
I made this with what I had on hand, added garlic and did not strain. Great heat but not too spicy for me!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Christine!
Me says
Be careful with fresh garlic tho. It might lead to botulism. You can look it up on the internet and it's a very ugly bacteria.
Random Pinenut Joy says
I use Korean chilli flakes, thinly sliced garlic and ginger. Then put on the heat for about 1 hour at about 160⁰C. Let cool then strain. Makes a beautiful, tasty garnish oil. Even better for a stir fry or to add to a south east Asian curry
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it.
Alexandria kling says
Thankyou again for my new go to for the Air fryer spray!!Yum Yum!!!..A
Mike Hultquist says
Wow, awesome!!
Noemi Castrillo-Jones says
I'm going to try this I'll let you know. R jalapeños gd peppers to use
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy!
Leah says
Just bought some chili peppers and I am anxious to try. I'm sure I might need a mask for the chili aroma. I love spicy food. Thanks for recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
Sure thing, Leah! Yes, open the windows for some good ventilation! Enjoy!
Deepak Gopalakrishnan says
Thanks!
Garry says
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your advice on the oil
Success with the oil temp , and Infusion times, delightful for our wood fired pizzas
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Very nice! Thanks, Garry!!!
Garry says
G’day Mike,
Good to see you on utube
Trying to make chilli oil, not much success in infusing the chilli in the oil, can you give me a ideal temp to infuse.
My last batches I burnt the chilli, you know the story, just a little bit more, and smoking
A temperature and time to infuse would be great.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hey, Garry. The temp can vary from oil to oil, but you really only need to heat it gently. The main thing is to not boil it or let it get to smoking, which you've discovered. I'd say a top of about 130 degrees F is good, or lower. Time can be anywhere from 5 minutes to 1 hour or longer, depending on the amount of infusion you're looking for. It will be a stronger infusion the longer you go. Let me know if this helps. G'Day!!
Sparki says
What are 7-Pots?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sparki, it's a type of chili pepper. Learn more about 7 pot peppers here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-types/superhot-chili-peppers/7-pot-chili-pepper/.
Alan W says
I have a question about adding Sichuan peppercorns....do you toast the peppercorns in a cast iron skillet and crush them before adding to the oil or just add the peppercorns whole to the oil? Also, what oils do you recommend using? Sesame, walnut, olive, avocado, any others?
I love your recipes but will admit I have tempered the scovilles down a bit on some of them.
Thanks again for providing some very flavorful, exotic recipes.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Alan, I like to toast the peppercorns first to bring out their flavor. Cast iron skillet is great. You can do it without toasting, but toasting really adds to the overall flavor profile. I use more neutral oils, like peanut or vegetable, but any will work. Stronger flavored oils will carry over that strong flavor, like a good Tuscan olive oil. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Megan Duffett says
Hi,
How long does this last for and do I need to put it in the fridge? My husband made chilli oil and put it in the fridge. It had completely solidified when he took it out the next day.
Thanks,
Megan
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Megan, it's best to use within a month, but should last longer, especially in the refrigerator. If infusing with dried peppers, and then straining it, it really should last. It will harden in the refrigerator, but turn back to a liquid at room temperature.
Mahesh Nagaraj says
Thank you mike. Will give this a try
Ravi says
First off, I love your site! I have had an over abundance of chilies in the garden the last couple of years and have been able to use this site to make all sorts of great hot sauces pickled peppers etc.
For chile oil, last year I smoked a big batch of habanero’s and just put them into a jar along with olive oil. The oil took on both the chile flavor along with the smoke flavor. I keep it in cool dark cabinet and it’s still good a year later!
Thanks for this great site and community. I love how many wonderful chile lovers there are out there!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks so much, Ravi. I appreciate it!