Homemade Szechuan Chili Oil

Welcome, spice lovers! Today, we’re diving into the world of bold, fiery flavors as we learn how to make one of China’s most iconic condiments: Chinese chili garlic oil! This golden-red, sizzling oil is the secret to adding a kick to just about any dish—from noodles to dumplings to meats to veggies.

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% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Pour peanut oil in a medium to big size saucepan, heat up until it reaches the right temperature (roughly 250°F - 275°F), adjust the heat to medium low.

Step 2

In the meantime, add crushed Szechuan or Thai chili powder and regular crushed chili powder in a big ceramic bowl, top with roasted white sesame seeds, further add ¼ cup of peanut oil to mix and spread out.

Step 3

Gently place sliced scallion, ginger, onion, garlic and cilantro in heated oil (please watch out for oil splatter as the oil is going to be hot), simmer on medium low heat for a minute, and further add in bay leaves, Chinese black cardamom, fennel seeds, star Anise and Szechuan peppercorn to fry on medium low heat.

Step 4

Remove all spices from the oil once they are golden brown, then heat up infused oil to the right temperature (roughly 350°F), where you can see small bubbles forming when tested with a piece of food

Step 5

Simply pour a big spoon full of hot infused oil over chili powder, you will see sizzling bubbles forming, slowly stir it while pouring. Let cool for a minute, then add the second big spoon of heated oil in to mix. One minute later, add the remaining oil to the chili to stir well.

Step 6

Add the additional ingredients to season the chili oil - salt, sugar, chicken powder and diced garlic to mix. Let cool off completely and store in an airtight container, such as mason jar.