Chili crisp is an infused chili oil condiment with crunchy bits, made by simmering chili peppers, onion, garlic, ginger, and seasonings in oil. It is spicy, salty and savory and the umami taste adds an addictive depth of flavor.
Chili crisp can stand alone as a superb condiment or use it as a flavoring for aioli-chili crisp spread. You can use the crispy crunchy bits or just the chili oil, but those crispy bits…man alive, so darn good.
This savory chili crisp recipe is easy to make and is the perfect condiment for spooning over anything from vegetables, savory tarts & pies, eggs, etc. And for you daring foodies, cream pies, fruit pies, ice cream, and other sweet desserts. Chili crisp does what salt does to salted caramel, but with an added peppery kick.
I love Chili Crisp over my Southwest Chicken & Cornbread Pie. I make this chicken/cornbread savory pie on the mild side so those who love spice can spice it up with Chili Crisp.
Gather all of your ingredients and your favorite skillet to get going. I used a skillet with 2-inch to 3-inch sides (depth). Above are the ingredients that will be simmered in oil; below are the dry seasonings the infused oil will eventually be combined.
I had a difficult time finding mushroom powder, star anise and aleppo pepper, and I found it at The Spice & Tea Exchange. They had everything I needed and then some! They also have an online store to shop to your spice loving heart out!
Alrighty, add the oil to the contents of the skillet and over medium heat bring to a shimmering simmer. Lower the heat and continue simmering for about 20 minutes.
The garlic and veggies will be slightly browned through. However, don’t turn your back on the simmering veggies as they can go from beautifully browned to burnt black in a minute or two. Therefore, maybe don’t answer the phone and catch up with a good friend or you may be starting over.
Strain the hot oil carefully as you pour it over the dry peppers and seasonings, RESERVING THE CRISPY BITS. Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise, and spread the bits around on a dinner plate to cool. They will crisp up as they cool (like bacon). Once the oil & peppers have cooled to room temp, add in the bits and it is time to get your crisp on.
Stir for each spoonful of chili crisp you use. You can scoop up a lot of bits or more oil depending on your preference.
Have a fantabulous condiment making adventure! And in the immortal words of Bill & Ted, “Be excellent to each other and party on (dudes)!”
Chili Crisp
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 serrano pepper (optional), seeded and chopped (use onlyif you like heat)
- 1/2 medium sweet vidalia onion
- 1 toe ginger, peeled and chopped
- 10 to 12 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black peppercorns
- 1 4-inch cinnamon stick
- 3 star anise pods
- 4 tablespoons of two or more varieties of red chili flakes (Aleppo, japones, arbol, Kashmiri)
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mushroom powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Instructions
- Add the chopped peppers, onion, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, staranise, and sesame seeds (if using) to light colored skillet. Pour in the vegetable and sesame oil.
- Heat the oil over medium heat untilingredients begin to simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the ingredients in the pot are light brown. Using a light colored skillet will help visualizehow crispy and golden brown the ingredients are becoming. It could take longer/shorter for the bits to brown and crisp depending on the size of your chopped veggies and oil temperature.
- As the peppers & spices are simmering, in a separate medium sized bowl, stir the red chiliflakes, soy sauce, sea salt, cumin, and mushroom powder together.
- After the skillet mixture has simmered for the appropriate time, remove from heat. Place a sieve over the bowl of red chili flake mixture and carefully pour the hot oil through sieve into the bowl. RESERVE THE STRAINED BITS!
- On a large dinner plate or pie plate, invert the sieve with bits and spread them out. Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise and discard. The browned bits will crisp upas they cool (just like bacon).
- Carefully stir the warm simmered oil with the chili flake mixture and let it cool as the crispy bits are cooling. After about 20 to 30 minutes or so the oil should be cooled to room temperature or thereabouts and you can stir in the crispy browned bits. Ta da! You have chili crisp!
