Sauces, pastes & condiments · Condiments

Chilli oil

Oil infused with chilli flakes and spices, often with crispy bits; spooned over noodles, dumplings and eggs.

Also called: chili crisp, hong you, la you, red oil, rayu, sichuan chili oil

Photo: Alpha, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-2.0)

What it is

Neutral oil heated and poured over dried chilli flakes, often with Sichuan pepper, garlic, star anise and sesame. Sichuan hong you is mostly red oil with sediment; chili crisp is heavy on crunchy fried chilli, garlic, shallot and sometimes peanuts or soybeans. Japanese rayu is a thinner sesame-chilli oil.

How it’s used

Spooned over noodles and wontons
Dumpling dipping sauces
Sichuan cold dishes and mapo tofu
Topping fried eggs, rice and congee
Mixing into dressings and mayo

Characteristics

Taste: Hot and aromatic; chilli crisp is also savoury and crunchy.
Texture: Oily, with flakes or crunchy sediment.
Appearance: Bright to deep red oil.
When cooked: Used mostly as a finishing condiment; flavour fades with long cooking.
Sold as: liquid
Cooking uses: Mainly a seasoning, Used as a garnish
Common in: Sichuan, Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean

Storage

Pantry-stable. Store sealed away from light; refrigerate home-made oil with fresh garlic or shallot and use within a week or two.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions. May contain Sesame, Peanuts, Soy — check the label.

Vegetarian
Vegan
Dairy-free
Egg-free
Gluten-free
Nut-free (check label)
Soy-free (check label)
Caffeine-free

Chilli crisp may contain peanuts, soybeans, sesame or MSG; check labels.
Home-made oil infused with fresh garlic carries a botulism risk at room temperature; refrigerate and use soon.