DIY Chili Oil
Ever visit a pizza place and they have that bottle of delicious chili oil to add to your pizza or dip your crust in? That is my vice, I will drizzle that oil over my pizza, dip my crust into, and steal Curtis’s pizza just so I can have more.
I love the added heat and flavours it brings to a dish and really the oil can be used for many more things than just pizza. Bufala in Vancouver offers three to four different oils like parmesan, garlic, herb but my favourite is their chili oil. Also just go and try Bufala, their pizzas are spectacular and their campari cocktails are dangerous!
Chili oil is essentially dried chilies, preserved in oil. You can use it as a finishing oil for risottos, pastas and seafood. It’s also a great oil for stir-fries and everyday sautées. A little bit goes a long way and it’s a healthier alternative to other sauces.
This recipe is a simple one, but you can use different chilies depending on your preferred spice level. Ancho chilies, thai chilies and you can also use different oils too like sesame oil and olive oil.
My DIY chili oil is a condiment that is always in our fridge, ready to be added to any dish.
DIY Chili Oil
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil + 2 tbsp
- 2 tsp red chili flakes
- 2-3 dried whole red chilies tip: handle with gloves or tongs
Instructions
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Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chili flakes and whole chilies to oil. Cook, stirring, until chilies start to gently sizzle, about 1 min. *If they begin to brown you will have to start over.
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Add remaining oil to pot. Heat until oil is warmed through, but not too hot to touch. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
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Store oil in an airtight bottle or jar. Shake occasionally to disperse the chilies.
I love cooking with chilli oil, but I once dropped a bottle all over my kitchen floor and it was a nightmare to clear up, so I have never used it since.
that sounds horrible! i can see why you might stay away from it haha
thanks
leslie
Mmmm… I thinks this stuff would make the crust my favorite part of the pizza! Pinning for later!
definitely has made me save my crusts for dipping!
Leslie
I have lots of chili’s left from garden this year that I need a use for. I’m going to try a batch of this Chili oil with them. Thanks for sharing 😃
Perfect! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Leslie
great recipe ! I’ll have to give it a whirl. We love Bufala and their chili oil 🙂
Popping over from your post in Blog Loft. Love the oil Leslie. Actually, I love making spiced oils and just happen to have a small harvest of chillies drying in a bowl. Great idea. I was going to just crush them and use them that way, but I think an oil might be nicer for me.
Try the oil, you could make a smaller batch too in case it’s not your cup of tea.