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.
You can never go wrong with chili oil. I use it pretty much for anything, especially when cooking Asian food. LOVE THIS!
Chili oil’s prominent in Asian cooking too. Not that I’ve made it before. I just enjoy it at restaurants. But I love it to bits. Perhaps I should make it. 🙂 Never had chili oil on pizza. I’ve never seen it in pizza joints. Tsk tskk. Bad pizza places. Bad bad… The next pizza place I’m going to go to, I’m going to ask for chili oil. :p
you should! it’s sooo good with pizza
This is a great idea! I’ve never thought of making it before! My boyfriend would love this!
I have been buying infused oils for sometime. Since it sounds so easy, I need to start making my own! Thanks for sharing!
I don’t use a lot of oil but I love flavorful ones as taste and chili is one of my top! Yum!
thanks sophia