How to Make Chili Crisp, Plus 19 Fiercely Genius Ways to Use It

Foodomania

April 13, 2024 at 4:45 AM·6 min read

Chili Crisp

While chili crisp isn't actually new, it is having a huge moment in the states right now. This crunchy, addictive chili crisp condiment is basically just a mixture of oil and chili flakes, but it elevates everything you put it on and can range from mild to more spicy. It can also have a different ingredients swapped in for the crisp (or crunch), like garlic crisp, crispy onions, fennel seeds and more, in lieu of chili flakes. It's salty, semi spicy and all around delicious.

What is Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp?

When people think of store-bought chili crisp they usually think of Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp Hot Sauce, which was originally made and sold by the Lao Gan Ma company in China, but has risen to cult-like states here in the states. So much so, restaurants, chefs and grocery stores have all started creating their own versions of chili crisp, such as Fly By Jing and Trader Joe's Chili Onion Crunch. The winning combination of chili oil and crunch gives a unique umami texture to so many recipes—both as a dipping sauce and as an ingredient used for main dishes as well. While everyone's recipe differs as far as the peppers and spices used to make chili crisp, Lao Gan Ma's classic is full of crispy onions, chilies and Sichuan pepper bits.

What Does Chili Crisp Contain?

The base of chili crisp is the quintessential aromatic chili oil used in Chinese cooking. Spiced with Sichuan peppercorns, onion, oil and miscellaneous spices (like star anise, cinnamon etc.), the chili oil is used for marinades, stir-fries and as a dipping sauce too. But what sets the chili crisp apart from other regular chili oil condiments is the crunchy element. Packed with roasted soy nuts, peanuts, fried onion and fried garlic, it is truly an amalgamation of wonderful flavors.

Related: 25 Amazing Homemade Condiments

How to Make Chili Crisp Sauce

With the basic understanding of what a chili crisp really is, you can make your own version of this fiery condiment. The types of chilies and oil base vary, and so does the amount of each ingredient. Ingredients like fried fermented soy beans, star anise, sesame seeds and MSG are also commonly added to the recipe.

To make your own chili crisp, all you need is a base of oil, your favorite chili peppers to spice it up and nuts of your choice to up the crunch element. The chili oil can be flavored with a combination of spices and you can really experiment here. You can also use a combination of ginger, garlic, mushroom and whole spices to really bring out the umami flavor. If you're looking to make your own chili crisp at home, we've included an easy recipe for it in this list.

Related: 30 Best Vegan Chinese Recipes

Best Chili Crisp Recipes

Chili crisp is most commonly served as a condiment with dumplings. Imagine the beautiful, red oil drizzled over soft and steamed dumplings! SO GOOD. You can also swap out regular oil with the chili crisp for any kind of fried rice, noodles or stir-fries. This oil-based condiment can also be used to spruce up your eggs, sandwiches and salads. In fact, many places also serve this aside desserts like ice cream, cake and more.

Browse through this list of 19 best chili crisp recipes to learn about how to make chili crisp at home and what to use it on!