Chilli Oil Recipe: Easy Homemade Chilli Oil in 15 Minutes
Last updated on October 12th, 2026
Most bottled chilli oil is one-note heat with nothing behind it. This homemade chilli oil recipe has layers: toasted whole spices, a savoury hit from garlic and spring onion, and a splash of vinegar for acidity. Once you’ve had that, the shop-bought stuff won’t cut it again. This one takes about fifteen minutes of active work, plus a day of patience while it infuses, and it goes with everything from noodles and dumplings to pizza and steamed rice. It’s brilliant spooned over a plate of authentic chicken pad thai.
Why You Toast the Spices Before Anything Else
Use a medium saucepan, around a litre and a half, over medium heat. Toast the whole spices (a cinnamon stick, dried bay leaves, chilli de árbol, star anise, cloves and black peppercorns) dry for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until they’re just starting to smoke. That’s the point their essential oils actually release, which is why skipping this step and going straight to hot oil leaves you with a much flatter result. It’s the same reason I toast whole spices for my homemade garam masala blend.
Building the Base in the Jar
Tip the toasted spices into a mason jar or heatproof glass container and add your red chilli flakes (go milder or hotter depending on what you want). Add a splash of Chinese black vinegar, or sherry or balsamic vinegar if that’s what you’ve got. Make sure the container can hold at least twice the volume of oil you’re using, because it foams up hard the moment the hot oil hits it.
Getting the Oil Temperature Right
Heat half a litre of a neutral, high smoke point oil like canola over medium-low, then add the green onions and garlic. Simmer gently at around 130°C (270°F) for 10 to 15 minutes: you want the onions and garlic turning golden brown, not black, because burnt aromatics will make the whole batch of oil taste bitter. The same low, gentle heat is how I fry the shallots for my Vietnamese chicken salad with crispy shallots.
Straining the Hot Oil Safely
Strain the hot oil through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof container. It’s still around 130°C, so handle it carefully. Then pour it slowly over the spices and chilli flakes in the jar, capturing every bit of aroma as it hits.
Why It Needs a Full 24 Hours
Add a generous pinch of fine sea salt and stir it through with a long-handled spoon, right down to the bottom of the jar. Leave it to infuse for at least 24 hours: the colour and flavour really deepen after that.
What Is Chilli Oil Used For?
This is one of the most versatile chilli oils I know. It goes with European dishes like pizza and pasta, and just as well with Asian dishes like noodles, dumplings and steamed rice. The recipe makes around 30 tablespoons, so there is plenty to go round.
How Long Does Homemade Chilli Oil Last?
After 24 hours you’ll have a bold, aromatic chilli oil that bears no resemblance to anything from a jar. It’s also one of the seasonings I use in my chicken meal prep for the week. Keep it in the fridge and it’ll hold for up to three months, so it’s worth making the full batch. Stir a spoonful into softened butter and you’ve got a quick spicy compound butter for steak or corn.
What is the best oil for chilli oil?
Use a neutral-tasting, high smoke point oil like canola oil. Avoid extra virgin olive oil or any other heavily flavoured oil. You’ll need about half a litre, heated gently to around 130°C (270°F) so it can infuse the aromatics without burning them.
Why do you toast the spices before making chilli oil?
Dry toasting whole spices like cinnamon, bay leaves, chilli de arbol, star anise, cloves and peppercorns for a few minutes until they just start to smoke releases their aromatic oils, giving the finished chilli oil a much deeper, more complex flavour than adding them raw.
How long should chilli oil infuse before using it?
Let it infuse for at least 24 hours after the hot oil is poured over the spices and chilli flakes. After 24 hours the colour and flavour really deepen.
How should I store homemade chilli oil?
Keep it in a glass jar in the fridge. Stored this way, it keeps for up to three months, so it’s worth making a full batch to have on hand.
Can I substitute the Chinese black vinegar?
Yes. If you don’t have Chinese black vinegar, sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar both work as substitutes and still give the chilli oil the acidic depth it needs.
Chilli Oil Recipe: Easy Homemade Chilli Oil in 15 Minutes
Equipment
- Heatproof container / Dish
- Strainer / Sieve
- Chef’s knife
- Chopping board
- Digital scales
- Measuring jug
- Measuring spoons
- Thermometer / Probe
- Saucepan
- Jug
- Wooden / Stirring spoon
Ingredients
- – 1 x Cinnamon stick
- – 2 x Bay leaves fresh or dried
- – 10 x Chilli de arbol all other dried chillies work as well, use what’s available to you
- – 2 x Star anise
- – 6 x Cloves
- – 20 x Whole black peppercorns
- – 2 tablespoons or 35g dried chilli flakes
- – Splash 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar (Sherry or balsamic vinegar if you don’t have this ingredient)
- – 500ml or roughly 1 pint of a neutral tasting oil Canola, peanut, vegetable etc
- – 5 x Cloves of garlic mine were small this could be 3 larger cloves
- – 2 x Green onions/Scallions
- – Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Start by getting a medium saucepan and turn it on to medium heat (around 6 out of 10).
- Toast the whole spices (cinnamon stick, dried bay leaves, chili de arbol, star anise, cloves, black peppercorns) for 2-3 minutes until they start to smoke a little and have a little color.
- Carefully place the toasted spices into a mason jar or glass dish and add 35 grams or 2 tablespoons of red chili flakes, and a splash of Chinese black vinegar.
- Heat half a liter of canola oil in a separate saucepan on medium-low heat (around 3 out of 10). Add roughly chopped green onions and crushed garlic to the oil and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the onions and garlic have turned golden brown.
- Carefully strain the oil into a container and pour it over the spices in the mason jar.
- Add a pinch of fine sea salt to the mixture and stir well.
- Leave the oil to infuse for at least 24 hours, then store it in the fridge for up to three months. Use the chilli oil as a condiment with European or Asian dishes like pizza, pasta, noodles, dumplings and steamed rice.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
| Total Fat | 15.4g |
| Saturated Fat | 1.1g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 14mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 1.2g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.5g |
| Sugars | 0.6g |
| Protein | 0.2g |
| Potassium | 30mg |
