Garlic Chili Oil Recipe

Sometimes you just want a little heat and additional flavor in a dish that seems to be missing something. This garlic chili oil is a great condiment that is easy to make and can be kept at room temperature on your kitchen counter. That's what I like the most about it; no heating, just grab and use when you need it!

I also love that it gives just a bit of heat and flavor and is not overwhelmingly spicy. If you want super spicy, try my African pepper sauce or pili pili sauce. You will seriously love the heat!

Jump to:

• Ingredients Used
• How To Make This Recipe
• Storing and Reheating
• What can I eat this recipe with?
• Tips and variations
• Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients Used

• Dried chili flakes: For this recipe, I use Soeos brand premium Sichuan chili flakes. I like this brand because the chili flakes are mildly spicy and won't add too much pungency to the oil. It has a nice balance, unlike similar generic red pepper flakes. 
• Olive oil: You can also use or another light neutral-flavored oil.
• Garlic bulb: Garlic lends a lovely aroma and flavor to this chili oil. It also has numerous medicinal properties, from fighting the common cold to boosting the immune system.
• Coconut aminos: This is a great alternative to soy sauce. It has a slightly sweet flavor and contains much less sodium than the average soy sauce. This is optional though and you can leave it out If you don't want it.
• Salt.

How To Make This Recipe

1. Mince your garlic. An easy way to peel a whole bulb of garlic quickly is to loosely separate the pieces, then put them inside a mason jar and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds. It's an arm workout but it works for sure!
2. Heat up some olive oil in a large pan. Leave it on low heat and add your minced garlic to it. Allow the garlic to brown, but be vigilant so the garlic doesn't burn.
3. Add in your coconut aminos, chili flakes, and salt to the oil.
4. Stir all of the ingredients together for about two minutes, then turn off the heat. Allow it to cool and store in a glass jar.

Storing and Reheating

When storing your garlic chili oil, you can leave it at room temperature in a clean glass jar. It will stay fresh for about a week. 

I like to use wide-mouth mason jars because of the convenience of scooping it out to use in my dishes. You can use any glass jar you have lying around.

If you want to store it longer, it is best to store it in the fridge. Keep in mind that the olive oil may solidify when stored in the fridge. All you have to do is warm it up when you want to use it again, and it will turn back into its liquid form.

What can I eat this recipe with?

This oil is so versatile and goes so well with many dishes! It is a great dipping sauce and is an excellent marinade for steak, chicken, pork, fish; you name it.

You can add a tablespoon to anything you're eating to really jazz it up!

It's so good with salads, steamed vegetables, cauliflower rice, low carb pasta dishes, and even with eggs. It would also go great with this air fryer bacon-wrapped asparagus. You are only limited by your imagination!

Tips and variations

• Always keep your stove on low heat. Adding minced garlic to a hot pan tends to burn it quickly.
• You also want to avoid having the oil reach a boiling point so that your spices can release their flavors and infuse them into the oil. 
• Additional aromatics you can use in this oil include ginger or spring onions.
• If you want to add a little more texture, consider including crushed peanuts or toasted sesame seeds in it.
• The longer the chili flakes stay in the oil, the stronger the flavor. For a more robust spicy flavor, add a little cayenne pepper.

Recipe