How to Make Thai Chili Oil (Easy Homemade Recipe)

If you're a fan of spicy food and looking to enhance your dishes, learning how to make Thai chili oil, is a game-changer. The rich flavors and aromatic heat will take your culinary creations to the next level. Customize your heat level with this simple recipe! 

Use this Thai chili flakes recipe to make this hot chili oil recipe.

Then, use this spicy sauce to pair with dishes like Thai shrimp fried rice, Thai crab fried rice, Thai vegetable stir fry, and yellow fried rice, or eat it plain with cooked jasmine rice. Also, try this simple Thai chili vinegar sauce (Prik Nam Som) for your Thai recipes.

Learn about Thai spices, including Thai peppers, in the recipe!

Jump to:

• Why Homemade Chili Oil?
• 4 Ingredients homemade chili garlic oil recipe!
• Type of Oils for making your chili oil 
• 5-Minute Thai Chili Oil Recipe
• Recipes Using Thai Chili Oil
• Helpful Kitchen Notes and Tips
• How Long Does Chili Oil Last?
• What Other Ingredients Can Be Used to Make Chili Oil?
• Helpful Kitchen Tools for This Recipe
• Variations & Substitutes
• Storage
• Top Tip! Spice Level Control
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Thai Recipes You'll Love
• How to Make Thai Chili Oil (Easy Homemade Recipe)
• Related Recipes

Why Homemade Chili Oil?

• It's extremely easy, using only a few simple steps!
• An amazing hot sauce that adds a fiery kick to any dish you desire.
• It's the perfect condiment for grilled, steamed, or baked meats and veggies.
• You can use it to spice up soups, stir-fries, fried rice, and even elevate basic dishes.

4 Ingredients homemade chili garlic oil recipe!

Creating Thai Chili Oil is a breeze. All you need are a few simple ingredients. The main one is the dried chilis of any variety. Check the recipe card below for exact measurements. 

• Chili flakes. Use red pepper flakes from dry chili peppers for the best chili oil. 
• Garlic cloves. The garlic flavor adds a great aroma to the chili oil. Don't skip it. 
• Salt. It adds a great flavor to the recipe. 
• Oil. Use neutral oil. See the note below for suggested oils for this recipe. 

Type of Oils for making your chili oil 

• The best cooking oils for making a delicious chili oil are neutral flavor oils like vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, and avocado oil. 
• Coconut oil is a great neutral oil only if unrefined (No flavors or fragrance). The refined version has a strong aroma; the extra flavor overtakes the chili oil. 
• Avoid using olive and sesame oil in your chili oil, as they are not traditional Thai flavors and do not have high smoking point oils. It's important to use oils with a high smoke point to prevent them from becoming toxic when heated at high temperatures. 
• In Chinese chili oil recipes, sesame oil is commonly used but not typically used in Thai versions.

5-Minute Thai Chili Oil Recipe

1. Heat your preferred oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Make sure the hot oil is not smoking. You want it hot but not overly hot. 

2. Add dried chili flakes, minced garlic, and salt to a heat-proof bowl. Place a rack or a towel under it to protect your counter surface. 

3. Once the oil is hot, pour it over the heatproof bowl with all the ingredients. Watch the oil sizzle vigorously in the golden brown sauce!

Be careful not to touch it until it simmers down a bit. 

4. Use a wooden spoon, chopsticks, or metal utensil to stir the ingredients. Allow the chili sauce to cool completely. 

5. Remove it from heat, let it cool to room temperature, and store it in a small glass jar.

Recipes Using Thai Chili Oil

• Use this spicy oil l in stir-fries, rice dishes, chicken recipes, or as a dipping sauce for extra spiciness.
• Add your Thai chili oil to soups and curries to enhance the flavor and add heat, particularly delicious in noodle soups. 
• Make a simple dish, but add it to cooked cut noodles, egg noodles, or rice noodles for a flavorful twist.
• It makes the best condiment to eat with plain sticky rice or cooked jasmine rice!

Helpful Kitchen Notes and Tips

• For a less spicy version, grind your own dried chili flakes to remove the seeds from the hot peppers to control the heat level to fit your preference for heat level. Grab whole dried chilis at your local Asian grocery stores. 
• For best results, avoid very fine chili powder. The fine powder easily clumped up. Plus, the flakes add more texture to the oil! 
• Experiment with different kinds, like Spur chilis, Thai bird's eye chilis, or Jinda chilis, to discover unique flavor profiles that suit your taste buds. All these can be found at most Asian supermarkets.
• Experiment with different oils based on your preference.
• Adjust spice levels by choosing chili varieties and controlling cooking time.

How Long Does Chili Oil Last?

Stored in a small jar or an airtight container. They can be left at room temperature for up to 2 weeks and in the refrigerator for up to 3 months or longer!  

What Other Ingredients Can Be Used to Make Chili Oil?

• Get creative! Add fragrant spices like cinnamon stick, bay leaves, star anise or sesame seeds to customize your chili oil. Read more about Thai spices here.
• Use aromatics like shallot, lemongrass, galangal, or white or red onions for optional add-ins. More about Thai herbs here.
• Add these sauces for extra flavors if desired. Fish sauce, soy sauce, miso paste, tamari, and even a touch of sugar to round out the flavors.  White, palm sugar, or brown sugar works well. More about Thai sauces and Thai kitchen resources here.

Helpful Kitchen Tools for This Recipe

• Small spice grinder if grinding your own red chili flakes.
• A small pot for heating the oil. 
• Small Mason jars for easy storage and serving.
• Pyrek measuring cup.

Variations & Substitutes

Feel free to experiment with different chili varieties, oils, and additional ingredients to create your signature chili oil.

Storage

Store your Thai chili oil in a small mason jar for regular use and freeze the excess for a longer shelf life. The best part about this Thai chili oil is that it keeps for a long time!

Top Tip! Spice Level Control

Adjust the spice level by choosing chili varieties, then remove the seeds for a less spicy chili oil.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Thai Recipes You'll Love

• Chicken massaman curry with sweet potatoes
• Thai Dried Chili Flakes Recipe. 
• Easy Thai beef salad recipe
• Homemade Thai sweet chili dipping sauce
• Thai crispy fried garlic and oil
• Nam Prik Pla, a Thai basic dipping sauce

Get ready to elevate your dishes with the bold flavors of homemade Thai Chili Oil. Spice up your kitchen adventures and enjoy the vibrant taste of Thailand!

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