Chile Crisp

Published July 14, 2021

Chile Crisp
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Victoria Granof.
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(2,795)
Comments
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There’s just enough oil to slick all the crispy bits of chile, onion and sesame in this version of the spicy Chinese condiment, so it delivers as much crunch as it does salty, sweet, nutty heat. Dried minced onion from the supermarket spice aisle is a shortcut for the usual step of frying fresh minced onion, and it improves the crispness, too. You can experiment by mixing the hot and fruity flavors of different dried chile varieties, crushing them into flaky bits, or stick with ready-to-add red-pepper flakes. No matter what you use, this blend adds a little excitement to everything.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 1¼ cups
  • ½cup vegetable oil
  • ¼cup dried minced onion
  • 1teaspoon granulated sugar
  • teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
  • cup finely crushed dried small red chiles or red-pepper flakes
  • 3tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1teaspoon coarsely ground Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

300 calories; 31 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 21 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 130 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the oil, onion, ½ teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes evenly golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the chiles, sesame seeds and Sichuan peppercorns, if using, and sizzle, stirring, for 1 minute, then stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Spoon over everything. It adds big flavor to milder bases, such as eggs, tofu, noodles, rice, vegetables, white fish, lean pork and chicken breast.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,795 user ratings
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Comments

they are replying to a suggestion by one reviewer to use half vegetable oil and half sesame oil. That is the problem with sorting the Cooking Notes by "most helpful" - you never see the original post, as in this case, nor any answers/suggestions to "most helpful" questions that others have !! I wish NYT would add a tag to indicate that the Cooking Note is a reply to another note, as they do with the reader comments on other articles.

You'll want to add sesame oil at the end, since heating it will destroy the fragrance.

Lisa Lin, whom I follow on Instagram, posted a recipe for a sauce which consisted of frying a lot of minced garlic until it was just brown then mixing it with chili crisp and sesame oil, then topping asparagus with it. No matter how much I make, it's never enough!

The term “addictive” is overused in regards to food, but this chile crisp really has a troubling hold over me. Whenever I make it I put it on anything and everything. I find all sorts of weird ways to eat it just to get a fix—I literally ate it on a cold, leftover blueberry pancake last night. It also rather severely upsets my stomach. And yet I can’t stay away. I make it exactly as directed. Take this comment as a recommendation and/or a warning.

@JM I made this recipe last week and it is indeed vindictive! I have had it every day was sautéed vegetables since then. I have about one or two tables left and I'm already planning a bigger batch today.

This can last 2 months in the refrigerator in my experience, if you can keep it around that long

This turned out good, I halved the recipe because just me and still ended up with a ton of it. I couldn't put more than a dab on my meal because it is so spicy. And recipe says lasts for 2 weeks only, so not sure I'll be able to eat it all. If I make it again I'll quarter the recipe.

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