How to Make Your Own Chili Oil

adminAll Recipes, Culinary Tips & Techniques, Dried Chilies Recipes, Oil Recipes & Techniques 7 Comments

How to Make Your Own Chili Oil

One easy way to do it is to simply put a few of your favorite chilies into a bottle of oil and wait a couple weeks, but a quicker way to make chili oil is like this:

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups olive oil (or vegetable oil if you prefer)
  • Several of your favorite dried peppers (whole or crushed)

    We used dried de arbol peppers because of their balanced heat and classic shape.  If you wanted to turn up the heat and change the look of the finished bottles, you could use the smaller, more berry shaped dried pequin peppers or (for even more heat) dried tepin peppers.

DIRECTIONS

1

Combine the oil and peppers in a heavy saucepan.

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2

Cook over low heat about 5-8 minutes (oil should reach 150 degrees).

3

Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

4

Transfer the oil and peppers to a bottle. Seal the lid. Refrigerate for up to ten days.

For more info on how to make chili products, please read Rehydrating Dried Chilies, How to Make Chile Pastes, and Make Your Own Chile Powder.  To help decide which chilies to buy, read our dried chile heat scale.

Comments 7

  1. This is a fun read. I have to learn more about what to do with chilies, and at the moment don’t have a clue about the paste, except you said use it as a rub. We had so much excitement with the habaneros and ghost peppers that all chilis seem like an adventure now. I’ll be tickled to read the new articles. Lynn A.

  2. 12 Habaneros ,8 Jalapenos ,10 Serrano ,10 thai chiles ,1 onion and 1 bulb of garlic . 2 tbls. of salt and one tbls. of black pepper 2 tomatoes. blend all ingredients together makes a green salsa very hot!!! Use with caution only for the the truly hot lover. Honestly I would love to get a hold on some Ghost chilis as to see if I could make it even hotter.I haven’t met a pepper I couldn’t eat and my friends and family would love to see me get defeated by the ghost…..lmao My salsa above is very hot but if I can make it hotter amen. Name of my salsa Great Northwest Chili!!!

  3. trying to make my own chile oil put 18 ghost chile`s in 8 cups of veg. oil on medium to low heat on b.b.q tasted oil after 10 minutes not feeling no heat. this are dried chiles. what am i doing wrong? If anything? chris

  4. Dear Chris,

    Here are some tips that may help you increase the potency of your ghost chili oil.

    1. Make sure your oil reaches a temperature of at least 150 degrees.
    2. Let the chilies steep in the oil off the heat for some time, at least a half hour.
    3. For increased potency, grind the ghost chilies into flakes or cut them in to strips prior to making the oil. The increased surface area and contact with the spice-laden seeds should up the heat level.

    Hope this helps!

    Matthew

  5. Pingback: French Silk Chile Chai Chocolate Pie

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