Skinnymixer’s Ultimate Chilli Crisp features in the Basics section of the cookbook SkinnyAsia 2.
Our friend Allen Lau brought over a jar of this Chilli Crisp when he came for dinner one night and after one taste, I knew we had to share the recipe in the book! This is honestly the best Chilli Crisp I have ever tasted. It’s incredibly aromatic, packed with crunch and full of flavour without being overwhelmingly hot.
A note from Allen on his Ultimate Chilli Crisp
The Ultimate Chilli Crisp has been a long time coming — and the result of an obsession with developing a version that I am proud to offer in this book! This recipe is a culmination of countless tastings, comparisons and my own recipe development, inspired by the wonderfully generous food community that has gone before me.
I’ve cooked, tasted and tweaked my way through hundreds of recipes, drawing inspiration from food writers and bloggers including Nagi and Marion, as well as recipes found across countless websites, from Women’s Weekly to the Coles website.And then there was the research that required considerably more pantry space and eating… bottle after bottle purchased from supermarkets and specialty stores. From the original Lao Gan Ma, the one that started it all for so many of us, through to the more bougie offerings – Umami Papi, Six-Eyed Scorpion and Gewürzhaus, every jar had something to teach me.
The result is my Ultimate Chilli Crisp, a combination of everything I love about chilli crisp – crunchy, aromatic, savoury, spicy. You will want to place on everything from plain rice, eggs, pasta, and even ice-cream!
Enjoy! Allen – Cook with Allen Lau
What ingredients you will need
- caster sugar
- Chinese black vinegar
- fried garlic
- fried shallot
- neutral vegetable oil
- nutritional yeast flakes or chicken stock powder
- roasted peanuts
- salt flakes
- sesame oil
- sesame seeds
- soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
- fresh ginger
- garlic
- spring onion
- cardamom pods
- cinnamon
- coriander seeds
- dried bay leaf
- dried chilli flakes
- dried fennel seeds
- Sichuan peppercorns
- smoked paprika
- star anise
- whole cloves
This page exists to help people find what cookbook the Ultimate Chilli Crisp is in and also to provide a basic shopping list for when you are out and about and have forgotten your eBook or shopping list. (Handy I know!). Plus extra recipe information – tips, FAQs and videos.
What is chilli crisp?
Chilli crisp is a Chinese-style chilli oil packed with crispy, aromatic ingredients. Unlike a simple chilli oil, it combines infused oil with chilli, spices and crunchy additions to create layers of flavour and texture.
Our Ultimate Chilli Crisp starts by gently infusing oil with cardamom, cloves, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns and other aromatics. The fragrant oil is then combined with chilli and finished with crispy shallots, garlic and peanuts.
The result is crunchy, savoury, aromatic and seriously addictive.
Is chilli crisp very spicy?
It doesn’t have to be!
This recipe uses 3–6 teaspoons of dried chilli flakes, so you can adjust the heat to suit your taste.
Despite the name, chilli crisp is about much more than chilli heat. The spices, aromatics, sesame, fried shallots and garlic give this version loads of flavour without the chilli overpowering everything else.
If you prefer things mild, start with the lower amount of chilli flakes.
What do you use chilli crisp on?
The better question might be… what can’t you put it on?
A spoonful of chilli crisp can add flavour, crunch and a little heat to:
- Dumplings
- Noodles
- Rice bowls
- Congee
- Stir fries
- Fried or steamed eggs
- Soups
- Asian greens
- Grilled meats
- Dipping sauces
In SkinnyAsia 2, we particularly love it served with Chicken Congee, Prawn Toasty Bites, Miso Ginger Chicken & Brothy Rice and Siu Mai.
Once you have a jar in the fridge, you’ll find plenty of excuses to use it!
What are Sichuan peppercorns?
Despite their name, Sichuan peppercorns aren’t actually peppercorns or chillies.
They have a distinctive citrusy, floral flavour and are famous for the gentle tingling or numbing sensation they can create in Sichuan cooking.
There’s only a small amount in our Ultimate Chilli Crisp, but it adds another layer of flavour to the aromatic infused oil.
Where can I find the ingredients?
Many of the ingredients are available from major supermarkets, but an Asian grocer is a great place to find Sichuan peppercorns, Chinese black vinegar, fried shallots and fried garlic.
Look for fried shallots and fried garlic in packets or containers rather than fresh shallots and garlic. These are what give chilli crisp its signature crunchy texture.
How long does homemade chilli crisp last?
Store your Ultimate Chilli Crisp in a sterilised jar in the fridge for 3–4 weeks.
Always use a clean spoon when serving it to help keep the jar fresh.
Dietary variations
Nut Free: Omit the peanuts.
Low Carb: Omit the sugar.
Paleo: Use a compliant oil and compliant sauces.
Low FODMAP: Double the sesame seeds and use only the green part of the spring onion. Replace the fried garlic with roasted peanuts. Replace the fried shallot with half the amount of fried leek or fried spring onion, using green parts only.
Doubled: This recipe can be doubled.
From the Testing Team
- Amanda E. – Double batch. I bought a 3 pack of 550ml jars from Kmart for storage. This seriously goes on anything!! Chicken burgers tonight. Bacon, Cheese, Lettuce, Chicken Schnitty, Kewpie mayo And the star attraction!!
Sensational!!! - Angie G. – Chilli Crisp croutons to have with soup today
yumm. I added 1 tbsp of chilli crisp with some melted butter to coat the bread and airfryed 5 min, tossed halfway. - Amanda E. – I gave my fam a taste of the Chilli crisp and they absolutely loved it..:. Then I told them I made it and they were blown away!!! We had a family lunch of chooks, prawns, rolls and salads (including crunchy noodle salad) My niece asked if she could put some chilli crisp on her roll, so I copied. NEXT LEVEL!! It’s not just for Asian dishes so so good!!!
- Betty W. – Great and super easy. I like the hack of using store bought fried stuff as there’s no way of replicating that same crunch otherwise. I’m definitely a spice wimp so don’t ever buy chilli crisps besides Marion’s because hers is so mild too so I’m glad I can just use this recipe now and do the same with just the 3tsps of chilli flakes.
- Bron P. – Yum! I’d never heard of this before but it’s delicious! I made mine nutfree and nutritional yeast free.
- Sarah M. – Cannot wait to have this on Chinese steamed eggs!! Currently having it on a bowl of rice with cucumbers because I just had to try it haha
- Veronica B. – OMGOSH i love a good Chilli Crisp
this by far is the BEST I’ve ever had, thankyou Allen for sharing 
yummmmmm!! Can’t wait this have this on icecream - Tara L. – Made last night – ate this morning on my poached eggs. I am a 6 eyed Scorpian Gal who can’t handle their extra spicy but likes to dance around their original which is still a little hot for my taste buds but I survive because I love the flavour. This Version – flavour wise IS THE BOMB!!! The flavour is SPOT ON PERFECT. No more 6 eyed for me. YUMMO.
- Kaz M. – Tasted some on a cold Siu Mai from the fridge.. YUMMMMM . If you are use to a spicy chilli crisp oil, like we are, id add more chilli, its not giving much heat. I used 2 tsp of chilli
Some other Thermomix Condiment recipes you might love:
Want to know more about SkinnyAsia 2 cookbook?
SkinnyAsia 2 is a collection of Thermomix & Conventional cooking recipes. All of our cookbooks have a strong focus on Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Egg Free, Low Carb, Paleo, Vegetarian and Low FODMAP.
Ingredients
- caster sugar
- Chinese black vinegar
- fried garlic
- fried shallot
- neutral vegetable oil
- nutritional yeast flakes
- roasted peanuts
- salt flakes
- sesame oil
- sesame seeds
- soy sauce
- fresh ginger
- garlic
- spring onion
- cardamom pods
- cinnamon
- coriander seeds
- dried bay leaf
- dried chilli flakes
- dried fennel seeds
- Sichuan peppercorns
- smoked paprika
- star anise
- whole cloves
Instructions
- This recipe is exclusive to the SkinnyAsia 2 cookbook.
FAQs
Can I make chilli crisp less spicy?
Yes. Use 3 teaspoons of chilli flakes for a milder chilli crisp. If you enjoy more heat, increase this up to 6 teaspoons.
The recipe is designed to be aromatic and savoury rather than intensely hot, so even the chilli lovers can add more to taste when serving.
Why do I need to strain the infused oil?
Straining removes the whole spices and aromatics once they’ve infused their flavour into the oil. This leaves you with a beautifully fragrant oil without tough pieces of cinnamon, cardamom, star anise or other whole spices ending up in the finished chilli crisp.
Ultimate Chilli Crisp in SkinnyAsia 2
This recipe came to us from our friend Allen Lau, and after tasting his homemade Chilli Crisp we knew it needed to be in SkinnyAsia 2.
Make a jar and keep it in the fridge to add crunch, spice and loads of flavour to recipes throughout the book.