What Is Chili Crisp?

Chili crisp is a crunchy condiment: chili, garlic and other crispy bits sitting in oil. You spoon it on food after it is cooked, the way you would use hot sauce. The oil carries the flavour. The crunchy bits are the whole point.

If hot sauce is a splash, chili crisp is a spoonful with texture.

What is in it

Every jar is a little different, but the shape is always the same: oil, dried chili, and things fried until they are crisp. Garlic is almost always there. Onion or shallot usually is too. Many jars add sesame seeds, nuts, soy sauce, sugar and salt.

Ours, as an example: sunflower oil, gochugaru chili, almonds, sesame seeds, onion, garlic, tamari, sugar and salt. That is the whole list.

What it tastes like

Savoury first, then heat, then crunch. The garlic and onion bring a deep, toasty flavour. The chili brings warmth. Sesame and nuts bring body and a little sweetness.

How hot it is depends entirely on the jar. Some will take your head off. Plenty are mild and built for flavour, not pain. Ours is in the mild camp: gentle heat from gochugaru, a sun dried Korean chili chosen for its subtle warmth.

Is it the same as chili oil?

No. Chili oil is the oil, usually strained, so it is smooth and has no texture. Chili crisp keeps the crunchy bits in. Chili paste is something else again: a thick base you cook with. The full breakdown is here: Chili Crisp vs Chili Oil vs Chili Paste.

Where it comes from

Chili crisp grew out of Chinese cooking, and the idea of crunchy chili in oil has travelled a long way since. Versions of it turn up across China, Taiwan, Japan and Mexico. Today you will find it in plenty of grocery stores, and every maker puts their own spin on the formula.

How to use it

Put it on at the end. Heating it hard softens the crunch, which defeats the purpose.

• Eggs. The most popular first try, and for good reason.
• Noodles and rice. A spoonful turns a plain bowl into dinner.
• Pizza, sandwiches and salads. Anywhere you want salt, heat and crunch at once.
• Vegetables and meat. Roasted, grilled or steamed, it all works.
• Vanilla ice cream. Yes, really.

It loves fat (eggs, mayo, cream cheese) and a squeeze of acid (lemon, vinegar). More ideas in How to Use Chili Crisp.

Is chili crisp vegan and gluten free?

It depends on the jar, so check the label. Some contain dried shrimp, which makes them neither vegan nor vegetarian. Many use soy sauce, which is usually made with wheat.

Ours is vegan, gluten free and has no MSG. We use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Is there chili crisp without the chili?

We make one. Yummy Crisp is our mushroom crisp: garlic, onion, sesame, tamari and mushrooms, with no chili at all. Same crunch, all the savoury, none of the heat.

Try it

Our Chili Crisp is made in Canada, and you can order it online. You can also find it in more than 170 shops across Canada: see where to buy.