Sous Vide Chili Oil

This Sous Vide Chili Oil is made by infusing Chinese chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and aromatics in a water bath for 8 hours, resulting in a flavorful and aromatic oil. Sit back and relax while your sous vide does its magic.

Check out some of my other sous vide recipes like Sous Vide Teriyaki Chicken, Sous Vide Char Siu pork, or Sous Vide Hainan Chicken. Or, if you're looking for a faster chili oil recipe, check out my 10-minute Sichuan Chili Oil.

This sous vide chili oil recipe couldn't be easier. The prep takes less than 5 minutes; the rest is just a matter of waiting while your sous vide does the work. You can start your sous vide machine at dinner and have infused chili oil by tomorrow's lunch.

My recipe is influenced by the knowledge I've gained from reading Modernist Cuisine cookbooks. These books are where I first learned about oil infusions and the various cooking temperatures and times needed for various ingredients.

My recipe uses traditional Chinese peppers and seasonings to produce the best flavor possible. Keep reading to learn more!

Jump to:

• 🥄 What is sous vide chili oil?
• 🧂 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 💭 Top Tips
• 👨🏻‍🍳 Variations
• 🥡 Storage & Leftovers
• 📖 Recipe FAQs
• 🍽 Serving suggestions
• 📋 Recipe

🥄 What is sous vide chili oil?

Sous vide chili oil is an infused chili oil made by submerging oil and chili peppers in a water bath for 8 hours.

The lower cooking temperature used in sous vide cooking helps to retain the volatile flavor compounds in the oil rather than allowing them to disperse into the air as in traditional cooking methods. As a result, the oil becomes incredibly flavorful.

In my recipe, I combine oil and chili peppers with additional aromatics like star anise and fennel to infuse them with even more flavor. The overall flavor profile is spicy and fragrant.

🧂 Ingredients

• Oil - the base of the chili oil; any neutral flavored oil such as peanut, canola, corn, soybean, or vegetable will produce great results.
• Dried chili peppers (or chili flakes) - are the oil's main source of heat and spiciness. Also gives it a fiery red color.
• Sichuan peppercorns - add a tingling and numbing sensation. You can find Sichuan peppercorns at most Asian grocery stores.
• Star anise - has a sweet, licorice-like flavor; it gives the chili oil a delicate sweetness and complexity.
• Cinnamon - gives the chili oil a warm, sweet flavor that contrasts with the chili peppers' heat.
• Fennel - is part of the same family as star anise, Apiaceae. Fennel has a sweet, licorice-like flavor.
• Coriander - gives the chili oil a subtle depth. Adds earthy and citrusy notes.

🔪 Instructions

Step 1. Preheat water bath

Preheat the water bath to 160℉.

Step 2. Mix ingredients

If you haven't already, ensure that your chili peppers are crushed and that your Sichuan peppercorns, fennel, and coriander seeds are cracked. You can accomplish this by using a pestle and mortar or by putting everything in a ziplock bag and rolling over it with a rolling pin.

Combine all the ingredients in a ziplock bag or vacuum-sealable bag.

If you're using a ziplock bag, use the water displacement method to eliminate any air bubbles. I would also suggest double bagging it just in case it leaks.

Step 3. Cook in the water bath

Submerge the bag of chilis and oil in the water bath and cook for 8 hours. Since water is denser than oil, the bag will float. You can place a heat-resistant object on top of the bag to submerge it in the water. In the picture above, I use a metal strainer to push the bag down gently.

Once the oil is infused, strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a storage container. You can start using it immediately or refrigerate it for up to two weeks.

💭 Top Tips

• Use neutral oil like peanut, canola, corn, soybean, or vegetable. Flavored oils like extra virgin olive oil don’t work well with this recipe.
• Remove as much air as possible from the bag so it’s easier to submerge in the water bath, and heat will be distributed more evenly.
• Strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve to remove solid particles. A cheesecloth works great as well. If you don't mind chili particles, you can also leave them in.
• Experiment and have fun! There are a ton of different variations you can try. Check out the Variations section below.

👨🏻‍🍳 Variations

• Cloves - add ½ teaspoon of cloves to give the chili oil a rich, earthy flavor. Don't put too many, as they're quite potent.
• Bay Leaves - add three bay leaves to give the chili oil a subtle depth. Bay leaves are a super common ingredient in home cooking but not many cooks know what it tastes like. To get an idea, boil a cup of water and steep a bay leaf for 10 minutes. Taste the water, and you'll see the kind of flavor it adds.

🥡 Storage & Leftovers

Storing: Store sous vide chili oil in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Try to store it in an air-tight container so it doesn't absorb the aromas of the fridge.

Reheating: Reheat chili oil by leaving it at room temperature for one hour before serving. It's not recommended to reheat the chili oil with intense heat because it can destroy many volatile flavor compounds, resulting in a loss of flavor and aroma.

Make ahead: Since the chili oil keeps in the refrigerator, you can make this ahead by up to two weeks, but you'll need to consume it pretty quickly.

📖 Recipe FAQs

🍽 Serving suggestions

Did you enjoy this recipe? Please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below and consider leaving a comment. I'd love to hear your feedback!

📋 Recipe