Homemade Garlic Chile Crunch (Chili Crisp)

What in the world is homemade Garlic Chile Crunch or Chili Crisp anyway? This hot new condiment is sweeping the internet and popping up in recipes and is super addictive. I confess to adding it to just about anything right now and am a little embarrassed (not really) to say I might eat it straight out of the jar on a spoon on occasion. At $7 (at the cheapest) a jar on Amazon however, I knew I needed to figure out a homemade recipe to make for myself.

Goodbye Sriracha…you are SO yesterday!

Chile crunch/crisp is basically this delectable stuff made out of dried chiles, garlic and other spices, but what makes it so addictive is that the garlic and onions are first fried in oil to make them crunchy. It has this amazing depth of flavor that hits many taste buds – salty, sweet, spicy, crunchy….

Yes I know crunch isn’t a taste bud but I swear it elevates the flavor in this stuff.

Just.  Try.  It. PLEASE.

People are putting this stuff on everything from stir-fried noodles (swoon-worthy) to eggs to pizza to ice cream. I’m NOT even kidding about the ice cream.

We have used it on stir fry noodles, like the ones you get at a hibachi grill and it is FANTASTIC, and most recently on these Huli Huli Grilled Chicken Wings.

If you opt to buy it, there are different levels of heat. I buy this one.

Here are some brief tutorials on the different kinds. Click on the picture to buy or be adventurous and make some yourself by reading on! Obviously though it make take a little time, making your own homemade recipe for Garlic Chile Crunch or Chili Crisp is going to save you money and provide you with much more than the little jars you’ll get by ordering!

It’s best to use this condiment on already cooked food to maintain it’s crunch and goodness. Here are a few things to do with it!

*Stir it into olive oil to dip bread in along with a tiny splash of balsamic and some parmesan cheese
*After steaming edamame, stir it into shelled or unshelled for a flavor bomb!
*Stir it into scrambled eggs, drizzle over frittatas or quiches.
*Stir it into quick seared green beans at the end
*In fact, stir it into any roasted vegetable like broccoli or cauliflower at the end to make it even better!
*Add it into asian noodle dishes
*Top grilled chicken with it
*Saute shrimp and stir in at the end
*Top ice cream with it (just try it)
*Set it out to top pizza with
*Give creamy dishes like with alfredo or cheese sauces some flavor
*Spoon into the center of your hummus bowl before serving
*Stir into soups

There! Now that we’ve got THAT out of the way…on to the Garlic Chile Crunch or Chili Crisp recipe and I hope this will become one of your favorite homemade recipes for years to come!

Garlic Chile Crunch (Chili Crisp)

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Ingredients

• 2½ c. neutral oil like canola or grapeseed oil
• 10 dried chile de arbols, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried guajilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
• ½ oz dried porcini or shitake mushrooms, ground into powder (3 T)
• 1½ T kosher salt
• 1 star anise, ground into powder
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 2 c. onion or shallot, finely chopped
• ¾ c. garlic, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Toast chiles in dry pan just until browning
2. Put chiles in food processor and pulse until chile flake consistency
3. Pour oil into 2 quart pot and heat until bubbling
4. Add onions or shallots and fry until light golden, strain over colander then add strained oil back to pan
5. Add garlic and fry until golden but not too dark - strain over colander. add oil back to pan
6. Add ground chiles, mushrooms, salt, star anise and sugar
7. Remove from heat and stir well
8. Allow to cool at least one hour
9. Mix in garlic and onion or shallot and stir well
10. Store in jars store the fridge for up to 3 months.
11. Stir well before serving

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