The idea for this Infused Chili Oil recipe came from a new book my husband had bought for me; “Infuse” by Eric Plum & Josh Williams.
This type of recipe is what I call a “pour, shake and wait” recipe.
An excellent infused chili oil can be the very ingredient that sparks up a recipe or favorite dish. It’s super easy to make and have on hand for a recipe. It is a no brainer. We particularly like to drizzle it lightly over pizza, homemade or delivered. It adds a nice unexpected flavor that we very much enjoy.
Infused Chili Oil
Ingredients: Makes 8 ounces of infused chili oil
- 8 ounces extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ounce whole dried chilies of your choice
Tools:
- coffee or spice grinder
- clamp-down lid bottle or pint canning jar
Using a coffee or spice grinder, grind the whole chilies to small flakes. Add ground chili flakes to a sterilized latch-down lid bottle or a pint canning jar. Pour in the olive oil and vigorously shake to make sure the chili flakes are well blended and to encourage infusion. Place in a cool, dark, dry place for two weeks. Within the first week, give it another shake or two. After two weeks, the chili flakes will have settled in the bottom of the bottle, allowing you to pour off the clear oil when you need it leaving the chili flakes on the bottom. If you wish, you can strain and decant the oil as I did, into an 8-ounce bottle to remove the chili flakes. It’s ok either way.
Notes: Any variety of dried chilies will work. The kind of chili naturally determines the flavor of the oil. Depending on the chilies you use, be careful how much you use in a dish or recipe. For this recipe, I used Guajillo Chilies with a medium heat. Whatever chili you prefer, make a few bottles using your favorite chilies. If you desire, double the recipe or cut it in half.
I’m always looking for ways to vet what I find and share with my friends, family, and neighbors. A homemade infused chili oil makes an excellent gift by itself for a foodie friend or when added to a basket of goodies to make a homemade pizza or pasta dish. It can be strained and then decanted into smaller bottles for that very purpose. While you’re at it, make several varieties. It’s that easy.
So what do you think? Are you up to making a bottle or two of infused chili oils?
If you enjoyed this “Infused Chili Oil” and you’re looking for other great treats, check out my Homemade Vinaigrette Dressing, Three Cheese Lasagna, and Easy Meatballs. Enjoy.
P.S. Take a moment to check out and purchase some of the tools I used for this “Infused Chili Oil” below. 🙂