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How to make hot pepper chili oil…and feed an addiction and use it everywhere! I mentioned at the beginning of the year, one of my recent flavor obsessions is pepperoncino, hot peppers, and the most seductive form of peppers to me is olio piccante, hot pepper oil.
It’s most frequently seen in pizzerias here but sometimes I wanted to add it to everything…Pasta dishes and sauces, lentils, beans, fish, even a spicy salad dressing! Kick my Caprese salad up a notch, saute onions and sausage in it instead of regular oil, make a spicy pesto!
Instead of forking out the money for an unknown brand or stealing the bottle at my favorite pizzeria, I decided to make my own. I bought a bunch of fresh pepperoncino at the market this fall. They looked so pretty and they were really cheap, less than 1 euro. Had I known how much joy they would bring me, I would have bought several more bunches. These are a smaller version than the huge Calabrian cousins I saw at the Artigiano in Fiera.
I hung them by their stems in a dry place, and waited. Every now and then, I checked up on them to see how they were doing, and picked off a few that were getting black or weren’t drying properly. I asked around and read up on the best way to make hot pepper oil, but I didn’t really find any recipe that stood out as exceptional or authoritative.
So I decided to wing it, which is fun because when I wing it I end up with things like Butternut Squash hummus and tri-color lasagna.
I decided to go with a “hot infusion” instead of a cold infusion (leaving the peppers in oil for several days) because I was impatient and was ready to use it that afternoon! Be sure to have plastic gloves on if you’re handling the hot peppers.
- Wash your container (mine: glass bottle) out with hot soap and water. If you can, boil it in water to disinfect it properly.
- Pour your oil of choice (seed, corn, peanut, olive) into a frying pan and heat the oil. Turn it off well before it gets to the smoking point.
- Let it cool for a minute or two. Break up the dried peppers into the oil. I didn’t include the stems, but I think you could if you like. More than likely, it will be still quite hot and they will sizzle or “cook” and immediately diffuse their heat into the oil. From now on, the oil is spicy HOT!
- Let the mixture cool to room temperature. At this point, you can strain the oil before returning it to the container. With the first batch, I removed the pepper pieces and left the seeds, and with the second batch, I strained everything.
Voila’! Hot Pepper Chili Oil!
Note 1: Some of you may have heard about botulism and how there is a risk when canning at home (more info here). I am not a expert or nutritionist, so please make sure to take the necessary precautions and inform yourself when canning or making infused oils, with whatever method you choose. Be on the lookout for cloudy or mouldy particles in the oil. You’re welcome to leave your own tips and/or links in the comments to help others!
- Side note: While researching this, I was shocked to realized that Botox is actually a purified version of this bacteria!
Note 2: Using a high-quality (extra virgin) olive oil is not suggested as the hot pepper will override any nuances in the oil, but in this case that’s what I had on hand, so I used it. A canola or other seed oil is a good choice.
And if you still needed convincing how cool this oil is, read up on how spicy foods can kill cancer!
This my candy bowl!
31 responses so far ↓
Great Sara! I’ve tried to make it the cold way but as you say, it takes ages so now I’m going to try yours!
Check out the USFD sites for sure. Cold process chili oil is perilous. Any cold process oil without acidulation is dangerous. Botulism doesn’t look like anything. That’s why it is so deadly.
That said, I lurve chili oil! I buy the Chinese, because it packs a bigger punch.
The bacteria is everywhere, it is the excretion that kills you and irons out your wrinkles– which BTW looks fabu on my friends. I’m chicken and poor.
Yum, and yes, isn’t it crazy that people inject botulism into them…ever crazier that someone discovered it in the first place if you ask me! Thanks for the recipe :)
A story you might not know. Grandpa in San Diego use to hang the peppers in the gargage to dry out. I was a child of about 5 or 6 and somehow I was able to reach the peppers with my hands, then rub my eyes. It was not pleasant in San Diego back in 1946……
Man, you are a girl after my own heart!
Have you ever tried harrisa? It is a north african chili sauce. I made it last summer and boy was it good!
I guess I’m at risk for botulism or worse! I had no idea I had to boil the oil first. I’ve always just bought the dried chili peppers at the market or grocery store and thrown them into some oil in a glass bottle I bought from Ikea.
Ilva, let me know how it goes! I bet you’ll have some tips to improve mine. :)
Judith, I’m cheap so I like making mine but I’ll take a look at the Chinese one, I wasn’t sure they were similar.
Sognatrice, it’s strange that it’s morphed into a beauty product when it was first used to relax twitching eyes and such. Ah, technology.
Dad, you should never rub your eyes! Bet that taught you not to meddle, hehe.
JennDZ, harrisa, never heard of it! I’ll keep my eye out for that, I like some spice.
Michelle, I’m not sure how big the risk is, but I saw a lot of conversations about this. I think it also matters if you strain or not….a lot of people seem to make it this way so you’re not alone. I was just impatient. :)
Wow! Bravo for making your own chili oil…I’d love to make this :) Thanks for “winging it” for us! :)
Yes and I am only up to making garlic oil, although I did put chillie seeds into corn oil for a few Months, cold. It didn’t kill nor poison me and it certainly has a kick!
And now I know what I’ll do with all those dried chilies from last summer’s garden. I just don’t think their plastic bag is doing them justice.
That’s the process my calabrese mother (la mamma č sempre la mamma ;-)) uses to produce the “olio santo”, but she does not remove the peppers. The can is full of pepper pieces that will be used to season food (pasta first of all) together with some drops of oil ;-)
You must eat the peppers: the oil is not so hot by itself…
Ciao. Nicola
Congratulations-your peppers look really tasty.
We have been making hot oil for 20 yrs now….we learned from a Chinese Restaurant as to how to make it. First heat the oil to just before it smokes. Take it off the stove and weight a couple of minutes so it cools down a little. Add very dried peppers to the oil mixture. Let it infuse for a day or two and then put in a blender and chop up the peppers. Now you have a very spicy hot oil that will get spicier with time. We store in a refrigerator and add a little fresh oil whenever necessary. Will last a long time. Remember a little goes a long way.
I love you already, but I was looking to make the oil from the fresh peppers!. I have the same urge you had–to use it tonight~ btu I will do one batch as instructed and one with fresh, slit open peppers just to see….
Hey…just a quick point about botulism…if you’re making and canning enough chili oil for a year, in sealed jars, then you need to worry. If you’re just throwing it in a bottle and using it quickly, its ok. Botulism is an anaerobic bacteria…it grows where there is no oxygen and can’t grow when there is oxygen. So it only grows in sealed containers, like cans and jars.
Just a side comment regarding Botox and botulism. Its not all bad. It is not only used to inflate the rich and listless. It does have its positive side in regards to the medical field. There is a treatment they use where the botulism virus is injected into a limb to cause it to become less ridged. For instance in a child with Cerebral Palsy. It allows them to then reposition the leg, for instance, cast it, which then allow the muscles to be retrained. My son had a horrible problem with his foot dropping and pulling inward and this treatment really lessened the number of full body impact with the ground.
Hi All,
We just stuck lots of fresh garlic and chili in a bottle of olive oil and now after a couple of days it looks and smells like there is fermentation going on.
-What do now?
-Heat the bottle up or just let it be?
Congrats on the award! Love your blog!
i am expermienting the same thing… i did actually “fry” the chili
ill try yours in due time
I just started growing my own chilis and didn’t know what to do with them. Thanks for the wonderful idea and the botulism warning. I had no idea! Can’t wait to try making the oil.
I have simmered a new batch of fresh orange chilis in olive oil for about 15 mins. I deseeded the chilis and placed them in halves in oil as well as a few whole ones. The oil has turned a very cloudy yellow. How can I clear it?
Botox isn’t so bad, ladies. Eating moldy/bleu cheese sounds gross, even wine was invented by someone who ate rotten grapes. I’ve had botox twice and it simply numbs the local muscles temporarily. It doesn’t go into your bloodstream and make you sick.
Regardless, I’m excited to use my organic 4-alarm hot habanero peppers with this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Christine: it sounds like you didn’t dry the peppers first. I think they have to be dry.
thanks for the insight to the author and all the contributors. Im drying chilis right now, and will try making some oils tomorrow.. Im thinking about one with a bit of minced garlic, and one with chili only.
will be fun.
Ill stop back and report my results.
thanks again, Steve.
I got 195 habanero peppers off of six plants this summer. They’re a nice deep reddish orange color. I’ll be putting them in the dehydrator today and trying this oil method using olive oil.
I did read though that you could boil peppers down until they liquify and then end up with a pepper “tar,” has anyone tried that?
Maybe I will and let you guys know what happened.
I drop in a couple of the hot dried chili-peppers (or is it dried hot chili-peppers?) in a T of oil heated to almost smoking point, turn the heat off & let it sizzle, or leave the heat on & add the ings for the recipe I was planning to cook & proceed as per the instructions, to continue cooking whatever I want, & that makes for a delightfully delicious recipe, & makes it my own too.
So, how long do I need to dry these chili’s for? And how many chilis do you put in per “x” amount of oil?
Can’t wait to make it, I’ve been craving it!
I will have to try your version! I LOVE hot chili oil from Z Pizza … our local pizza chain. It is so delicious and I have tried a couple different recipes but wasn’t overly happy with the results. How long do you think yours lasted???? Before looking suspicious?
Good to know about the cancer thing, I am always eating spicy spicy so I should be in good shape.
Wow – i had no idea about the botulism. Thanks for the great info
Hi,
When reading all of this, I really wonder. Is it not at all possible to use the chilis “fresh” or do I really have to go through the entire drying process. Please tell me I dont :-)
Any ideas or facts for this one ??
Enjoyed the ideas and inspiration a lot
Thanks for the hot oil ideas. I have lived in Italy for many years and have received ideas from waiters, growers, etc., concerning pepper oil.
The peppers have to be dried, better to buy them that way! Remove stems and cut them up. Put about 1 cup pepper “flakes” with seeds, to 5 cups oil. As you say, very good olive oil is not necessary. Even a mixture of oils is o.k.; but, of course, olive oil is the oil of choice here in Italy. After the heating process, I add a cup of good virgin oil to the whole jar; therefore it has the added taste of fresh olive oil…in case you want to put this oil alone on garlic spaghetti!
The process: Put dried, chopped peppers and oil together in a mason jar (not tightly shut), and heat the entire mixture in a “bagno maria” (bain marie, that is in water that you bring up to boiling with the jar inserted). The low-temperature, slow, long cooking (about an hour or even two) will extract the best pepper flavors out of the pods. Filter it all in a simple sieve. Lasts for a month, at least. I have never had problems with mold or growth…it goes too fast!
p.s., it is not safe to heat olive oils to high temperatures, or so the Italians say. Unless you are frying, that is. Also, never use aluminum containers…or even metal ones, as they give a bad taste to the oil.
Enjoy from a spouted glass cruett, which will show off the bright red oil!
Don Aldo in Rome
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