Homemade Hot Thai Chili Oil Recipe

Looking for ways to spice up your life? Try adding some hot chili oil to it. Making your own hot chili oil is very easy and it’s a great way to preserve your garden if you’ve got some dried hot peppers laying around. I love drying some of my hot peppers each year; it makes them easy to chop and use throughout the winter and they are far superior to most of the crushed red pepper flakes you can buy at the store.

One of the most prolific pepper plants I’ve grown is the Thai Chili Pepper; it grows at least a hundred of tiny hot peppers on one plant and, added bonus, makes a beautiful landscape plant. The beauty of making your own hot chili oil is that it doesn’t take a lot of peppers to add a lot of heat to your favorite dishes.

Thai Peppers may be tiny but they pack a powerful punch. If you’ve ever wondered how to grow hot Thai Chili Peppers, just give them a well-drained sunny spot in your garden and be sure to give them a consistent amount of water…peppers love water. I assure you that your Thai Peppers will reward you with more tiny bites of hotness than you know what to do with.

Homemade Hot Thai Chili Oil Recipe

• 1 cup oil – I use organic sunflower or  organic canola oil
• 1/4 cup dried Thai chili peppers, stems removed and roughly chopped

In a medium-size saucepan, heat about 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat.

Add chopped peppers, stir well and simmer for just a minute or two. You do NOT want them to start toasting; you want just enough heat to help the peppers release their oils, which is where their heat is.

Add the remaining oil and bring it all back to “just warm”. Remove from heat and stir well for a few minutes; this helps to dissipate the heat and also release more of the hot pepper oils into the mix. Pour into a heat-safe container or canning jar and let cool.

This keeps well for months and has a myriad of uses. Just a bit of it can be added to soups, sauces, and drizzled on chicken wings before cooking. You can also use a touch of it as a rub for pork, chicken, beef, and seafood.

As with any hot peppers, you should be careful when handling them, as their oils can make your skin burn for hours after working with them.

So, are you ready to spice up your life a bit? Make some homemade hot chili oil and you’re well on your way.

You’ve got to keep things spicy, right? And what better way to warm up your winter than with my hot chili oil recipe. Enjoy and stay warm out there!