What is Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp?
When people think of store-bought chili crisp they usually think of Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp Hot Sauce, which was originally made and sold by the Lao Gan Ma company in China, but has risen to cult-like states here in the states. So much so, restaurants, chefs and grocery stores have all started creating their own versions of chili crisp, such as Momofuku Chili Crunch by Chef David Chang and Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch. The winning combination of chili oil and crunch gives a unique umami texture to so many recipes—both as a dipping sauce and as an ingredient used for main dishes as well. While everyone’s recipe differs as far as the peppers and spices used to make chili crisp, Lao Gan Ma’s classic is full of crispy onions, chilies and Sichuan pepper bits.
What Does Chili Crisp Contain?
The base of chili crisp is the quintessential aromatic chili oil used in Chinese cooking. Spiced with Sichuan peppercorns, onion, oil and miscellaneous spices (like star anise, cinnamon etc.), the chili oil is used for marinades, stir-fries and as a dipping sauce too. But what sets the chili crisp apart from other regular chili oil condiments is the crunchy element. Packed with roasted soy nuts, peanuts, fried onion and fried garlic, it is truly an amalgamation of wonderful flavors.
How to Make Chili Crisp Sauce
With the basic understanding of what a chili crisp really is, you can make your own version of this fiery condiment. The types of chilies and oil base vary, and so does the amount of each ingredient. Ingredients like fried fermented soy beans, star anise, sesame seeds and MSG are also commonly added to the recipe. To make your own chili crisp, all you need is a base of oil, your favorite chili peppers to spice it up and nuts of your choice to up the crunch element. The chili oil can be flavored with a combination of spices and you can really experiment here. You can also use a combination of ginger, garlic, mushroom and whole spices to really bring out the umami flavor. If you’re looking to make your own chili crisp at home, we’ve included an easy recipe for it in this list.
Best Chili Crisp Recipes
Chili crisp is most commonly served as a condiment with dumplings. Imagine the beautiful, red oil drizzled over soft and steamed dumplings! SO GOOD. You can also swap out regular oil with the chili crisp for any kind of fried rice, noodles or stir-fries. This oil-based condiment can also be used to spruce up your eggs, sandwiches and salads. In fact, many places also serve this aside desserts like ice cream, cake and more. Browse through this list of 18 best chili crisp recipes to learn about how to make chili crisp at home and what to use it on!
