Kick in the Pants Red Chili Oil Recipe
My favorite of all flavors to infuse oils is dried red chili peppers and garlic. So insanely delicious! While red chili oil is commonly used in Italian, Asian, and Moroccan dishes, it is also a fantastic kick in the pants for meat marinades and Mexican cooking.
I like working with dried products for oil infusion because you have less worries about contamination and bacterial problems. One problem with using fresh ingredients is that low acid foods, raw garlic, fresh herbs, and vegetables can introduce Clostridium botulinum spores to oils. This is botulism and can be very dangerous for the home cook. It is smarter to use dried herbs and spices when making your own homemade flavored oils in the kitchen so you have less danger of contamination.
Infuse oils using the slower technique of “cooking” without a crockpot for less fuss and muss in the kitchen. Simply mix it up and store in a cool dark place until ready. Be careful when making this as the essence from the oil can get in your eyes. Wear gloves or wash your hands immediately after handling chilies and oil.
Kick in the Pants Red Chili Oil Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Mason Jar Any size – it depends on how many ingredients you have and how much you want to make.
Ingredients
- Olive oil or avocado to fill mason jar
- ¼ cup
whole dried chili peppers – El Guapo Dried Chile De Arbol Pepper 2 Ounces - 2 Tbsp minced dried garlic –
Simply Organic Minced White Onion, Certified Organic | 2.21 oz | Allium cepa - 3 Tbsp crushed dried red chili pepper flakes –
Simply Organic Crushed Red Pepper, Certified Organic | 1.59 oz | Capsicum annuum L.
Instructions
- [Follow directions below on how to infuse oils WITHOUT a crockpot]Use the above ingredients in each mason jar, fill olive oil to the top of the mason jar once dry ingredients are added
- Infuse over several weeks, then strain completely, retaining the whole dried chili peppers
- Place remaining whole chili peppers in bottle, then fill with flavored oil
How to Infuse Oils WITHOUT a Crockpot
- Utilize a glass container such as a mason jar with a lid that seals in order to infuse oils. Sanitize the glass by boiling in water for 30 – 60 seconds, then remove and let dry completely. Do this for all the containers to be used for production and storage.
- Choose a quality cold-pressed oil such as olive oil or avocado oil for your carrier oil to infuse oils.
- Place flavor ingredient in a clean and dry container such as a mason jar, filling half to two-thirds full.
- Pour unheated carrier oil into the bottle.
- Cap the container and store in a cool dry place for four to six weeks, letting flavors marry.
- After four to six weeks, strain the oil through a fine sieve and place in sanitized bottles, capping tightly.
