How to make Homemade Chili Flakes easily- both a basic and spiced version to jazz up your cooking. These can be turned into Chinese Chili Crisp, or even for spicy Aglio Olio.
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⭐ Why This Recipe is a Star
- Simple: this is a 1-ingredient and 2 step recipe that anyone can make!
- Budget-friendly: Chili flakes are pretty pricey. If you get the dried chilies from the Asian market and make your own, you save a lot of money.
- Versatile: they can be used in everything from Korean food to Indian cuisine, Chinese cooking, and Thai recipes.
Important: do not touch your eyes after handling chilies, especially the seeds, as it will STING!
🥘 Ingredients
You will only need 1 simple ingredient:
- dried red chilies: mine were 1g per chili but it would depend on how big your chilies are. If you can't get them, you can dry your own fresh chilies. (See Expert Tips below.)
📖 Variations & Substitutes
- Sichuan chili: bend up some Sichuan peppercorns with the dried chilies. You can also mix in some 5-spice powder for more flavor.
- Korean Gochugaru flakes: use Korean dried peppers.
🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
1a. Dry fry the dried chilies- and any other spices you may be adding- in a wok till crisp. The chilies should be brittle to touch but shouldn't change color.
1b. Allow to cool before placing in the blender (to prevent the steam from making the chili soggy.)
Note: Alternatively, you can bake at 200c/ 180C fan till the chilies are crisp, about 3-4 minutes- the exact time will depend on the humidity of your region.(Give the tray a shake at the 3 minutes mark.)
2. Blend the dried chilies to your desired consistency. This will take a minute or two only. The above is what you end up with.
Note: be careful when opening the blender, as the chili fumes may make you choke.
Note: if you want to make chili powder, simply remove the chili seeds before hand, and blend until you get a fine powder. If your blender is not powerful enough, transfer the flakes to a spice grinder to grind to a fine consistency.
🥡 How to Store
If stored properly, away from moisture, these keep in an airtight container at room temperature, in a cool and dark place for months.
Do not use if it smells stale or if mold forms.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
Tip #1: If you want slightly less spicy chili flakes- e.g. as a pasta topping- remove the chili seeds before blending.
Tip #2: If you only have fresh chilies, you can dry them yourselves in the oven, dehydrator, or by air drying.
- Oven Drying: Lay the chilies on a baking tray and dry in the oven at a low temperature (around 200°F) for several hours. (Check in from time to time.)
- Air Drying: Hang the chilies in a well-ventilated area that is dry and warm but away from direct sunlight for 3-4 weeks.
💭 Recipe FAQs
You can use them to make Chinese chili oil, as a topping for noodles or Italian pasta, sprinkled on Thai recipes, and more.
🥗 How to Use
Enjoyed this easy Chinese Chili Flakes Recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below! If you REALLY liked this Spicy Condiment, please consider supporting it by buying me a bottle of soy sauce! 🙂 (No obligation though!) Thank you and have a great day!
Chili Flakes (Basic + Spiced)
Equipment
- 1 Blender Substitute: mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- 35 dried red chilies Remove the seeds if you want them less picy. If you only have fresh chilies, you can dry them yourself. See Expert tips above.
Instructions
- Dry fry the dried chilies on low heat- and any other spices you may be adding- in a wok till crisp. The chilies should be brittle to touch but shouldn't change color, though a few darker spots may appear.
- Allow to cool before placing in the blender (to prevent the steam from making the chili soggy.)Note: Alternatively, you can bake at 200c/ 180C fan till the chilies are crisp, about 3-4 minutes- the exact time will depend on the humidity of your region.(Give the tray a shake at the 3 minutes mark.)
- Blend the dried chilies to your desired consistency. This will take a minute or two only. The above is what you end up with.Note: be careful when opening the blender, as the chili fumes may make you choke.
Notes
Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its veracity.
Nutrition
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