Sichuan Mala Chile Oil

Name: Sichuan Mala Chile Oil
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: about 2¾ cups (650 ml)
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2 oz (60g) mixed dried chiles (arbol, Japones, pasilla...) Dried Chile; 3 tbsp (15g) Sichuan Pepper; 2 cups (500ml), preferably caiziyou (roasted rapeseed) Canola Oil; 4 medium cloves (10-15g), smashed Garlic; one 1/2-inch knob (about 30g), smashed Ginger; 1 medium (about 45g), roughly chopped Shallot; about 1 tsp (3 g) Cinnamon; 3 Bay Leaf; 2 whole pods Star Anise; 1 tbsp (8g) whole Fennel Seed; one 2-inch piece orange zest Orange; 3/4 cup (75g) ground Sichuan er jing tiao or Korean chile flakes Gochugaru; 2 tbsp (16g) white, optional Sesame Seed; 1/2 tsp (2g), optional Msg; 1 tsp (4g) kosher Salt

Independent adaptation of a publicly published J. Kenji López-Alt recipe. Not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by J. Kenji López-Alt.

GREAT ON · YOGURT + CHILE OIL COMBO; HAMBURGERS; MEATBALLS; ROASTED CARROTS; SMASHED CUCUMBERS

Great on Yogurt + chile oil combo; hamburgers; meatballs; roasted carrots; smashed cucumbers.

Heat and acid for eggs, tacos, and bowls.

On the jar

SICHUAN ML

Method: stove
Yield: about 2¾ cups
Ingredients: 15

Stove sauce. Cook from the recipe

Ratio

Canola Oil 500 ml

Ingredients

Dried Chile2 oz (60g) mixed dried chiles (arbol, Japones, pasilla...)
Sichuan Pepper3 tbsp (15g)
Canola Oil2 cups (500ml), preferably caiziyou (roasted rapeseed)
Garlic4 medium cloves (10-15g), smashed
Gingerone 1/2-inch knob (about 30g), smashed
Shallot1 medium (about 45g), roughly chopped
Cinnamonabout 1 tsp (3 g)
Bay Leaf3
Star Anise2 whole pods
Fennel Seed1 tbsp (8g) whole
Orangeone 2-inch piece orange zest
Gochugaru3/4 cup (75g) ground Sichuan er jing tiao or Korean chile flakes
Sesame Seed2 tbsp (16g) white, optional
Msg1/2 tsp (2g), optional
Salt1 tsp (4g) kosher

Method

This sauce is cooked on the stove. The jar is for storing it, not making it.
Cook ingredients gently according to the published technique, adapted here as pantry quantities only.
Finish off heat; adjust seasoning.

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Companion jar

Sichuan Mala Chile Oil wants a whisk and a stove. Make it from this page.

The jar carries pour-and-shake sauces. These are its closest cousins from kitchens like this one:

4 kitchens · 4 stars · 4 national awards

Gochujang SauceNATIONAL AWARD WINNEROn the jar: GOCHUJANG
Ssäm Sauce★ STARRED KITCHENOn the jar: SSAM
Korean Gochujang SauceNATIONAL AWARD WINNEROn the jar: KOREAN
Buttermilk Vinaigrette★★★ KITCHENOn the jar: BUTTERMILK

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Provenance

J. Kenji López-Alt is a cookbook author working in Food science / wok cookery; recognized with James Beard Book Award: Single Subject 2023 (The Wok); James Beard Book Award: General Cooking 2016 (The Food Lab).

Originally published as Sichuan Málà Chile Oil.

Adapted from a recipe published by J. Kenji López-Alt in The Wok (W.W. Norton 2022) via The Dinner Plan authorized reprint.

FAQ

Can this go in a shake jar?

No. This one needs a blender or stove, so make it from this page. Jars only carry pour-and-shake sauces. Its companion jar is below.

What do the quantities mean?

This page lists the published recipe in household units (with metric in parentheses). On a jar, the printed lines, counts, and QR guide carry the jar-batch amounts. Follow the jar or this page, not a mix of both. Amounts in the jar’s ADD row are rounded to the nearest common spoon measure (T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon) so they can be read off the glass.

Where did this recipe come from?

Adapted from The Wok (W.W. Norton 2022) via The Dinner Plan authorized reprint (published as “Sichuan Málà Chile Oil”). Full citation lives in Provenance.

Companion jar