1-Step 1: Gather and Prepare Your Ingredients Before you begin, measure out all your ingredients and have them within reach. This is your mise en place a French term meaning “everything in its place.” Having everything ready makes the process smooth and stress-free. Grab a heavy-bottomed saucepan, a cooking thermometer, a large ceramic or heavy metal bowl (never glass!), a fine-mesh strainer, and a heatproof spatula for stirring. Make sure your bowl has plenty of clearance from the rim you’ll need that space when the hot oil meets the chili flakes!

2-Step 2: Infuse the Oil with Aromatics Pour the 3 cups of neutral oil into your heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the Sichuan peppercorns, smashed garlic cloves, halved shallot, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, star anise, and cloves all at once. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat. You want the oil temperature to reach 225-250°F. This is where your thermometer becomes essential maintaining this temperature range is crucial for extracting maximum flavor without burning the spices. Let the spices infuse for a full 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and adjust the heat as needed to keep the temperature steady. You’ll notice the garlic and shallot becoming golden and fragrant, and the spices releasing their wonderful aromas into the oil.

3-Step 3: Prepare the Chili Flake Bowl While the oil is infusing, place your 1 ½ cups of Sichuan chili flakes into a large ceramic or heavy metal bowl. Make sure there’s plenty of space between the chili flakes and the rim of the bowl this is important because the oil will bubble up significantly when poured! Add the sesame seeds (if using), sugar, and salt to the bowl with the chili flakes. Give everything a gentle mix so the seasonings are distributed throughout.

4-Step 4: Strain and Reheat the Oil After 30 minutes of infusion, turn off the heat. Using a fine-mesh strainer, carefully strain the infused oil to remove all the whole spices. Discard the used spices they’ve given their all! Now, heat the strained oil back up to 350°F. This higher temperature is what activates the chili flakes and creates that gorgeous deep red color. Watch the thermometer carefully you want the oil hot enough to sizzle but not smoking.

5-Step 5: Pour Hot Oil Over Chili Flakes Here comes the exciting (and slightly dramatic) part! Once your oil reaches 350°F, carefully pour it in a slow, steady stream over the chili flakes in the bowl. Safety Note: Stand back slightly and wear oven mitts. The oil will bubble vigorously upon contact with the chili flakes that’s why we left all that headroom in the bowl! Pour slowly to maintain control over the bubbling. You’ll hear a satisfying sizzle and watch the chili flakes bloom into a beautiful, deep red color. The aroma at this moment is absolutely incredible.

6-Step 6: Season and Cool After all the oil has been poured, give everything a good stir with your heatproof spatula. Mix in the sesame seeds, sugar, and salt if you haven’t already added them to the chili flakes. Now, patience is key let the mixture cool completely at room temperature. This cooling period allows the flavors to meld and develop. The oil will continue to darken as it sits, developing even more depth of flavor.

7-Step 7: Store Your Finished Chili Oil Once completely cool, transfer your homemade Sichuan Chili Oil into a clean, sterilized airtight container. Glass jars with tight-fitting lids work wonderfully. Store it in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to 3 months.