The Stinger — Trending Hot Chili Oil

Hot oil is the answer to what all your pizzas have been missing. Looking to add extra flavor to a basic cheese pizza? Hot oil. Looking for a fun condiment to keep on the tables? Hot oil. Does your Italian sub need some zing? Hot oil. As you can see, there are many ways to utilize this awesome ingredient.

The four main ways to use hot oil are:

1. Use it as a finisher for any dish — pizza, salads, sandwiches or appetizers. The versatility of chili oil makes it the perfect complement to so many unexpected dishes.
2. As a marinade. Brush different raw meats and veggies before you cook them with hot oil to create a more dynamic flavor and add an underlying heat to the pie or dish.
3. As a dipping sauce. Forget Ranch or even honey. All you really need is one banging hot oil to make sure every last bite of crust gets eaten up. You can also serve it with a side dish of homemade focaccia or garlic knots.
4. In the pan. Instead of using straight olive or canola oil for sautéing and roasting, cut it in half and sub out hot oil.

Making Hot Oil

There are really two different ways to make hot oil. The first is using a pre-made canola or a neutral tasting olive oil and infusing it with chilies. The second is by adding fresh chilies to the olives during the olive oil extraction where the chilies and olives are then crushed together. This is called the Agrumato Method. This method creates beautifully complex and flavorful oils. The only downside is that you definitely need to have an olive mill to produce it.

As you can see there are a few differences to the two process’ of making hot oil. David Garci-Aguirre, the Master Miller at Corto, has been making Agrumato oils there for a few years now. He said, “It is so important to distinguish agrumato oils (sometimes referred to as co-milled or co-crushed) from other flavored oils because they are so unique. The making of olive oil is a complex process where incredible flavors and aromas are formed. When you add fresh ingredients at this stage you can create new and unique combinations of flavor and aroma that cannot be replicated in the kitchen or after the oil is extracted. Infusions and extracts for example, tend to be very one dimensional in flavor. This is because there is no interaction between the ingredients when the flavors of the oil are being developed. In contrast, agrumato method oils are the product of an intricate interplay between both ingredients.”

Since the two versions of hot oils taste very different, the one you decide on will depend on how you want to use it and whether or not you want to make it yourself. I think a basic, infused hot oil can be a great all-around option to have at your shop. Since it is fairly inexpensive to make, you can use it as sauté oil or give it away as a dipping sauce to customers. With such a unique and aromatic flavor, Agrumato oil on the other hand, is the perfect finisher for pizzas and the flavor really comes through baked into dishes and desserts. Think chili olive oil cake, focaccia finished with a drizzle of chili oil or house-made chili rolls.

If you want to make your own hot oil in house, and I will say I am definitely one of those people who likes to make anything I can in house, there’s a good chance you already have all of the ingredients on hand. Simply said, chili oil can be made from infusing oil with chilies. You can use any chili but a neutral oil is recommended. There are only three basic ingredients: oil, chili flakes or dried chilies and time. You can change up the flavor by the type of chilies you use and whether or not you add additional ingredients.

The main thing to keep in mind is the temperature of the oil. You want to be between 180 F to 350 F. The hotter it is, the darker the oil will be. If it gets too hot (think smoking), it will burn the chilies and result in a bitter flavor. You can test the oil by dropping in a few chili flakes and if it sizzles, it is ready. I like to leave the chili flakes in the oil for a few days to gain maximum flavor, then strain. After that the oil is ready to go. Chili oil also has a pretty long shelf life, two to three months if you store it in a cool, dark place.

To make other types of chili oils you can add other ingredients, such as granulated garlic, shallots, salts or peppercorns. A really popular one is a chili crunch sauce. While this is traditionally used in Asian dishes, it adds a ton of flavor and texture, which can be great on pizza too.

Different oils in general are great flavor boosters for pizza and just like a great extra virgin olive oil, hot oils can be cross utilized throughout your menu. They are a great addition to sandwiches, can add a kick to salad dressings, tossed with wings and used to finish appetizers, such as a mushroom crostini or burrata over roasted vegetables. It’s also easy to make a big batch and have it available for your customers to add to their own slices and pies.

There are multiple dimensions to every pizza and when you want maximum flavor you want to look at every one. I’m a big believer that there doesn’t need to be tons of toppings on a pizza but rather good quality and well thought out ones. Hot oil provides a complex and flavorful option to up your pizza game.

Hot Oil Recipe:

Get a Hot Oil recipe.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.