Chilli oil makes everything better. Well, maybe not everything, but it’s close. Packed with heat with umami depth, a good chilli oil is the difference between a bland meal and one bursting with flavour.
Choose your jar carefully depending on your preference or meal. For a salad already loaded with texture, a silky smooth oil is probably your best option. But for everything else, we love a crispy chilli oil, like the five you’ll find below.
Not only do these oils come with a hint of fiery heat, they’re dotted with pops of flavour gold. In these jars, you’ll find tantalising hunks of garlic, crisp shallots and even a shiitake mushroom.
Whichever your choice, for whatever meal you’re sitting down to eat, it can almost always be improved by a drizzle of one of these chilli oils.
Umami Papi
This is the sort of oil that you start with just a teaspoon, before quickly going back for more, thanks to its aromatic, savoury and salty profile. Underpinned by a solid spice kick, the chilli-crisp-to-oil ratio is also on point.
$15.50 for 225ml, umamipapi.com.au
Gini Maya
This flashy and fierce chilli oil is underpinned by the scent of curry leaves, alongside garlic and ginger, which gives it a citrusy and pungent edge. The Sri Lankan-style condiment celebrates the bright flavours of the cuisine, offering a unique flavour profile.
$15 for 250ml, ginimaya.com.au
Six-Eyed Scorpion
This Melbourne-based chilli oil ups the ante with solid chunks of garlic and shallots, making it a generous and handy dish finisher, be it atop burrata, tofu or eggs. Developed by chef Sandra Seah (ex-Transformer, Smith & Daughters and Riso) this chunky chilli oil is a leading example of the classic.
$18.50 for 200ml, sixeyedscorpion.com
Soka Pantry Co
Crafted with olive oil rather than canola oil, Soka Pantry creates a versatile and moreish condiment. Alongside the usual suspects you’ll also find bay leaf, dried shiitake mushrooms and nutritional yeast for a deeply flavoured oil that goes well on anything from lasagne through to tacos.
$17.95 for 180ml, sokapantry.com.au
Oomami
Rich, red and bitey, this new take on a chilli crisp has a coarse consistency thanks to nubs of almonds and sesame seeds. The original version is more savoury than spicy, while this extra hot edition centres on gochugaru (Korean red chilli peppers) for heat, balanced perfectly with just enough salt and sugar.
$19 for 250ml, oomamibondi.com.au
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