Chili crisp didn’t sneak onto the culinary scene—it crashed the party with style and made itself at home. What started in Chinese kitchens has now taken over pantries everywhere. It’s fiery, crunchy, and loaded with garlic, shallots, sesame seeds, chili flakes, and other flavorful ingredients. A spoonful can turn even the most forgettable dinner into something you won't be able to stop thinking about.
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Chili crisp is everywhere now—on grocery store shelves, in restaurant kitchens, and all over your social media feed. And it’s not just for dumplings or stir-fries anymore. One jar goes a long way, whether you're spooning it over eggs, swiping it onto a grilled cheese, or drizzling it on pizza.
So what exactly is chili crisp?
It’s a spicy, crunchy Chinese condiment—chili-infused oil loaded with crunchy fried garlic, shallots, and chili peppers and other ingredients. Chinese chef Tao Huabi gets the credit for creating the OG version in the Chinese province of Guizhou in the mid-1980s. She invented it as a tableside condiment for jazzing up the noodle dishes she served in her restaurant. That original recipe evolved into the Lao Gan Ma. brand of chili crisp that catapulted the spicy drizzle to worldwide fame.
From its original small-batch operation, Lao Gan Ma's chili crisp grew in popularity. By the 2010s, demand had skyrocketed. The beloved sauce is still produced primarily in Guizhou province, but these days it's on a mass scale.
As so often happens when a recipe catches on, new, young chefs jumped into the game with creative ideas about improving on was arguably a perfect product from the start. Today, you can find countless variations, from artisanal productions to mainstream grocery store brands.
Some brands add mushroom powder or fermented chiles for additional umami. Sugar, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cardamom, and other ingredients give it distinctive flavor profiles. Honestly, even though they veer off from the original recipe, most of them bring delicious variety to the Chinese condiment table.
From social media star to restaurant staple
Once chili crisp hit the collective consiousness in the US, it blew up fast, especially when everyone was suddenly suffering lockdown-induced boredom. It was the right condiment at the right time.
Stuck at home, people wanted easy ways to make dinner—and their lives — less tedious. Everyone was nonstop scrolling and craving new flavors, and chili crisp delivered. One spoonful could jolt a sad plate of leftovers or boring eggs back to life, no complicated recipe required. Suddenly, what used to be a niche Chinese pantry item was everywhere.
Made for the camera
Between the vivid red color of the oil and the enticing crispy bits, chili crisp adds visual appeal to just about anything—perfect for visual mediums like Instagram and TikTok. Scroll through the #chilicrisp hashtag and you’ll see it spooned over noodles, eggs, burgers, even ice cream. Mouthwatering reels pulled in millions of views—and now a whole new audience suddenly couldn’t eat without it.
Restaurant innovation
Professional chefs also embraced chili crisp. What began in trendy Asian fusion restaurants quickly spread across cuisines and dining styles.
Restaurants began to use house-made chili crisp in unexpected ways, such as on raw oysters or as a complement to delicate fish dishes. Even non-Asian chefs started incorporating it into their food—Italian pasta, Mexican tacos, and more. When Momofuko's David Chang and James Beard winner Brandon Jew launched their own lines of chili crisp, it was clear that the condiment had hit the mainstream.
“Chili crisp is my not-so-secret weapon — I add it to everything, but it really shines in a chicken salad sandwich. It brings the perfect punch of heat and crunch, taking a classic from good to unforgettable. Once you try it, plain mayo feels lonely.”
— Bella Bucchiotti, xoxoBella
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How to use chili crisp
Chili crisp's power is that it goes well with many different dishes. There are countless ways to showcase its remarkable range.
Breakfast transformations
Chili crisp adds spice to your breakfast routine. Even breakfast purists quickly change their minds after trying it with morning classics.
- Avocado toast: Drizzle chili crisp over avocado toast for a morning dish that combines creamy and crunchy textures.
- Egg dishes: Use it to make Chili Crisp Fried Eggs. Or add a spoonful to scrambled eggs, fried eggs or omelets. The rich yolk mellows the heat while absorbing the flavors.
- Morning sandwiches: Mix with mayonnaise as a spread for breakfast sandwiches, especially those with sausage or bacon. Or drizzle it over cream cheese on a bagel (add lox to make it extra special!)
Appetizer Pairings
Spoon it over har gow or potstickers. Mix it with soy sauce and use as a dipping sauce for spring rolls or wontons. Or add it to hot and sour soup or wonton soup to heat things up.
Main Dish Pairings
Chili crisp can turn a boring weeknight meal into something you'll crave again and again. A spoonful turns your chicken, fish, steak or tofu from ordinary to memorable quickly.
- Noodles: One of the quickest, easiest, most delicious meals is a bowl of noodles—you can use ramen noodles, udon noodles, wheat noodles, or even rice noodles—tossed with a protein of choice (shrimp, chicken, beef, tofu) and veggies and a heaping spoonful of chili crisp. Use it in Garlic Chili Oil Noodles or to spice up Singapore Noodles. Seriously, I could eat plain noodles adn chili crisp every night and never get bored of it.
- Rice: Top a bowl of Coconut Rice with a dollop of chili crisp and you've got yourself a perfect snack. Add some cooked, shredded chicken or a fried egg and you've got a meal. Likewise, you can stir a spoonful into Fried Rice as it cooks for a delicious flavor upgrade.
- Seafood: Brush it lightly over grilled fish, particularly oily varieties like salmon or mackerel. For shellfish, try to add a small amount to raw oysters or mix into crab cakes.
- Poultry or beef: Use it as a finish for roasted chicken or duck. Blend it with honey and soy sauce before cooking to make a marinade for chicken thighs. Spoon chili crisp over a rare steak after resting for a spicy contrast or mix into burger patties before grilling.
- More ideas: Spice up plain tofu by drizzling chili crisp over silken varieties or toss it with crispy fried tofu cubes. Add it to a grilled cheese sandwich. Drizzle it on a Carbonara Pizza for some seriously good fusion eats.
Vegetable companions
A little bit of chili crisp makes vegetables a star attraction. The contrast between fresh vegetable flavors and the condiment's heat creates irresistible combinations.
- Roasted vegetables: Toss chili crisp with roasted Brussels sprouts, cauliflower or sweet potatoes after roasting to maintain the crisp texture.
- Raw applications: Drizzle it over sliced cucumber or tomatoes with a sprinkle of salt for an instant side dish. Or use it in Spicy Cucumber Salad.
- Corn: Brush it onto corn on the cob instead of traditional butter for a spicy twist.
- Potatoes: Add chili crisp to mashed potatoes just before serving or use as a topping for baked potatoes instead of sour cream and chives.
Sweet pairings
The most surprising chili crisp applications come in sweet treats. The sweet and spicy combination creates memorable tastes and new ways of enjoying your favorite desserts.
- Ice cream: This is the classic unexpected pairing. Just a small amount of chili crisp on vanilla ice cream creates a sweet-heat balance.
- Fruit: Try it with pineapple, watermelon or mango for a sweet-spicy-savory combination.
- Chocolate: Dark chocolate with sea salt pairs remarkably well with a tiny dot of chili crisp for adventurous eaters.
- Caramel: Add a small amount of chili crisp to homemade caramel sauce for drizzling over desserts or dipping apple slices.
The bottom line
Chili crisp isn’t just having a moment—it’s proven it belongs. It’s the kind of thing that can fix a boring breakfast, punch up last night’s leftovers, or even weirdly work turn plain vanilla ice cream into a flavor adventure. The appeal is simple: bold flavor, big texture, zero effort. That mix of heat, crunch, and umami is why chefs and home cooks keep reaching for it. So if you haven’t already, grab a jar and see what happens. You’ll probably start putting it on everything.
