Chili oil
红油 / 紅油 · hóngyóu (pinyin)
Vegetable oil infused with chilies, red and spoonable, used in Sichuan cooking both as an ingredient in dishes and as a condiment at the table.
What it means
Chili oil (红油 / 紅油, hóngyóu) is vegetable oil infused with chili peppers. Wikipedia says the oil and the chilies vary, that Sichuan pepper, garlic or paprika may be added, and that the solids settle to the bottom, so the cook or the diner chooses how much of them to use.
The names differ by region. Wikipedia lists hóng yóu and là yóu (辣油) for Sichuan, làjiāo yóu (辣椒油) as the common general term, and yóu pō là zǐ (油泼辣子) in Shaanxi, where hot oil is poured over chili powder. The Woks of Life's home recipe works the same way: it infuses the oil with aromatics first, then pours it over Sichuan chili flakes.
Chili crisp is a related condiment, not another name for chili oil. Wikipedia says chili crisp carries edible chunks of chili and other ingredients in the oil, while plain chili oil is mostly the infused liquid with the solids settled out.
A common mix-up
Chili oil and chili crisp are different products: chili crisp has edible chunks suspended in the oil, while plain chili oil is mostly the infused liquid.
Questions people ask
Is chili oil the same as chili crisp?
No. Wikipedia describes chili crisp as a closely related condiment that contains edible chunks of food and chilies in oil. Plain chili oil is the infused liquid, and its solids settle to the bottom of the jar.
Does chili oil always contain Sichuan pepper?
No. Wikipedia says Sichuan pepper may be added along with garlic or paprika, but the base is oil and chili. Read the label or ask the kitchen if you are avoiding a particular spice.
Sources & further reading
Background and preparation references. Our descriptions are editorial summaries, not restaurant reviews.