10 Things to Put Chili Oil On (That Aren't Just Noodles)

If you've had a jar of chili oil in your kitchen for more than a week, you already know it goes on noodles. That one is obvious. What's less obvious is how many other things it belongs on, and how quickly it stops feeling like a condiment and starts feeling like a cooking philosophy.

Here are ten of our favourites.

1. Eggs

This is where most people start and where a lot of people stay. Scrambled, fried, soft-boiled, poached — chili oil works on all of them, but it's especially good on a fried egg where the oil pools in the whites and the heat cuts through the yolk. A spoonful on two eggs is a complete breakfast. It takes about thirty seconds to make and tastes like you put in considerably more effort.

2. Plain rice

Rice on its own is a blank canvas. Chili oil turns it into a meal. Stir a spoonful into a bowl of steamed jasmine rice with a little soy sauce and you have something people will eat standing over the stove before it even makes it to the table. This is the move when the fridge is empty and you need something real.

3. Avocado toast

This one surprised people when it started showing up, but it makes complete sense. Avocado is rich and fatty and mild. Chili oil is bright and sharp and warm. They balance each other in a way that makes avocado toast feel like it was always missing something before. Add a flaky salt finish and you've got a proper meal.

4. Dumplings and gyoza

Dumpling sauce is usually a mix of soy, vinegar, and something spicy. Chili oil is a shortcut to all of that in one spoonful. Dip, drizzle, or pool a small amount on the plate and drag your dumplings through it. It works equally well on frozen gyoza from the grocery store as it does on handmade ones — no judgment either way.

5. Pizza

This is the one people are most skeptical about until they try it. The combination of chili oil and melted cheese is genuinely excellent, especially on a slice that's already a little greasy. It works best added after baking rather than before — you want the flavour fresh, not cooked off in the oven.

6. Roasted vegetables

Vegetables that come out of a hot oven with a little char on them are already good. Drizzle chili oil over them while they're still warm and they become something you actually want to eat for lunch the next day cold. Broccoli, cauliflower, and sweet potato work particularly well. The heat from the oil lifts the natural sweetness of the vegetable rather than fighting it.

7. Soup

A bowl of broth-based soup — chicken noodle, wonton, congee, even a simple miso — benefits enormously from a small amount of chili oil stirred in just before eating. It adds body and warmth in a way that changes the character of the whole bowl. Start with less than you think you need. You can always add more.

8. Cheese and crackers

This is the one for when you have guests and want something that looks considered without being complicated. A good aged cheddar or a creamy brie with a small spoonful of chili oil on the board alongside it. People always ask about it. It's one of those combinations that sounds strange and tastes inevitable.

9. Stir fry

Most stir fry recipes call for a combination of sauces added partway through cooking. Chili oil can replace or supplement a lot of that — add it near the end of cooking so the flavour stays bright, or drizzle it over the finished dish. It works especially well with garlic, ginger, and any protein you've got on hand.

10. Anything you're eating right now

This is less of a recipe and more of a philosophy. If you have a jar of chili oil on the counter, it's worth trying on whatever is in front of you before you decide it doesn't belong. More often than not, it does. The combinations that sound wrong are sometimes the ones that work best.

The short answer to "what do I put chili oil on" is: most things. The longer answer is everything on this list, plus whatever you discover once you stop asking permission and just try it.

If you're looking for a place to start, start with eggs. It's always the right call.

Holy Duck Chili Oil is made in Vancouver, BC with BC duck fat and no MSG. Shop the full lineup at holyduckchili.shop.