If you jumped on the chili crisp bandwagon, chances are you’ve got a small stockpile of different brands collecting dust in the back of your pantry, just like us. It’s a great ingredient and condiment for all kinds of Asian cooking, but we all get stuck in our habits and never really think about other ways to use up that aging jar before it goes rancid. This is apparently a pretty common situation because Redditor u/discussatron asked r/Cooking the best uses for chili crisp, and as usual, Reddit delivered with creative and interesting ideas that we’re totally trying soon.
What is chili crisp?
Chili crisp is a spicy, crunchy, and flavorful condiment made with chiles, aromatics like garlic, and other spices in oil. It’s deep red from all the chiles, and often includes mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns, fragrant star anise, shallots, and even peanuts. The most popular Chinese brand of chili crisp is Lao Gan Ma, which is also called “angry lady sauce” because of the stern-looking woman on the label. Other brands that have popped up since is became popular in the U.S. include Fly by Jing, Momofuku, and Trader Joe’s Crunchy Chili Onion version. It’s not as spicy as you might imagine, but it’s very aromatic and flavorful, which is why people love adding it to so many kinds of foods, like these.
Noodle Side Dish
One Redditor, u/luala, describes a noodle side dish that we’re drooling over. “Cook egg noodles, drain, then toss in a mix of about 1 tablespoon each of medium soy sauce, chilli crisp, and sesame oil. Add some sesame seeds and toss through. Great with simply cooked fish and some green veg.”
While curly egg noodles would be delicious, it seems like plain cooked ramen would be really great as well. A little tahini or peanut butter would make it rich and creamy, and a sprinkle of green onions can’t hurt either.
Deviled Eggs
Make your deviled eggs live up to their name by adding some chili crisp on top as a garnish, says u/hotbutteredbiscuit. While that sounds great and probably looks pretty striking too, u/vampirequidfromheck says you can add it to your egg yolk mixture as well. “I’ve put it IN the deviled egg mixture several times. If you’re OK with deviled eggs not being totally smooth, it’s friggin delicious. Very finely chopped green onions, kewpie mayo, chili crisp (I like laoganma), salt, the tiniest dollop of dijon. So good!”
Related: 13 Simple Ways to Cook Eggs
Breakfast Bowl
Break out of your pancake and waffle habit and try a rice bowl for breakfast instead. “One of my absolute favorite breakfast bowls is leftover rice with a poached egg, a spoonful of crisp and sprinkled with furikake,”says u/cbalzer. (Furikake is a delicious Japanese rice seasoning made with seaweed and sesame seeds.) A little smoked salmon, diced avocado, or crumbled bacon would be great on there, too.
Related: 19 Spices and Sauces to Keep Home-Cooked Meals Interesting
Potatoes
A blank slate like a potato is perfect for showcasing the complex flavors of chili crisp. A baked potato is the obvious suggestion, but other Redditors suggest trying it on roasted potatoes and french fries. Don’t sleep on sweet potatoes, either, says u/numberonecrush88. “It is so freaking good, literally a couple spoonfuls on a big ole sweet potato and you’re in heaven.
Trending on Cheapism
Chili Mayonnaise
One of the most popular comments is a simple tip for a creamy concoction. “A delicious monstrosity straight out of hell: chili crisp mayonnaise,” says u/bnny_ears. Mix the two condiments together in equal proportions, according to another Redditor, for the best results. Drizzle it on fish, dip your fries or potato wedges into it, or even spread it on your breakfast sandwiches.
For more culinary inspiration, sign up for our free newsletters.
Roasted Green Vegetables
Roasting vegetables brings out their sweetness, so offsetting that with some spicy chili crisp is a great idea. “It’s amazing on roasted brussels sprouts,” says u/rrroller.”Right?” agreed u/MadameMonk. “Also broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower. Any of the brassicas or leafy greens. Doesn’t have to be an all-veggie dish, but adding the steamed greens to your meat/noodles/eggs etc really kicks it up a notch.”
Related: 25 Ways to Make Unpopular Fall Vegetables More Delicious
Hummus
You know how some supermarket hummus brands have that little puddle in the middle of things like pesto, roasted red peppers, or pine nuts? Well, imagine chili crisp in there instead. “I make my own hummus,” says u/MRSRN65. “Chili crisp is one of the condiments I like to top it with.” If you’re not up for making your own, just buy your favorite and spoon some chili crisp on top.
Sign up for our newsletter
Eggs
Besides deviled eggs, Redditors absolutely love using chili crisp on every kind of egg you can imagine. Scrambled? Definitely. Over easy? For sure. “I like to take a soft boiled egg (or a soy-marinated one), put it over avocado chunks, and put a spoonful of chili crisp on it,” says u/smallblackrabbit.
But u/seanceweathr goes one step further than just a garnish, and we’re super intrigued: “Fry eggs in it, it’ll change your life!”
Mac and Cheese
A number of Redditors suggest adding a spoonful of chili crisp to mac and cheese. Seems like it’d work with your favorite boxed mix, but we wouldn’t say no to a little bit drizzled on top of a classic baked mac and cheese casserole, either.
Ice Cream Sundae
Yes, really! “Ice cream? You bet your sweet a** you can put some chili crisp on it,” says one Redditor, and it’s not nearly as weird of an idea as you think. Even J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, a food writer for the New York Times, paid homage to the unusual but delicious combination. So the next time you’ve got some leftover vanilla on the edge of freezer burn, and an almost-empty jar of chili crisp, you know exactly what to do.
