Skip to content
Hunan King
← Kitchen Notes

Twelve things to spoon chili oil over that are not noodles

2 min read Food Sauces
A jar of Hunan King chili oil with crisp chili settled at the bottom

People buy our chili oil for noodles and then run out of ideas. That is a waste of a good jar, so here is the list our own kitchen staff work from.

First, one rule: stir the jar before every use. The crisp chili and garlic settle to the bottom, and the good part is the sediment, not the oil floating on top. A dry spoon, all the way down.

Breakfast

  1. Fried eggs. The single best use. Crisp edges, runny yolk, a spoonful over the top.
  2. Scrambled eggs, stirred in at the very end so the chili stays crisp.
  3. Avocado toast. It sounds like a joke. It is not.
  4. Congee or plain rice porridge. This is the traditional answer, and it is traditional because it works.

Things involving cheese

  1. Grilled cheese, brushed on the inside before the second slice goes on.
  2. Fresh mozzarella or burrata, with a little flaky salt. The oil does what a good olive oil does, with heat.
  3. Pizza, obviously. Especially a plain cheese slice.
  4. Cream cheese on a bagel. Trust us on this one.

Vegetables

  1. Roasted broccoli or cauliflower, tossed after they come out of the oven, not before — the chili burns.
  2. Cucumber salad, smashed rather than sliced, with rice vinegar and a spoonful of oil.

The ones we argued about

  1. Vanilla ice cream. Two of our cooks insist on this. Salt, fat, heat and cold. Try one bite before you judge it.
  2. Popcorn. Drizzled, then tossed hard. Do this once and you will stop buying flavoured popcorn.

What not to do with it

Do not cook with it as your main oil. It is a finishing oil. The chili and garlic in it are already fried, and putting them back over high heat turns them bitter.

Do not leave a wet spoon in the jar. Water is what makes a chili oil go off early. Dry spoon, lid on, and it keeps for months.

Do not refrigerate it before opening. Room temperature away from light is fine and pours better. After opening, the fridge is the right call.

Where to get it

Jars are on the counter at all four Houston kitchens, or order one online. If you are already ordering food, add one to the same trip — it costs you nothing extra to carry.

Hungry now?

Four Houston kitchens, open daily 11 AM to 9 PM. Order online for pickup or delivery.

Order now See the menu

Keep reading

Why every dish is made to order, even when it slows us down Steam tables are faster, cheaper and easier. Here is what they cost you, and why we never installed one. 3 min read → What makes Hunan cooking different from Szechuan Both are famous for heat, but they get there in completely different ways. Here is how to tell them apart on a menu. 2 min read → What to order at Hunan King if it is your first time Four dishes that tell you everything about how this kitchen cooks, plus what to skip until your second visit. 2 min read →