Garlic Chili Oil with Peanuts
Easy Garlic Chili Oil with Peanuts (No Frying – Oven Method)
If the idea of homemade chili oil makes you think of popping hot oil, splatters, and stress, this recipe is here to change your mind.
This Easy Garlic Chili Oil with Peanuts is made entirely in the oven, with no frying at all. You get soft, jammy garlic cloves, a spicy, fragrant oil, and crunchy peanuts and sesame seeds in every spoonful – all with minimal hands-on time and maximum flavor.
It’s completely vegan, meal-prep friendly, and designed to live in your fridge so you can throw it on noodles, rice, dumplings, tofu, veggies, and pretty much anything that needs a flavor upgrade.
✨ You’ll find the full recipe card with exact ingredients and step-by-step instructions at the bottom of the post. Here, we’ll keep it big-picture only (no duplicate recipe info).
Why you’ll love this no-fry garlic chili oil
- No frying, no splatter – The oven does the work. You don’t hover over a pot of hot oil.
- Jammy garlic + crunchy peanuts – The texture is a dreamy mix of soft garlic and crispy bits.
- Ridiculously versatile – Use it on noodles, dumplings, bowls, roasted veggies, tofu, soups, and sandwiches.
- Vegan & pantry-friendly – Mostly simple ingredients you probably already have.
- Perfect meal prep condiment – One small baking dish, a jar, and you’ve got flavor for the week.
How to make garlic chili oil without frying (quick overview)
Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom, but here’s the simple overview:
Add peeled garlic cloves to a small baking dish, cover with olive oil, and bake gently until the garlic is soft, fragrant, and lightly golden.
While the oil is still hot, stir in chili flakes, sesame seeds, peanuts, salt, a little sugar, and any optional seasonings like soy sauce and vinegar.
Put the dish back in the oven briefly so the spices and peanuts can fully infuse the oil without burning.
Let everything cool, then transfer oil, garlic, peanuts, and all the crunchy bits into a clean glass jar and refrigerate.
That’s the whole process. No thermometers, no bubbling pot of oil, just a very chill path to incredible flavor.
How to use this garlic chili oil with peanuts
Once you have a jar of this in your fridge, you’ll start putting it on everything. Some ideas:
- Noodles: Toss through ramen, rice noodles, or soba with a splash of soy sauce and lime.
- Dumplings: Spoon over steamed or pan-fried dumplings with a little soy sauce and vinegar.
- Rice & grain bowls: Drizzle over rice, quinoa, or farro bowls with veggies and tofu.
- Tofu or tempeh: Add on top of crispy tofu or tempeh right before serving.
- Roasted or air-fried veggies: Especially potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts.
- Soups: Swirl a spoonful into miso soup, veggie broth, or noodle soups.
- Avocado toast or sandwiches: A drizzle on top instantly makes it feel gourmet.
Pro tip: Scoop a little of the garlic and peanuts along with the oil every time. The magic is in the mix of textures.
Customizations & variations
You can easily tweak this no-fry chili oil to match your taste:
- Spice level:
- Use more or fewer chili flakes.
- Mix mild and hot chili flakes if you want flavor without blow-your-head-off heat.
- Nut-free version:
- Swap peanuts for toasted seeds (like sunflower or pumpkin seeds), or skip them and double the sesame seeds.
- Different oils:
- Olive oil adds richness and a fruity note.
- For a more neutral flavor, use avocado oil or a neutral vegetable oil.
- Extra crunchy:
- Add extra peanuts or sesame seeds at the end if you love more texture.
- More tangy:
- Add a bit more vinegar at the end to brighten the flavor, especially if you’re using it over rich dishes like noodles or fried tofu.
Storage & food safety
Any time we’re dealing with garlic in oil, it’s important to handle storage properly:
- Always refrigerate
Store your chili oil in a clean, airtight glass jar in the fridge. - Use a clean spoon
Avoid dipping in with anything wet or dirty. This helps keep the chili oil fresh and safe. - Enjoy within about a week
For best quality and food safety, use it within 7 days in the fridge. - Freeze for longer storage
You can freeze small portions (like in an ice cube tray) and thaw as needed.
FAQ: No-Fry Garlic Chili Oil with Peanuts
It has a noticeable kick, but the heat level depends on the chili flakes you use and how much you add. If you’re sensitive to spice, you can:
– Use milder chili flakes.
– Reduce the amount and add more gradually next time.
You still get tons of garlic and nutty flavor even with less heat.
Yes. You can use:
– Avocado oil – great for a neutral, rich base.
– Neutral vegetable oil – if you want the garlic and chili to stand out more.
Just avoid strongly flavored oils that might clash, like some unrefined oils.
Nope! You can:
– Swap peanuts for cashews, almonds, or walnuts (all chopped).
– Go nut-free and use extra sesame seeds or toasted sunflower/pumpkin seeds instead.
Just keep in mind that different nuts toast at slightly different speeds, so watch them if you tweak the recipe.
– The base recipe (garlic, oil, chili flakes, sesame, peanuts, salt, sugar) is naturally gluten-free.
If you add soy sauce, make sure to use:
Tamari or a certified gluten-free soy sauce if you need the recipe to be fully gluten-free.
For best safety and freshness, I recommend enjoying it within about 7 days when stored properly in the fridge in a clean jar.
If you want it to last longer, you can freeze portions and thaw as needed.
You can, but I recommend leaving most of the garlic cloves whole or lightly smashed:
– Whole cloves give you delicious bites of soft garlic.
– Blending can cloud the oil and make the flavor more intense, but it also makes it a bit harder to portion out.
If you do blend, start with just a small amount of the garlic and taste as you go.
Some ideas:
– Garlic chili noodle bowl: Toss cooked noodles with soy sauce, a splash of vinegar, and a spoonful of this chili oil. Add cucumber, shredded carrot, and crispy tofu.
– Rice + veggie bowl: Warm rice, roasted veggies, tofu or chickpeas, plus a big drizzle of chili oil.
– Dumpling night: Frozen veggie dumplings, steamed or pan-fried, served with a mix of soy sauce, vinegar, and this chili oil on top.
Ready to make it?
Scroll down to the recipe card to get the exact ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions for this Easy Garlic Chili Oil with Peanuts (No Frying, Oven Method).
And if you’re into crispy, crunchy toppings…
- Try my classic Crispy Chili Oil here:
👉 https://drveganblog.com/crispy-chili-oil/
For more easy vegan recipes, sauces, and flavor-packed meal prep ideas, you can always hang out with me over at:
👉 https://drveganblog.com 🌱
Easy Garlic Chili Oil with Peanuts (No Frying)
Ingredients
- 250 g (1/2 cups) garlic cloves, peeled
- 500 ml (2 cups) extra-virgin olive oil
Add after baking:
- 4 tbsp chili flakes
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 4 tbsp chopped peanuts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Optional:
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
Equipment
- Oven
- Small oven-safe baking dish (ceramic or glass)
- aluminum foil
Instructions
- Prepare the garlicPeel all the garlic cloves and add them to a small oven safe baking dish in an even layer.
- Add the oilPour the olive oil over the garlic until every clove is fully submerged. This ensures the garlic cooks evenly and stays soft, not browned.
- Cover and bakeCover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and place it in a preheated oven at 160°C. Bake until the garlic is very soft, lightly golden, and fragrant. You should see gentle bubbling in the oil, not frying.
- Remove from the ovenCarefully remove the dish from the oven and let it sit covered briefly, then uncover slowly.
- Add the remaining ingredientsAdd the chili flakes, sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, salt, and sugar directly into the hot oil and garlic.
- Mix gentlyStir slowly so everything is evenly combined. Lightly press a few garlic cloves to release more flavor, while keeping most of them whole for texture.
- Bake againCover the dish again and return it to the oven. Bake until the flavors are fully infused into the oil.
- Cool and storeRemove from the oven and let the chili oil cool completely at room temperature. Once cooled, transfer to a clean glass jar and store in the fridge.
Nutrition
Hi! I wonder how long (approx) is each cooking time?
I’m looking forward to making this heavily garlic oil!
Thank you.
Would never use olive oil for this – too strongly flavoured and too expensive
Corn oil or canola oil – you don’t want the oil flavour to be the overwhelming ingredient
I made this using canola oil, cashew and sesame seed, birds-eye chilli, a dash of fermented soy paste, and it was excellent
Thank you.