The Best Chili Crisp With The Perfect Balance Of Flavor You Need To Start Putting On Everything

Whether it's called chili crisp or chili crunch, this fascinating condiment is an umami blast loaded with flavor and heat. A mixture of spicy chile oil and crispy ingredients like garlic, chiles, onions, and occasionally interesting additions like peanuts and sesame seeds, chili crisp can be added to anything you feel like spicing up with extra crunch. Asian markets often have a whole section devoted to the stuff (there really are that many brands and flavors to choose from!) so don't worry about the difference between the names and worry instead about why it should be your next favorite condiment.

Chowhound ranked store-bought chili crisp options, evaluating 14 different brands. While a few were downright disappointing, most had something interesting to offer, but one really stood out from the crowd. While all of the chili crisps had varying levels of heat and differing consistencies and ingredients, making them fairly unique, only one earned a top spot for hitting all the right notes. Chef Troy's Recipe Crunchy Garlic Chili Sauce, produced by Mishima Foods USA, stood out for its perfect chile oil to crispy garlic ratio, which is more important than it may sound. When chili crisp doesn't have enough oil, the crunchy ingredients are dry and lackluster, but if it's got too much oil, you've got a greasy mess with potentially too much heat and not enough texture. That crispy crunch is in the name for a reason. The product is just one in a lineup of foods created in conjunction with chef Troy N. Thompson.

There are no limits to what you can do with a good chili crisp. It adds savory heat and extra texture to everything from ramen to ice cream. Chef Troy's Recipe takes fried garlic pieces, chili paste, and chili oil and blends them together for a perfectly textured, not-too-spicy concoction that will liven up steamed rice or add texture and heat to a fried rice, so you don't have to go overboard with a sodium-laden soy sauce to add flavor. It is the perfect addition to a flavorful ramen (the heat pairs beautifully with miso) and can be added to any stir fry to boost the flavor and give it a good crunch. 

But perhaps the greatest thing about a good chili crisp is that it's a versatile condiment that lets you spice up any food you feel needs a bit more heat and a lot more personality. It goes great with eggs and can make your deviled egg recipe exciting again, while you can also add it to a grilled steak or drop a bit on your baked potato along with cheese and sour cream. Mexican food handles heat like a pro, so consider skipping the hot sauce and drizzling a bit of Chef Troy's Recipe in with your carne asada or grilled shrimp before you roll up the tortilla on your next burrito.