Hi, we're Peter & Lisa.

Chili Oil Gang started with one question at our kitchen table: which chili oil is actually the best? One taste test became thirty, our pantry stopped fitting the jars (we've publicly fantasized about a chili oil cellar — like a wine cellar, but correct), and this site became the place we keep the receipts.

How we review

• Side-by-side taste tests — usually on plain rice or rice crackers, so nothing hides.
• Scored on 9 attributes — heat, crunch, garlic, umami, smoke, numbing, salt, sweetness, oiliness — 0 to 10.
• Tiered honestly — the live tier list has a B row and we use it. Free samples don't buy tiers; when a brand sends a jar, the review says so.
• Small brands first — the big names get plenty of coverage everywhere else. Our favorite thing is telling you about a jar you can only get by DMing someone's mom.

How we make money

Chili Oil Gang is reader-supported. Some links on this site are affiliate links — if you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It pays for the jars (we buy most of them ourselves) and keeps the taste tests going. We never take payment for reviews, tiers, or placement, and Instagram-DM links to small brands are never monetized — those are just us telling you about something great.

Send us your chili oil

Make a chili oil, crisp, crunch, or salsa macha? We'd love to try it — every jar gets the same honest treatment. Reach us via the contact page or DM @chilioilgang.