Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chili Oil

The $6 pantry jar that still beats bottles four times the price.

Back in our very first chili oil taste test, we lined up the classics and Chiu Chow came out the superior chili oil. Years and dozens of jars later, it’s still S tier. That should tell you something.

What is Chiu Chow chili oil?

Chiu Chow (Teochew) style chili oil is a southern Chinese preparation built on salted, preserved chilies and garlic in oil. It’s not a chili crisp (the texture is soft and jammy rather than crunchy), and the flavor is savory-salty first, spicy second. Lee Kum Kee’s version is the one you’ll actually find on shelves, and it nails the style.

The taste test

Savory and spicy in the right proportions: hot enough to matter, gentle enough to put on everything. The preserved chili flavor gives it that “restaurant wonton sauce” quality. There’s real garlic depth, and the oil itself carries flavor rather than just heat.

One heads-up: recent jars have tasted noticeably saltier to us than the ones we bought years ago. We can’t say for certain whether the recipe changed, but if you’re watching your sodium, taste a small amount before you drown a dish in it.

What to use it on

Dumplings are the classic move (mix it with a little soy sauce and black vinegar and you’re done). Also: wonton noodles, fried rice, stir-fries, congee, or a spoonful straight into instant noodles.

Verdict

S tier: the pantry classic. If you’re new to chili oil, start here: it’s a few dollars at any Asian grocery, it teaches you what the category is about, and you’ll never stop buying it even after your shelf fills up with $20 small-batch jars.

Want more heat and seafood umami? Their Fiery Dried Shrimp version is A+ tier and cranks both dials.