How do you use Spicy Chili Crisp?

July 26, 2023 10:31 AM

Question in the title

I bought a jar of spicy chili crisp (Laoganma brand, if it matters) and am curious, how do you use this ingredient? Assume I have a good tolerance for spice and am open to all cuisines.

posted by kiwi-epitome to Food & Drink (35 answers total)

I put it on many things, but my favorite is to put it on vanilla ice cream.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:33 AM on July 26, 2023 [3 favorites]

Use it to dress up cold salads like pasta salads (and cold noodle dishes in general), cucumber salads, citrusy/stone fruit salads, etc.
posted by sevenless at 10:41 AM on July 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: The most basic thing to do with it, I think, is to put a couple of spoonfuls on a bowl of ramen, ideally plus egg.
posted by praemunire at 10:42 AM on July 26, 2023 [7 favorites]

I put it it my oatmeal, along with soy sauce and sesame oil.
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:48 AM on July 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

Among all these other things, it's great on a baked potato.
posted by redfoxtail at 10:55 AM on July 26, 2023 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Dumb, but it's so good spread on a grilled cheese.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:05 AM on July 26, 2023 [5 favorites]

Love it on congee/jook, savory oatmeal, and cottage cheese!
posted by little mouth at 11:15 AM on July 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

It's an excellent garnish on pizza. I also have the idea in the back of my head for a peanut butter sandwich with chili crisp and, uh, something, but nothing we've had in our kitchen so far has been the something I want (it's probably something like lime jelly, but I'm not buying lime jelly just for the one idea).
posted by fedward at 11:17 AM on July 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

I bought some of that marginally-less-bad-for-you Momofuku ramen and in fact mere minutes ago made a pack, fried two eggs, put on some chili crisp from a local place, and mixed it all up. But it's good on lots of stuff, can just spice up takeout that's insufficiently spicy, etc.
posted by less-of-course at 11:18 AM on July 26, 2023

I use it to add a little umami touch to pretty much everything. Lately I've discovered it's delicious with cheese, and I make a dip with sour cream, salt, garlic, and chili crisp.
posted by wheatlets at 11:21 AM on July 26, 2023

Best answer: Pasta with parmesan cheese and chili crisp. I buy the Trader Joe's version.

Also. as per above, put it in my oatmeal and in (not on) my grilled swiss on rye. I have also put it on bites of chocolate bar (Nestle's Crunch).
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:23 AM on July 26, 2023

On my morning breakfast sandwich.
posted by Sunburnt at 11:41 AM on July 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

It's excellent on grilled or stir-fried veggies.

I recently put some on Thomas Keller's viral zucchini recipe and it was excellent with a squeeze of lemon.
posted by kdar at 11:42 AM on July 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

- Chinese dumplings from my local takeout come with a little pot of soy/vinegar sauce, and I top them with chili crisp oil for extra excitement. It'll spice up quite a lot of Chinese takeout, but on dumplings it is kingly.

- when leftover rice becomes egg fried rice, chili crisp is a good final addition
posted by Pallas Athena at 11:56 AM on July 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

On peanut butter toast for breakfast
posted by avocet at 12:04 PM on July 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

I mix it with ketchup and/or mayo and use it for lots of things like fries and sandwiches. I also add it to eggs dishes of all kinds, and to dumpling dipping sauces.
posted by answergrape at 12:07 PM on July 26, 2023

Best answer: I had this spicy savory popcorn ("pepcorn") at a friend's house. It's delicious.
posted by meemzi at 12:13 PM on July 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

Cucumbers! Chili crisp + rice vinegar + sesame oil + salt and pepper = amazing spicy cucumber salad
posted by tatiana wishbone at 12:25 PM on July 26, 2023 [4 favorites]

I put it on everything that I would ever add spice or umami to.
posted by kensington314 at 12:45 PM on July 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

I like to put a bit on top of coleslaw for a spicy accent.
posted by Kurichina at 12:46 PM on July 26, 2023

Perfect for avocado toast topping. I add it to ramen and breakfast sandwiches. I'll also dump it on leftover plain rice and broccoli for a quick mini-meal/snack. It does a good job of making anything bland a delicious flavor bomb :)
posted by LKWorking at 12:47 PM on July 26, 2023

My daily go to breakfast during 2020 was leftover rice, an over-medium egg, a dash of soy sauce, and two teaspoons of lao gan ma. Fried chopped garlic if I could be bothered. If you haven't tried it yet, there's almost no heat - it's an umami bomb.
posted by SoundInhabitant at 12:50 PM on July 26, 2023 [3 favorites]

It's not my favorite lao gan ma (I like the chili oil with black beans better), but yes, absolutely add it to ramen - and udon and any other soup that it seems like it would go well with. And use it to add to sauces.

It's also very good on a chopped cold vegetable salad, e.g. cucumbers, carrots. Mix a bit of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and chili crisp for the dressing.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 1:08 PM on July 26, 2023 [4 favorites]

I make miso soup as a noodle base, and add spicy chili crunch to it along with mushroom powder, soy sauce, and finely chopped scallions. Delicious.
posted by hungrytiger at 1:21 PM on July 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

I fry eggs in it (crispy edges & runny yolks), then put said eggs on my carb of choice or over steamed green veggies.
posted by jenquat at 1:22 PM on July 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

^^ seconding the chili oil with black beans

I started using that stuff and I am not sure I can go back to the 'standard'

someone upthread mentioned salad topping, and I've taken to making my own dressing from assorted oils and condiments each week and I always add a couple of spoons of chili oil
posted by elkevelvet at 1:22 PM on July 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

I like to have savory oatmeal for breakfast. usually with beans and or some cooked veggie, or some avocado. I don't take caffeine, but I find that if I want a pick-me-up breakfast the chili crisp is both delicious and invigorating!
posted by supermedusa at 1:43 PM on July 26, 2023

Best answer: So, I am a LGM fiend from way back. The one with black beans is more of an umami bomb than a spicy one, it brings a lot of 'oh my god, this is delicious' and not a lot of heat.

The one with tofu chunks is my favorite, closely followed by the one with turnip, closely followed by the one with soybeans, and the peanut one comes a distant last of the ones I've tried. (In NZ they're imported in the original packaging with a sticker slapped on listing the ingredients in English, this is the only way I can tell them apart). I haven't tried the chicken or pork ones because they list bones as an ingredient and I am slightly afraid of chicken bones.

Put it on rice. Put it on pasta. Put it on noodles. Put it on collard greens. Eat it directly from the jar with a spoon. Put it on fries. Mix it with honey and soy sauce and dip dumplings in it. Put it on pizza. Put it on anything you'd put ketchup on. It's amazing on latkes with sour cream. Put it on waffles. Make oatmeal with water instead of milk, top with soy sauce, peanut butter, and LGM. I ate 'bowl of rice, reheated collards, scrambled egg, mounds of LGM chili oil' for dinner every night for six weeks in a row this winter. I don't like it so much in soupy dishes because it loses some of its crisp, but in the fridge at home we currently have five different kinds (and a bonus 1-kg jar of the soybean one) and it goes on everything.

Also, the oil will stain absolutely everything it touches so do not put it in tupperware if you ever want to use the tupperware for anything that isn't orange ever again.
posted by ngaiotonga at 1:48 PM on July 26, 2023 [7 favorites]

On my favorite lazy meal: rice and (you name it)
posted by Space Kitty at 2:41 PM on July 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

I eat it with a spoon.
posted by zadcat at 3:14 PM on July 26, 2023

What CAN'T you put it on, really.
posted by potrzebie at 3:17 PM on July 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

A generous spoonful is good stirred into vegetable curry.
posted by offog at 5:00 PM on July 26, 2023

I can't believe there are this many answers and not one includes... tofu. Best summer lunch recipe in the world:

1. Take firm tofu out of package
2. Spoon on chili crisp

Yeah, you could be putting it on top of fresh hot rice (calrose, ideally). Yes, you could add sliced scallions, or fry up a bit of ground pork for a kind of deconstructed mapo tofu. But you could also put chili crisp on tofu and eat it and it's really good.
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 7:36 PM on July 26, 2023

I love it on boring/mediocre Chinese takeout chow mein. Just mix it in there until it tastes good!
posted by DrumsIntheDeep at 7:57 PM on July 26, 2023

If it's really good, sometimes I put it on vanilla ice cream. Not kidding.
posted by Lady Li at 8:34 PM on July 27, 2023