Chili Crisp: 50+ Recipes to Satisfy Your Spicy, Crunchy, Garlicky Cravings

by James Park, Heami Lee (Photographer)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

The sheer multitude of possibilities that chili crisp presents as an ingredient have never been as comprehensively explored as they are here. James Park is a master of said multitude and he’s here to spread the joy of chili crisp to one and all. This is one condiment with so much delicious potential.

Named a Best Cookbook of the Year by Epicurious, The Kitchn, and more.

If you already love chili crisp, this book is for you. If you’re new to it, this book is for you. With more than 50 recipes, Chili Crisp is here for you, wherever you are on your spicy life journey.

“Chili Crisp brings me immense joy—not just because of the delicious everyday recipes but also because of the whimsy and delight that Park brings to one of my favorite condiments. Chili Crisp is a love letter to its namesake with a third-culture approach. I cannot wait to wear down my copy over the years!”—Kim Pham, cofounder of Omsom

Chili crisp is a magical ingredient that tingles with heat, crunches with fried garlic and onions, and slicks any food with oily goodness. Stir it into soup, toss it with noodles, or drizzle it on warm, buttery biscuits. It’s both a foodie obsession and a surprise secret weapon for adding spice and depth to any meal.

James Park, food writer and chili crisp devotee, writes a love letter to his favorite ingredient across 50 recipes. These approachable and adaptable recipes could fill your whole day with chili crisp:
 

• Start the day with Savory Morning Oats with Jammy Eggs and Pork Floss.
• Whip up Fiery Spaghetti and Meatballs for lunch.
• Tuck into a bowl of Chili Crisp Bulgogi Deopbap and a side of Spicy, Lemony Charred Broccolini for dinner.
• For dessert, Spiced Sweet Potato Basque Cheesecake. (Bonus: You can air fry it!)

 
Packed with chili crisp inspiration to take your love of this spicy ingredient to the next level, Chili Crisp provides dozens of no-recipe recipes (like potato chips and chili crisp, a match made in snack heaven) and a handy build-your-own chili crisp formula to inspire you to create your very own version. Soon all your family and friends will be clamoring for a jar.

A BELOVED INGREDIENT: Chili crisp, a delicious combination of chili flakes, oil, and crunchy things like garlic or toasted dried onions, is loved by millions the world over for topping fried eggs in the morning, swirling into creamy pasta, or drizzling on top of ice cream (yes, ice cream). There's never been a better time to discover the magical world that chili crisp has to offer. 

FROM A CHILI CRISP EXPERT: James Park is a serious fan of chili crisp. Through his time at major food publications like Eater and Food52 and exploring his identity through Korean cooking, Park has gained a devoted following thanks to his inventive recipes and infectious love for all things food. 

NO-RECIPE RECIPES: In addition to the 50 recipes for snacks, weeknight meals, sides, and desserts, there are dozens of pairing suggestions and flavor guides to take your love of chili crisp to the next level. 

Perfect for: 

• Chili crisp fans and those who are chili crisp–curious 
• Fans of spicy foods and recipes 
• Anyone looking for creative recipes for weeknight meals 
• Pairing with a jar of spicy chili crisp to create memorable cooking gifts or gifts for foodies 
• Adding to cookbook collections alongside Eric Kim's Korean American, Maangchi's Big Book Of Korean Cooking, and Momofuku: A Cookbook

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781797219769
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	08/29/2023
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	98,858
Product dimensions:	7.70(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

James Park is a recipe developer and food writer based in Brooklyn. Trained at the International Culinary Center in New York City, he has worked with various food media brands, such as Eater, Food52, BuzzFeed, and Chowhound. He shares his love for Korean cuisine and culture, fried chicken, chili crisp, and more @jamesyworld on social media.

Heami Lee is a photographer based in Brooklyn.

Editorial Reviews

08/21/2023

Cooking My Feelings blogger Park’s debut joyfully explores the possibilities of chili crisp, a savory and spicy oil-based Chinese condiment. His own recipe for “everyday” chili crip calls for 17 ingredients, including gochugaru (a Korean red pepper paste) and three types of pepper flakes, but home cooks are welcome to substitute a store brand. From there, recipes for focaccia, instant noodles, egg salad sandwiches, and quesadillas all get an inventive chili crisp upgrade. Dubbing himself a “ chili crisp hype man,” Park offers up “nontraditional, boundary-pushing” variations of Korean dishes including chili crisp bulgogi deopbap, and savory mushroom and ground beef ssam. Other updated classics include “fiery” spaghetti and meatballs and spicy potato gratin. Rather than thinking of chili crisp as just a topping, Park seeks ways to integrate it into dishes, for example, folding it into both the caramel and chocolate layers of caramel chocolate bars. Some recipes would benefit from photos, such as the supposedly “visually stunning” breakfast casserole with tater tots. Still, Park’s enthusiasm is infectious as he shares the stories behind the recipes and meditates on chili crisp’s role in his embrace of his Korean identity and broader Asian heritage. This exuberant exploration will inspire chili crisp aficionados—and anyone interested in spicing up their cooking. Agent: Jon Michael Darga, Aevitas Creative Management. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"Original yet approachable, Park’s first cookbook is required reading for cooks already in love with chili oils, along with those ready to up their spice game." —Library Journal

“Once you start to read the book, you begin to imagine chili crisp in a million different places you never dreamed of before. And why shouldn’t we mix chili crisp into our egg salad sandwiches or churn it into our ice cream?” —Epicurious

"This exuberant exploration will inspire chili crisp aficionados—and anyone interested in spicing up their cooking." - Publishers Weekly

“It is impossible to find someone more passionate about chili crisp than James Park. Cooking through his book will be the most pleasurable spicy joyride of your life. I am for sure looking forward to it.”—Eric Sze, chef and owner of 886 and Wenwen and the creator of Sze Daddy Chili Sauce 

 

“Chili Crisp brings me immense joy—not just because of the delicious everyday recipes but also because of the whimsy and delight that Park brings to one of my favorite condiments. Chili Crisp is a love letter to its namesake with a third-culture approach. I cannot wait to wear down my copy over the years!”—Kim Pham, cofounder of Omsom

A Barnes and Noble Book of the Year 2023

From the Publisher

06/10/2024

This is a fabulous fusion cookbook, designed to provide various pathways into cooking with chili crisp or chili oil, a foundational component of Chinese cooking that can transform dishes such as oatmeal and fettuccine into bold, flavorful originals sure to become new staples for adventurous eaters. Park writes from the perspective of a Korean American who did not grow up with chili crisp but has learned to love its complexity and invites others to add its spiciness to their plates\. The book includes a thorough overview of ingredients, followed by a chapter of essential chili crisps, in which Park explains how to strike the right oil-to-spice balance via specific recipes and a customizable template. Recipes range from the specific to the imaginative as Park helps readers begin to think of their dream chili crisp pairings, and he provides some of his own (jammy eggs, pork belly, congee, and more) to inspire explosions of unexpected food combinations. VERDICT Original yet approachable, Park's first cookbook is required reading for cooks already in love with chili oils, along with those ready to up their spice game.—Emily Bowles

Library Journal