Chili Oil Wontons

I used to order chili oil wontons at least once a week.

It became my own personal drug.

There was this small place — nothing fancy — but the wontons came drenched in this deep red chili oil, glossy and aromatic. Garlic, vinegar, heat, a hint of sweetness… and those soft pork wontons underneath, soaking everything up.

It was sheer comfort for me. My fellow heat lovers know what I'm on about. The tingling, the painful but so pleasurable heat; and the instant relaxation that comes with eating properly spicy noods and/or dumplings. Like your body saying: about time!

Some days I’d go just for that bowl. Other days, I’d order them on the side — but somehow they always became the main event. There’s something about chili oil wontons that’s dangerously addictive: they’re light, but intensely flavorful. Spicy, yet soothing. Simple, yet deeply layered.

And then I moved to Lille.

Dayum.

No chili oil wontons in sight — none.

It felt slightly unreasonable, if you ask me. Possibly reason enough to go back.

A whole city, and not a single proper bowl? I somehow understood why Parisians were so Paris-centric.

I briefly considered the obvious solution: open a restaurant.

But in the meantime, I did what any obsessed person would do — I started making them at home.

And honestly?
NEVER. GOING. BACK.

A Dish Inspired by Sichuan

Chili oil wontons are strongly inspired by Sichuan cuisine, particularly Hong You Chao Shou (红油抄手) — Sichuan wontons served in chili oil. Unlike Cantonese wontons, which are usually served in broth, Sichuan-style wontons are:

• coated in chili oil
• brightened with vinegar
• loaded with garlic
• balanced with sweetness
• often finished with herbs.

It’s all about contrast: this bowl should be spicy, aromatic and savory, but also slightly sweet and lightly tangy.

Chili Oil Wontons - Recipe

Ingredients - Advice & key points

For some ingredients in this dish (like the Chankiang vinegar, or the Sichuan black pepper), you might need to visit an Asian store :

• If you're in Paris :
  • your could go to the K-mart near Opera (there are several others K-marts, check on Google) ;
  • you can also go to Tang Frères in the 13th (they have other stores in Paris but be careful, some are small, this one is large) or Paris Store in the 10th ;
  • ever since I moved to the 18th, I've been going to XP 16 or Chen Market, but those shops are slightly smaller, especially XP16, and you might not find everything you need. 
• If you're in France :
  • Paris Store has several shops across the country ;
  • you can also order online ! There are several online Asian websites you can order from.
  • For my foreign friends : I bet you can easily find some Asian shops around you or online, but if you can't, message me with your location and I will try to find it for you !

Cooking process - Advice & key points

• Use Chinese chili flakes, not chili powder
  → better texture, better aroma

• Don’t skip the hot oil pour
  → releases fragrance

• Careful though ; only use heatproof bowls (ceramic, glass, or metal) for this hot oil pour.

• Add hot cooking water
  → emulsifies sauce

• Use fatty pork 
  → juicier wontons

Make This a Lazy Recipe

Here’s the real trick: Freeze your wontons. Lay them on a tray -> Freeze until solid -> Transfer to freezer bag. Then whenever the craving hits:

• boil frozen wontons (5 min)
• make the sauce (10 minutes)

That’s it. Which makes chili oil wontons one of the best lazy comfort meals you can have ready. Got everything you need ? Let's fill your belly with spicy-ass dumplings ! PS : The wonton recipe will provide you around 40-50 dumplings, which is good for ~4 servings depending on your appetite ! Don't forget to buy enough dumpling wrappers.