Knife-Cut Chili Flakes
Daokou Lajiao (刀口辣椒)
Sizzling and intensely aromatic, Knife-Cut Chili Flakes are the perfect finishing touch for countless Sichuan dishes—from classics like Spicy Boiled Pork and Mapo Tofu to unexpected favorites like scrambled eggs.
Knife-Cut Chili Flakes could easily be called Mala Chili Flakes, as this fiery seasoning is made from a blend of dried red chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. Traditionally, the chilies and peppercorns are slowly roasted in a hot wok, allowing their fragrance to deepen until they release a vibrant, sizzling heat. This slow-roasting method produces exceptional flavor, though many mid- to low-tier restaurants rely on a quicker alternative. Both approaches are presented here.
Knife-Cut Chili Flakes are essential in Spicy Boiled Dishes (水煮类菜品) and in classic preparations of Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐). There are four main Spicy Boiled Dishes listed on this website: Spicy Boiled Chicken, Spicy Boiled Pork, Spicy Boiled Beef, and Spicy Boiled Fish. For these dishes, the proteins and vegetables are cooked in a spicy broth, transferred to a serving dish, and topped with Knife-Cut Chili Flakes before being splashed with hot oil, creating a fragrant chili oil on the surface. Mapo Tofu is even simpler—the flakes are sprinkled on top like a garnish. Knife-Cut Chili Flakes can be added this way to many dishes; I often use them in scrambled eggs for a lively, sizzling kick.
Traditional
Knife-Cut Chili Flakes prepared the traditional way require time and patience—usually 10–20 minutes of gently frying the chilies on low heat with very little oil until they are dry and brittle enough to crumble by hand. While faster methods are common in restaurants, the slow traditional method prevents bitterness and delivers the best flavor. The Sichuan peppercorns, in particular, should be of the highest quality. In China, that typically means Hanyuan Red Sichuan Peppercorns.
Ingredients
1 cup 1/2-inch-pieces of Dried Red Chilies
(For best results use a mix of Sichuan Chilies such as: 3/4 cup Bullet Head Chilies 子弹头 and 1/4 cup Seventh Star Chilies 七星椒; A total of about 30 - 40 grams)
1 Tbsp. Red Sichuan Peppercorns (About 3 grams; High-Quality)
1/8 cup of Peanut Oil
Directions
1.) Snip the Dried Red Chilies into 1/2-inch-pieces so that all of the chili pieces are roughly the same size. Place them in a bowl along with the Sichuan Peppercorns.
2.) Heat a seasoned wok on low heat until hot and add 1/8 cup of Peanut Oil. Once the Oil has reached a low heat, add the Chilies and Sichuan Peppercorns.
3.) Stir-Fry the Chilies on low heat for about 10 – 20 minutes with a constant push-pull stirring motion to cook the Chilies evenly. Cook the Chilies until they’re fragrant, a slightly daker shade of red, and extremely dry and crispy.
(DO NOT burn the Chilies! The color should be dark red and not a dark brown or black. The goal is to concentrate the natural chili flavor, but if the Chilies are overcooked, they’ll become bitter. Most dishes which utilize Knife-Cut Chili Flakes will require the Chili Flakes to be splashed with hot oil. If the Chili Flakes are overcooked, the oil will also acquire a slightly bitter taste).
4.) Pour the Chilies and Sichuan Peppercorns onto a cutting board and use the flat side of a cleaver to gently crush them – the Chilies should be quite crispy and should break easily. Then, mince the Chilies and Sichuan Peppercorns into a homogonous mixture of Chili Flakes by rocking the blade of a cleaver back and forth.
(First crushing the Chilies and Peppercorns with the side of a cleaver will prevent them from jumping off the cutting board. A blender can also be used to chop these into Chili Flakes, but make sure the blender doesn’t grind them to fine. This should still be Chili Flakes and not chili powder).
5.) Pour the Knife-Cut Chili Flakes into an airtight jar and use them as needed. It’s best to store the Chili Flakes in a freezer to better preserve the flavors – especially that of the Sichuan Peppercorns.
Quick 'n' Easy
This quicker method dramatically reduces preparation time, but it comes with a notable drawback: the flavor will never be as pure or refined as flakes made traditionally. Some bitterness is almost unavoidable. Still, the resulting flakes provide plenty of sizzling-spicy heat and, when paired with good technique and quality ingredients, offer a reliable shortcut widely used in many Sichuan kitchens.
Ingredients
1 cup 1/2-inch-pieces of Dried Red Chilies (For best results use a mix of Sichuan Chilies such as: 1/3 cup Facing Heaven Chili Peppers 朝天椒, 1/3 cup Lantern Chilies 灯笼椒, 1/3 cup Er Jing Tiao 二荆条; A total of about 40 grams)
2 Tbsp. Green Sichuan Peppercorns (About 8 grams)
1/4 cup of Peanut Oil
Directions
1.) Snip the Dried Red Chilies into 1/2-inch-pieces so that all of the chili pieces are roughly the same size. Place them in a bowl along with the Sichuan Peppercorns.
2.) Heat a seasoned wok on medium-high heat until nearly smoking and add 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil. Once the Oil has nearly reached its smoke point, cut off the heat and add the Red Chilies and Sichuan Peppercorns.
3.) Stir-Fry the Chilies using the residual heat for about 30 seconds until everything is extremely fragrant and the Chilies have darkened slightly to a deeper shade of red.
(DO NOT burn the Chilies! The color should be dark red and not a dark brown or black. It’s very easy to burn the Chilies so watch them closely. It’s better to have them slightly under toasted than to have them burnt. I usually heat them just until fragrant and then remove them to a small bowl. Remember the Chilies will continue to cook slightly even after they are removed from the wok).
4.) Pour the Chilies and Sichuan Peppercorns into a bowl along with the Oil to cool for a few minutes.
5.) Once the Chilies and Peppercorns are cool, transfer them to a blender or food processor and pulse them until the mixture resembles chili flakes.
(Traditionally, these are poured onto a cutting board and minced into chili flakes. It’s easier, faster, and tidier just to use a blender which achieves the same results).
6.) Pour the Knife-Cut Chili Flakes into an airtight jar and use them as needed. It’s best to store the Chili Flakes in a freezer to better preserve the flavors – especially that of the Sichuan peppercorns, whose sizzling taste can dissipate at room temperature.
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