Team up this hot tomato oil with some crusty bread and enjoy the perfect balance of tangy and spicy flavors layered beneath the rich olive oil. This easy recipe is one of the best examples of how sophisticated and minimalist French food can be.
Inspired by the spicy tomato dipping oil at Pastabilities restaurant in Syracuse, with this recipe I have tried to achieve the same classic flavors with just some pantry staples. And after how useful my habanero infused oil turned out to be, I just KNEW I had to try this one too.
While I’m no expert in French cooking, I’ve tried my hands at quite a few French-inspired recipes in the last year- everything from condiments like basil Gremolata and pickled Italian peppers to appetizers like pan fried tomatoes and sauteed mushrooms.
What truly blew me away was how effortless and easy they were to make. French food is more about refined cooking techniques, minimal ingredients and letting simple flavors shine, and that’s exactly what I managed to achieve with my tomato oil recipe.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
My favorite part about this spicy hot tomato oil is how quick it is to put together. It barely takes 15 minutes from start to finish (just like my Mexican salsa Macha), and is a super versatile condiment that you can refrigerate for later too!
I almost always make this along with my Cajun butter and Tandoori mayo sauce over the weekend.
Ingredients For the Hot Tomato Oil Recipe
Tomatoes: Tomatoes are the essence of this recipe, so make sure you pick the best juicy and ripe tomatoes.
Olive oil: Olive oil acts as the base for the hot tomato oil. I love using my lemon olive oil for a bit of extra flavor.
Garlic: Fresh garlic elevates the flavor of the oil and takes it to the next level. Use as much as you prefer. For a smoky flavor, use some roasted garlic instead of fresh garlic.
Red chili flakes: Red chili flakes bring in a nice bit of heat and some chunky flakes into the oil.
Cayenne: For an extra kick of heat, I also added some cayenne. You can skip this if your spice tolerance is low.
Honey: To balance out all the flavors, I also added a dash of honey. To keep the infused oil vegan, you can skip this one.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Depending on the spice level you prefer, you can reduce or increase the amount of peppers and cayenne you’re adding. Sometimes, I also end up adding my jalapeno flakes to make it extra spicy.
- You could also use whole red chili peppers instead of the chili flakes and red chili powder if you want to.
- Don’t have fresh garlic? Just use some garlic powder instead.
- To add a smoky flavor to the spicy tomato oil, you can use smoked paprika instead of the cayenne.
How to Make Hot Tomato Oil
Got all your ingredients ready? Here’s what you’ll need to make this spicy dipping sauce.
Step 1: In a saucepan, heat some oil and add in the sliced garlic. Fry until golden brown.
Step 2: Now add in the boiled, peeled tomatoes and spices, and sauté for a few minutes. Smush the tomatoes using your spatula.
Step 3: Let the tomato oil cool down a bit, give it a taste and adjust the seasonings.
Step 4: Serve with your favorite bread and enjoy.
💭Top Tip
If you want a uniform texture, you can choose to pulse the boiled tomatoes in a blender or a food processor and then add it into the mix.
How to Store the Spicy Hot Tomato Oil
You can store your batch of homemade spicy tomato oil for up to a week, if not longer. Simply transfer it to a clear glass jar or an airtight container and refrigerate it.
You can also just cover the bowl up with some cling wrap and store it if you want to.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- I used a bit of honey to add some sweetness to the oil, but you could totally skip using that if you prefer a dipping oil that has predominantly spicy and tangy flavors.
- You can also try using an infused honey if you want to. I like using by habanero hot honey or jalapeno honey for this one.
- To season the dipping oil, I would recommend using pink Himalayan salt or sea salt for maximum flavor. You can also use an infused salt if you want to. I like using my jalapeno infused salt for this one.
- You can also add a dash of vinegar into the oil towards the end, after it has cooled down to jazz up the flavors a bit. I like using my hot pepper vinegar sometimes.
- I prefer my hot tomato oil to have a bit of chunkiness, so I didn’t blend the tomatoes. If you want a uniform texture, you can choose to pulse the boiled tomatoes in a blender or a food processor and then add it into the mix.
How to Serve the Hot Tomato Oil
This vibrant and flavor packed oil can be enjoyed in a lot of different ways. The best, easiest way to pair it with some crusty Italian bread as a dipping oil- it can be a great appetizer to serve at your next house party.
You can use it to sauté your favorite veggies and turn it into a nice stir fry dish too! The tomato oil can be a fantastic addition to your breakfast eggs or avocado toast. I usually spoon it over my avocado egg boats or chili crisp fried eggs whenever I run out of my chili crisp.
I love pouring it over my Marry me chicken pasta for an extra kick of flavor, and sometimes even on my homemade pizza. In fact, you can use it pretty much anywhere you would use garlic oil - it is that versatile. I just have to use it with my Italian chicken cutlets- it really takes the dish to the next level.
Recipe FAQs
San Marzano tomatoes are typically the best choice for this recipe, but you can also use any other tomatoes of your choice. Just make sure you choose red, bright and juicy tomatoes.
More Condiment Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this hot tomato oil or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Hot Tomato Oil
Ingredients
- 1 can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 cup Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Garlic sliced
- 1 teaspoon Pepper Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Powder
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- 1 pinch Salt
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat some oil and add in the sliced garlic. Fry until golden brown.
- Now add in the boiled, peeled tomatoes and spices, and saute for a few minutes. Smush the tomatoes using your spatula.
- Let the tomato oil cool down a bit, give it a taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Serve with your favorite bread and enjoy.
