Spicy Chili Crisp Coleslaw Recipe

What's better than coleslaw? For fans of heat, spicy coleslaw, of course. Cabbage is a mild, sweet vegetable that goes well with many different spices. Cabbage can be stir-fried, roasted, or prepared using many other simple ways to cook cabbage, with flavorings ranging from garlic, ginger, and black pepper on the milder side to crushed red pepper, hot sauce, chili pepper, and cayenne for more heat.

In spicy coleslaw, the vegetables are kept raw. Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a recipe for a spicy Asian-inspired coleslaw that gets its heat from chili crisp. Featuring crunchy napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, scallions, and cilantro, the finished dish is as colorful and beautiful as it is tasty. Shelled edamame is the only cooked ingredient and turns an otherwise all-vegetable dish into something more balanced — in fact, this nutritious legume has more protein than an egg.

The Asian-inspired dressing brings the whole dish together. It's made with ingredients such as rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and the signature ingredient of the recipe — chili crisp. Chili crisp is popular for its ability to enhance foods with its bold and spicy flavor, and Bottalico chose it not just for its heat but for the complex flavor from the infused oil, as well as small, crunchy bits of texture. You can adjust the amount you use to dial the heat up or down. The result is a delicious, creative, and flavor-packed take on coleslaw we're sure you'll love.

In this recipe, you'll first make a dressing. The ingredients you'll need are rice vinegar, canola oil, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, fresh ginger, and chili crisp. You'll need shelled edamame, napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, scallions, and cilantro for the coleslaw itself. Finally, salt and sesame seeds are optional ingredients to flavor and top the dish.

Place the vinegar, oil, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and chili crisp in a small bowl or jar.

Whisk or shake well until evenly combined. Set aside.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil.

Boil the edamame for 6-8 minutes until tender.

Drain the edamame and place it in a mixing bowl.

Add the napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, scallions, and cilantro to the bowl.

Pour the dressing onto the vegetables and toss well to mix. Taste and add optional salt to taste if desired.

Serve garnished with sesame seeds if desired.

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Chili crisp has exploded in popularity in the U.S. in recent years, but the condiment itself is nothing new. It's been used in China for centuries, but wasn't sold commercially until Lao Gan Ma started selling its version in late 1997. Chili crisp is oil infused with chili peppers, but unlike simple infused oil, it includes small crispy bits that add texture and give it its name. The crunchy pieces are often small fried pieces of garlic and chili pepper, but they could come from other ingredients, such as onion or scallion, too. The crunchy bits are not just an accent, either. They are packed densely into the oil and provide much of the bulk of the condiment.

The heat is more subtle than a straight pour of hot sauce or a spoonful of cayenne. The condiment has a more complex flavor, often described as bold, salty, savory, and umami-packed, and sometimes smoky and a little sweet.

You can simply spoon chili crisp on top of vegetables, meat, eggs, dumplings, or anything that could benefit from a little heat. Or, consider some more creative uses for chili crisp in cooking. Try mixing it into potato gratin, adding it to dips to make them spicy, using it to add complex flavor to pasta sauce, rubbing it onto vegetables or chicken before roasting, using it to enhance fried rice, or even adding it to chocolate cake to balance the richness.

Coleslaw is easily customizable. Between vegetables, dressings, and toppings, there are many ingredients that can be switched up and combined in new ways to create interesting textures and tasty flavor combinations. Let's start with the vegetables. If napa cabbage and red cabbage aren't available, sub any kind of cabbage you prefer, like green cabbage or Savoy cabbage. Other veggie additions could include bok choy, bean sprouts, broccoli, bell peppers, parsley, or mint.

As far as the dressing, you can customize it with ingredients to achieve the taste you prefer. Freshly squeezed lime juice would brighten up an Asian-inspired dressing, while grated ginger would add a warm, slightly spicy kick. A little fish sauce can add a salty, tangy touch filled with umami flavor, while a drizzle of toasted sesame oil would add bold, nutty, and aromatic notes. You can leave the sugar out for a sugar-free version, or sub honey to eliminate the refined sugar. Chili crisp is the signature ingredient in this spicy coleslaw recipe, but you could easily sub finely chopped chili pepper, chili powder, or sriracha instead for the heat.

Sesame seeds are an optional ingredient for topping this dish. Consider using roasted sesame seeds for a deeper flavor or peanuts as a nutty alternative. For a delicious, rich, and crunchy topping, garnish the coleslaw with crispy fried shallots or onions (or bake them for a healthier alternative).

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