Every Fly By Jing Chili Crisp, Ranked

If you haven't heard of chili crisp by now, don't worry — you're totally in the right place. I got my intro to the condiment after picking up a jar of Crunchy Chili Onion from Trader Joe's (one of the store's best condiments, IMO), and ever since, I've been obsessed. It makes for the perfect spicy, savory accompaniment to any number of foods — eggs, pasta, roasted veggies, cauliflower steaks, and even as a topping to a pint of Jeni's Ice Cream. 

Whether you're new to the chili crisp game or you're looking to expand your tastes beyond Trader Joe's condiment aisle, I have to recommend you check out Fly By Jing. The company specializes in Sichuan flavors and makes a range of products from chocolate to instant noodles, but its chili crisps may be what the company is best known for. I decided it was high time I leaned fully into the chili crisp phenomenon by adding all the company's offerings to my condiment shelf, and in true form, you know I had to rank them (based on the balance of their flavor components and their overall versatility). Here's how the sauces stacked up.

I have to issue the same disclaimer that I always do when I rank a range of really good products — coming in "last" place does not signify a bad item! Remember, I'm ranking these crisps based on the balance of their components and their overall versatility. When considering those factors, I have to give Fly By Jing's Xtra Spicy Chili Crisp the last-place spot here, though I'm sure it's the favorite entry of some consumers. 

The company definitely wasn't fooling around when they named this sauce. It is, indeed, extra spicy, which lowers its score in both the balance and versatility categories. I could tell this chili crisp had all the same flavor components as the company's "Original" offering, but they weren't nearly as pronounced here, because they were all overshadowed by the spice. Again, this probably isn't a bad thing for those who need a sharp kick of heat on everything they eat. But it does limit this offering to a certain pool of consumers, and ultimately, I had to give it last place.

I wholly loved Fly By Jing's Sweet & Spicy Chili Sauce (which the brand includes in chili crisp multipacks despite the "sauce" label), and I'll absolutely keep it on hand for the next time I need additional flavors in a noodle dish or an Asian-inspired slaw. The only reason this ranked at No. 4 was that it's not as versatile as the following. I also don't think it would satisfy the "crunch" factor that many consumers look for in a chili crisp, which is worth mentioning even though it's not one of my ranking criteria. The consistency of this condiment is more paste-like than crunchy, and though I didn't mind that at all, some consumers might.

However, all of its flavors were very on point. The condiment was indeed sweet and spicy in equal measure. I'd even use this as a dipping sauce for wings, or a glaze to brush over some right after baking. It's incredibly flavorful and not too spicy to turn off many consumers (though there's definitely some heat here). It's loaded with umami, and you won't need to use a ton at a time to be able to taste it abundantly. This sauce is really, really good — the following just have more applications.

Fly By Jing's Original Chili Crisp is only snagging third place because, yet again, of versatility. Don't get me wrong — I think you'll find plenty of applications for the company's signature chili crisp. In this case, "Original" does not signify "plain" or "boring." I can just see more applications for the following two selections.

This chili crisp has incredibly nuanced aromas. The chili and garlic were both very apparent just from smelling it, and tasting it revealed a ton of depth behind the spice. For those of you wanting a spicy kick that also brings loads of umami into the equation (perhaps slathered on some garlic bread?), this should be a go-to condiment in your home collection, as it certainly will be in mine. I do, however, see myself using the following two more often, because their spice is mitigated while still being present.

I was a little wary of Fly By Jing's Xtra Crunchy Chili Crisp — I was worried that it would be super spicy, and that because I needed to take a bigger bite to get the full experience of the crisp, I'd be fully overwhelmed by spice. Fortunately, that was far from the case, and what I found in this jar was an easy mix-in I'll be adding to several dishes. 

Noodles, salads, even summer sandwiches — I'm sure I'm about to go through this jar faster than almost all of the other condiments in my fridge. Despite being a slightly unique offering in the lineup, I also think it's one of the most versatile. There's way less oil in this jar, and while it's still a little spicy, it's not at all overwhelming while being full of flavor. Consider this your sign to grab a jar of Xtra Crunchy on your next shopping trip!

Shockingly enough (to me, anyway), Fly By Jing's Mild Chili Crisp pretty easily snagged the top spot on this list. For starters, I really liked that it wasn't as oily as some of the other options — I think this will allow it to be incorporated more easily into any number of dishes without worrying about oil overload. 

In terms of balance and versatility, this jar received top marks. Because spice wasn't taking center stage, the other flavor nuances were able to command more attention. I got heaps of umami, garlic, soybean, and onion flavors here. Moreover, the spice wasn't totally absent, and I still got a pleasant kick of heat from the whole thing. It's hard to think of dishes this wouldn't go well with, to be honest, and there are many creative uses for the condiment that can keep you in the kitchen for days on end. My taste buds are begging me to pair it with some cheese ...

Because all of these chili crisps were stellar in their own right, I had to rank them based on balance and versatility. The jars with the greatest breadth of possible uses earned top spots, while those that were a bit more limited received bottom marks. Still, before buying, I'd encourage you to read through the descriptions of each, particularly if you already have an application in mind. One thing's for sure: No matter where your culinary aspirations take you, you should have at least one of these jars on hand at all times.