Sizzling Chilli Oil Yogurt Dip

Piling a speedy sizzling oil loaded with gorgeous aromatics (think scallions, ginger, garlic and chilli) on top of creamy yogurt has to be one of the easiest dips around. Perfect for last-minute entertaining, or as part of an appetizer party food spread.

If I have a go-to appetizer for easy entertaining, it’s a spread of flavor-packed dips. Not only are they super easy to make, but you can prep them well ahead of time, and they look gorgeous to boot. This one is as easy as they come. You don’t need any special equipment, and it comes together so quickly.

This is one of those brilliant recipes that looks impressive but takes little effort. Just chop up a few lovely aromatics, then pour over a little hot oil to bring the flavours together. Grab yourself some thick, creamy yogurt (my to-go brand is The Collective) and spoon it all on top. It will take you 10 minutes, max, to make, plus you have the added drama of that glorious sizzling oil sound which is fun for guests to experience. If you like the sound of this oil, I think you’ll enjoy this ginger scallion sauce (which is very similar in flavor and process), or 30-minute chilli oil too.

I LOVE to serve this dip with a pile of speedy 2-ingredient dough yogurt flatbreads – they’re the perfect vessel for scooping the dip up and are so easy to make.

Ingredients

• Spring onions (scallions). I always have a bunch of these in my fridge – they’re fab for bringing fresh flavor to anything and something truly magical happens when they’re paired with the rest of the ingredients here.
• Ginger. Fresh ginger is best if possible – it brings a gorgeous light and zingy flavor to freshen up the oil. You can grate it if you like (and if you do, you won’t need to peel the skin which is a bonus), or dice it finely.
• Garlic. For me, there’s no limit when it comes to garlic, so I’m using 4 cloves here. You can reduce that if you like (or increase it!)
• Chilli flakes. I love to use Korean red bell pepper flakes – they provide a lovely rich color and are pretty mildly spiced – but regular chili flakes are perfectly fine too.
• Almonds. These give the oil a lovely extra crunchy element – you could swap them for another nut like peanuts, cashews, pistachios, pecans, walnuts or macadamias, or use sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds for a nut-free version.
• Oil. You want to use a neutral-tasting oil so the flavor of your ingredients shines through, so canola, sunflower, rapeseed or avocado are good choices, as is light olive oil.

You’ll also need thick creamy yogurt, salt and lemonzest for your yogurt dip base.

How to make it

Add all your sizzling oil ingredients to a small heatproof bowl, then heat your oil on the stovetop for a couple of minutes. To check it’s ready, hold a chopstick – or the handle of a wooden spoon – upright in the oil. If it bubbles up rapidly around the chopstick/spoon, it’s good to go. Pour the hot oil over the ingredients in your bowl (and delight at the GLORIOUS sound).

Mix your yogurt with a little salt and the lemon zest, then spoon onto a serving plate. Top it with the sizzling oil and serve right away.

Got a question?

Can I make the dip in advance?

You can make the oil three days before you want to serve the dip – just store it in the fridge and spoon it over the yogurt when you’re ready to serve.

How spicy is the oil?

It will depend on the spiciness of the chili flakes you use – go for something mild if you’re worried, or skip them altogether.

Do I have to use fresh ginger?

I think you’ll get the best flavor with fresh ginger, but you can use ginger paste if that’s what you have.

What can I serve with the dip?

Complete your dip spread with a pile of speedy 2-ingredient yogurt flatbreads, fresh, soft focaccia, crispy pita chips or crudites.

Like this recipe? Here are more quick and easy dips for you

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.

Piling a speedy, sizzling oil loaded with gorgeous aromatics (think scallions, ginger, garlic, chili) on top of creamy yogurt makes this sizzling chilli oil yogurt dip one of the easiest around. Perfect for last-minute entertaining or as part of an appetizer party food spread.I love to serve the dip with a pile of soft, fluffy yogurt flatbreads (you need just two ingredients!) Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 2 mins
Total Time 12 mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

• 2 scallions, (spring onions), finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2- inch piece of ginger, diced (or grated, or use 1 tablespoon ginger paste)
• 2 teaspoons chili flakes, or red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon flaky salt
• ¼ cup oil, light olive oil, sunflower, rapeseed, avocado, or canola oil
• 1 cup plain, thick Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 lemon, zested

Method

1. Make the sizzling oil.Add the diced scallions, ginger, crushed garlic, chili flakes, and salt to a small heatproof bowl.Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it's shimmering. To test if it's ready, place the handle of a wooden spoon, or a chopstick, upright in the oil. If it bubbles up rapidly around it, then it's good to go. Carefully pour the hot oil over the ingredients in your bowl.
2. Mix the yogurt dip base. Add the yogurt to a bowl, along with 1 teaspoon of salt and the zest of 1 lemon. Mix well to combine.
3. Assemble the dip.Spread the yogurt dip onto a serving plate or bowl, then spoon the sizzling oil on top. Serve with bread or your favorite crackers – I love serving it with no-knead cheesy chili oil focaccia or no-knead rosemary parmesan bread.

Nutrition

Serving: 50g
Calories: 128kcal
Carbohydrates: 3.5g
Protein: 4g
Fat: 11.2g
Saturated Fat: 2.3g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.2g
Monounsaturated Fat: 7.5g
Cholesterol: 5mg
Sodium: 606mg
Potassium: 104mg
Fiber: 0.5g
Sugar: 1.9g
Vitamin A: 388IU
Vitamin C: 3.2mg
Calcium: 49mg
Iron: 0.2mg

Notes

PREP AHEAD: You can prepare the sizzling oil three days before you want to serve the dip – store it in the fridge and spoon it over the yogurt to serve. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Any leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. INGREDIENT NOTES: You can play around with the ingredients based on what you like and what you have to hand – skip the chilli flakes if you’re worried about spice. Use ginger paste instead of fresh ginger if you like.