Chili Bamboo Shoots are a staple condiment/garnish/snack I’ve been eating all my life––from a jar. Until recently, that is! I have to say, now that I’ve gone homemade, I’m never going back to the jarred stuff!
The Perfect Topping for Anything
If you’ve ever found yourself short on time, but looking for lots of flavor to go with a Chinese meal, chili bamboo shoots are one of the best things you could reach for. They’re spicy, with the tender crunch of young bamboo shoots and a pop of satisfying umami.
There are few things I love more than digging into a bowl of noodles or rice with a stir-fry, or even just a simple egg and sliced avocado, along with a big heaping serving of chili bamboo shoots on the side.
Homemade Is Better
If you’ve ever enjoyed jarred chili bamboo shoots, you’ve probably experienced one of the following:
- Scanning ingredient lists for chemical preservatives.
- Trying to decide which brand is the best—they all look the same, and are probably trying to copy one OG chili bamboo shoot company, but which one is the best? (Even I don’t know the answer to this question).
- Reaching into the fridge excitedly for your jar of bamboo shoots, only to find that they’ve gone moldy because you couldn’t get through your jar fast enough. (As a single gal, this is my biggest struggle.)
Enter homemade chili bamboo shoots, where you can get a far better flavor (personalized to your tastes!), and make as much or as little as you need without preservatives that you can’t pronounce.
The biggest game-changer of this recipe is the homemade chili oil. Avoid buying chili oil at the store, which is often heavier on color than flavor. It won’t come close when you put it neck and neck with freshly made chili oil, infused with aromatics and sizzled over deep red Sichuan pepper flakes.
Naturally, you’re going to get a far better bamboo shoot with a chili oil that you’ve already made for yourself. It’s a no-brainer!
What Bamboo Shoots Should I Use?
The best bamboo shoots for this recipe are the ones in brine that come in vacuum-sealed bags or canned bamboo shoots.
Bamboo shoots in brine are the best option for that classic jarred flavor, though they do come with some chemicals in the brine. I personally prefer this flavor, though some people don’t appreciate the vaguely medicinal edge that brining can bring.
Canned bamboo is packed in water, which is more pure, but they are very slightly tougher than bamboo shoots in brine. If I had to guess based on taste alone, they seem to be made from slightly more mature bamboo.
I don’t recommend trying to use frozen bamboo shoots, as they can be too water-logged for this application. Fresh bamboo shoots could work, but would likely require a blanching or brining process beforehand. I haven’t gone that deep with my at-home bamboo shoot experiments, but if anyone has insights, please share them in the comments!
Homemade Chili Bamboo Shoots: Recipe Instructions
Rinse the bamboo shoots under cold water. Drain well. To ensure they’re really dry, you can pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
Transfer to a bowl and add the chili oil or chiu chow oil to taste. Our chili oil is a purer spicy flavor, whereas chiu chow oil has a garlicky flavor. We like to use primarily the oil, using a spoon to skim off the oil without getting too much of the chili flake. Feel free to go smooth or chunky!
Next, add ¼ teaspoon sesame oil, ⅛ teaspoon white pepper, and 1 pinch of salt.
You can adjust these amounts to taste, or according to how you eat your chili bamboo shoots (e.g., with rice porridge, along with stir-fries, or seasoned noodles, etc.).
Add little by little until it suits your preferences! These measurements reflect the minimum for a flavor that’s a notch more flavorful than what you get in the jar. If you want a more “pure” chili bamboo flavor, go with chili oil and salt only.
Stir to combine, and ideally, let the flavors meld for 10-20 minutes before serving.
If you have extra, transfer to a clean air-tight container and store in the refrigerator. They should be good for about 1 week. Always use clean chopsticks when dipping into them to prevent them from spoiling prematurely.
Enjoy!
Homemade Chili Bamboo Shoots
Ingredients
- 1 cup bamboo shoots (in brine or canned bamboo shoots)
- 2-3 tablespoons chili oil or chiu chow oil (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil (or to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper (or to taste)
- 1 pinch salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Rinse the bamboo shoots under cold water. Drain well. To ensure they’re really dry, you can pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- Transfer to a bowl and add the chili oil or chiu chow oil to taste. Our chili oil is a purer spicy flavor, whereas chiu chow oil has a garlicky flavor. We like to use primarily the oil, using a spoon to skim off the oil without getting too much of the chili flake. Feel free to go smooth or chunky!
- Next, add ¼ teaspoon sesame oil, ⅛ teaspoon white pepper, and 1 pinch of salt. You can adjust these amounts to taste.
- Stir to combine, and ideally, let the flavors meld for 10-20 minutes before serving.
Oh my GOSH!! Soo good! I recently moved into a new home, and at first i thought “great, there’s a huge bamboo patch on the property” and then I was like “WAIT, WHAT??” Yes, I have fresh bamboo! And it’s spring to boot! I have harvested twice, and made two batches of bamboo, froze some for the summer, when I won’t have fresh bamboo again, until the winter, and I had to try this recipe. It’s one of my favorites, but I too, dislike all of the chemical preservatives in the jars you buy at the store. SCORE!! It’s delicious and now that I have a stash of fresh, prepped bamboo in the freezer, I can have it all the time! Love that you included this recipe on your site (a strong go to for me when I’m looking for Asian inspiration) Thanks!!
Hi Angela, wow!!! I am so jealous. That’s fantastic. Just be sure to blanch the bamboo first before making this recipe. Eating raw bamboo can produce cyanide.
I’ve had spicy shredded cabbage as an appetizer in Chinatown in Chgo…I’m wondering if I could mix cabbage with the bamboo shoot and chili oil. Welcome your thoughts.
Hi Judy, you could try this: https://thewoksoflife.com/asian-pickled-cabbage/
If that’s not what you’re looking for, you should first lightly salt the cabbage to expel excess water, squeeze it out, and then season to taste with the bamboo shoots. It’s likely that you’ll need a decent amount of extra seasonings when the cabbage is in the mix, and I’d suggest adding a little bit of rice vinegar, too. Might be best to keep them separate–though I’ll leave it to your personal preference :)
Hi, don’t the bamboo shoots need to be cooked?
Definitely! Raw bamboo shoot cannot be eaten raw as it cannot be safely digested raw. This recipe calls for bamboo shoots brined or in the can, so they’ve already been cooked.
My friend just introduced me to chili bamboo shoots and I’m enjoying it. I decided to look up a recipe and find one of my go to site for things like this (woks of life) is the top result!
Going to definitely start making it now that I have a recipe to use!
Awesome, Adam! Hope you like it just as much as the jarred stuff!
I just commented on your bamboo post before I saw this one. Here is a link to the fresh ones we get a restaurant here in LA and they are amazing!! These ones in particular go beyond just the chili oil flavor and also have the numbing sensation from the Sichuan peppercorn. I need to make them, and any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sichuan-impression-los-angeles-2?select=7oxYUPZoXKZv6eI9SO4vbw
Hi January, you can use this recipe as a base, the main difference is the kind of bamboo shoots you buy. Look for those tender larger shoots at the grocery store. Hope that helps!
This is so simple and delicious! Loved it for my vegan ramen!!
Glad you enjoyed it, Susan! Stroke of brilliance to make it for your vegan ramen :)
Was quite intrigued when I saw this cause I love menma (bamboo shoots) so seeing a chilli as a spicy enthuasist really grabbed my attention. Even though it’s a simple recipe, it could be something that would be a nice kick to a homecooked ramen.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Great idea, Nyasha! Let us know how you like it :)
I’m wondering if you could make a big batch and freeze some or not. Thoughts? Looks delicious and I’m sure tons better than store bought.
I’d say this doesn’t freeze well, Sue. It changes the texture of the bamboo shoots. I would buy the small cans of bamboo shoots and just make small batches whenever the mood strikes!
Sounds delicious. Thank you
Thanks, Bob!
LOL! I just bought 4 jars of chili bamboo shoots before I saw your recipe post. I have never had a problem using up the whole jar (I add them to sauteed sliced/chunks of chicken breast, garnished with cilantro and served over white rice for a quick weekday dinner). I can’t wait to use your recipe to make my own though!
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Hahahah the benefit of making them at home is you can add a little extra flavor via the chili oil, but we do still love the jarred ones, too!