Red Pepper Flakes
Red pepper flakes are dried, crushed red chile peppers, in the U.S. often a blend dominated by cayenne, used to add visible heat and a touch of fruitiness to finished dishes.
How to buy
Check whether it's labeled "crushed red pepper," a generic blend often based on cayenne, or a specific single-pepper product like Calabrian chili flakes or Aleppo pepper, which carry more distinct fruity or smoky character. Fresher flakes look bright red rather than faded brownish-orange, and traditional blends usually include some visible seeds.
How to store
Keep in an airtight container in a cool, dark pantry away from heat, which fades color and dulls heat over time. It stays usable for a couple of years, though its punch slowly mellows.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Sharp, straightforward heat with a mild fruity undertone. Specialty styles like Aleppo or Calabrian flakes bring more complexity, tangy and raisin-like, or smoky and savory, compared to the more one-note heat of generic crushed red pepper.
- Texture
- A coarse, flaky texture with visible seeds and bits of skin that doesn't dissolve, so it stays as visible specks in the finished dish.
- Aroma
- A sharp, slightly fruity, dusty-hot aroma most noticeable when briefly toasted in oil.
How to prepare
- Bloomed in oil — Warmed in olive oil to make a quick infused chili oil for drizzling.
- Sprinkled as finish — Added at the table or just before serving for a pop of heat and color.
- Simmered into sauce — Cooked into tomato sauces and braises for background heat.
- Mixed into dry rubs — Combined with other spices for a seasoning crust on meats.
Classic dishes
American
- Pizzeria-style pizza — A classic American pizzeria staple, finished at the table with a shake of red pepper flakes.
- Italian-American sub sandwich — A deli sandwich commonly offered with crushed red pepper as a finishing option.
- Buffalo wing seasoning blend — A spicy wing seasoning that sometimes incorporates red pepper flakes for texture and heat.
- Chili-flecked tomato soup — A simmered tomato soup finished with a pinch of red pepper flakes for warmth.
Italian
- Arrabbiata sauce — A spicy tomato sauce whose heat comes directly from red pepper flakes.
- Aglio e olio — Pasta tossed in garlic and olive oil with a generous pinch of red pepper flakes for heat.
- Calabrian chili pasta — A pasta dish built around the fruity heat of Calabrian-style chili flakes.
- Peperoncino-spiked olive oil — Olive oil infused with red pepper flakes, drizzled over pasta and vegetables.
Chinese
- Mapo tofu — A fiery Sichuan tofu dish whose chile heat often comes in part from crushed dried chile flakes.
- Dan dan noodles — Noodles in a spicy, numbing sauce finished with chile oil made from crushed red pepper.
- Chili crisp — A crunchy, spicy condiment built on oil-infused crushed chile flakes and aromatics.
Thai
- Tom yum with dried chile — A sour, spicy soup whose heat sometimes comes from dried, crushed Thai chile flakes.
Mediterranean
- Mediterranean roasted vegetable drizzle — Roasted vegetables finished with olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Greek
- Greek-style grilled fish with chili oil — Grilled fish finished with an olive oil drizzle flecked with red pepper flakes.
Spanish
- Gambas picantes — Garlic shrimp sizzled in olive oil with a generous pinch of red pepper flakes for heat.
Substitutions
- Cayenne Pepper — Ground cayenne brings similar heat but no texture or visible flecks, so use about half the amount and expect a smoother, less rustic result.