Spicy Hot Tomato Oil

A spicy hot tomato oil with caramelized garlic, honey, and sriracha. Rich, tangy, and wildly good with crusty bread.

Why I Love It

This stuff is dangerous. Once you drag a piece of chewy bread through it, good luck stopping.

It’s my version of the famous hot tomato oil from Pastabilities and it’s wildly good. Tangy, spicy, silky, and filled with layers of sweet caramelized garlic. The heat lingers and warms you from the inside, though it’s really not that hot. Just enough to keep you coming back for another swipe.

Honey balances the savory tomato and heat, and while it sounds wrong to add sweetener to a tomato sauce, don’t overthink it. This isn’t a pasta sauce. It’s a dip, and all the rules go out the window for dips. 

The combination of honey and sriracha is what takes this beyond a spicy marinara. It's a completely different animal and you’ll be so glad you tried it.

A loaf of crusty bread is mandatory here. This country Italian bread is perfect for it. And if you really want to lean in, serve it with homemade arancini or crispy fried squash blossoms.

How to Make Hot Tomato Oil

Recipe Tips

Use tomato passata if you can find it. It gives the dip a silky smooth texture without seeds or chunks. Whole tomatoes or crushed tomatoes won’t feel quite the same here.

Pay close attention to the garlic. You want it deeply golden and sweet, not browned or bitter, and it can turn in the blink of an eye.

Stick with sriracha. Its specific balance of heat, garlic, and sweetness is a big part of what makes this dip work.

Keep whisking. At first it can feel like the oil will never fully incorporate, but it eventually comes together into a rich, glossy sauce.

Serve it warm or room temperature. The texture and flavor are best when the oil is still silky and dippable.

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