Disclosure: Hot Boi Chili Oil sent me one jar of each flavor free. I wasn’t paid for this post or the individual reviews beyond the jars themselves, and there are no affiliate links here. Every opinion is mine.
This Hot Boi Chili Oil review puts all three Garlic Crunch jars side by side: Mild, The OG, and Fire. Hot Boi Chili Oil is a Viet-owned brand out of San Jose, and they sent me one of each in 8 oz jars. Same oil, nearly the same ingredients, three heat levels. The question here is which one to buy — and the answer doesn’t follow the heat.
Full reviews: Mild, The OG, Fire.
The Hot Boi Chili Oil Lineup
| Product | Category | Oil Character | Heat | Crunch | Sugar | Wheat | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mild | Chili Crisp | Canola, spice-infused; carries flavor right away | 2/5 (jar: 1/5) | ~2/3 solids; seeds, flakes, huge garlic | Yes | No | GREAT |
| The OG | Chili Crisp | Same oil; delivers a lot of spice | 3/5 (jar: 3/5) | ~80% solids; thicker stirred | Yes | No | GOOD |
| Fire | Chili Crisp | Same oil; spice notes up front | 4/5 (jar: 5/5) | ~90% solids; most bits, very crunchy | Yes | No | GREAT |
Tiers reflect in-context comparison performance. Individual review tiers may differ.
What They Share
All three jars use the same oil — a deep, dark, rich red, and from the outside they look almost identical. The base is canola, infused with spices, and all three smell roughly the same — the spices come right out of the jar when you open it. The label calls it 5-spice; Hot Boi’s site lists green cardamom, Saigon cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and bay leaf, with dried red peppercorn added for the Fire. None of that makes the ingredient panels, which only say canola oil. More on why the oil matters if you want the background.
The Mild and OG have the exact same ingredient list: canola oil, crushed chili, gochugaru, garlic, pink salt, unrefined sugar, shiitake mushroom. The Fire adds Carolina Reaper and lists organic sugar instead of unrefined. Every jar has big garlic chunks floating at the top and lots of crunchy bits underneath.
The label says chili oil on all three. They settle anywhere from two-thirds to 90% solids, so I evaluated every one as a chili crisp.
Product by Product
Mild
The Mild still carries spice — a bit more than other brands’ milds, some of which have none at all. It’s pleasant, and you still get the full flavor: gochugaru up front, then garlic and shiitake, with garlic lingering at the end. The oil delivers flavor the second it hits. It was my favorite of the three. Full Mild review.
The OG
A lot of heat. Sweet and spicy up front, then umami and the oil’s spices, with a burn that builds on the top of the mouth and middle of the tongue and hangs around. It’s a really good jar, but it had less flavor than the Mild on an identical ingredient list. Good, not great. Full OG review.
Fire
The Fire adds Carolina Reaper, and it’s the most packed jar of the three. The Reaper gives it an earthier flavor, and the burn is more precise and more numbing, sitting in the cheeks and on the sides of the tongue. It has better flavor than the OG. I’m not sure why — maybe the Reaper adds something, or they front-load more umami, sugar, and salt before the heat kicks in. Full Fire review.
The Heat Range
I like the range overall. But the labels suggest a smooth climb from 1 to 3 to 5, and that’s not what I tasted. The Mild is a little hotter than its single chili. The OG and Fire land at about the same heat volume. What changes between them is the type of burn — where it sits and how it feels — not the amount. If you’re choosing the Fire strictly because you want the most heat, the gap from the OG is smaller than the jars make it look.
Which One for What
- Mild: The everyday fridge jar. Flavor first, heat second. Start here.
- The OG: Eggs, rice, noodles, and the label’s list — pho, shu mai, pizza, burgers — if you want a burn that builds.
- Fire: For heat seekers who still want to taste the jar.
Hot Boi vs. Mama Teav’s
“Garlic crunch” plus all that visible garlic, and I immediately thought of Mama Teav’s — a chili crisp with tons of garlic-forward bits. I’ve reviewed the Mama Teav’s original and Mama Teav’s Mild. Mama Teav’s tends to be just garlic. That’s the show, and I appreciate it for what it is.
Head to head, I like Hot Boi a little better. It’s more rounded as a chili crisp — the gochugaru, shiitake, and spiced oil give it more to work with — and that gives it broader application than a pure garlic jar. If garlic is your thing, I’ve ranked the garlic-first jars in the best crunchy garlic chili crisp.
Is the Hot Boi Lineup Worth Buying?
Hot Boi doesn’t sell the three flavors as a bundle on its site right now — the brand sent me one of each. Individually, each jar is $15 for 8 oz, or $1.88 an ounce, so all three run $45 before shipping. Free shipping kicks in at $75, which three jars won’t reach. The jars are also at retailers listed on the brand’s store locator; they aren’t on Amazon.
If you’re only buying one, buy the Mild. If you want two, add the Fire over the OG — it has more flavor for the same money, it’s the fullest jar, and a spoonful of it stirred into the Mild gets you more heat without losing what the Mild does well.
Final Verdict: Hot Boi Chili Oil Review
Great brand, definitely worth trying. My ranking: Mild first, Fire second, OG third. The Mild and Fire both land at GREAT, and the OG is a GOOD jar that just happens to sit next to two better ones. Start with the Mild — it has the most flavor of the three, and it’s the one I’d keep stocked.
Thanks to Hot Boi Chili Oil for sending the jars. Shop Hot Boi at hotboi.co.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hot Boi Chili Oil worth it?
Yes. All three Garlic Crunch jars have really good crunch and a spiced oil that carries flavor. At $15 per 8 oz jar ($1.88/oz) it’s priced like a small-batch jar. Start with the Mild.
Which Hot Boi Chili Oil should I buy first?
The Mild. It had the most flavor of the three in my tasting, it still has some real heat, and it’s the one I’d keep in the fridge.
What’s the difference between Hot Boi OG and Fire?
The Fire adds Carolina Reaper and settles denser (about 90% solids vs. 80%). Despite a 5/5 vs. 3/5 label, they land at about the same heat volume. The Fire’s burn is more precise and numbing and sits in the cheeks and sides of the tongue; the OG’s hits the top of the mouth and middle of the tongue. I liked the Fire’s flavor better.
Is Hot Boi Garlic Crunch a chili oil or a chili crisp?
The labels say chili oil, but all three jars settle between two-thirds and 90% solids, mostly garlic, chili flakes, and seeds. By my standards they’re chili crisps.
Is Hot Boi Chili Oil vegan and allergen-friendly?
All three jars are labeled plant-based, nut-free, and soy-free. There’s no wheat, sesame, or MSG on the ingredient lists, but the jars are not labeled gluten-free.
Can you buy all three Hot Boi flavors together?
Not as a bundle right now. The brand sent me one of each, but hotboi.co sells the jars individually at $15 each, so all three run $45. Free shipping starts at $75.
Where can I buy Hot Boi Chili Oil?
Direct from hotboi.co and at retailers listed on the brand’s store locator. It isn’t sold on Amazon as of this review.