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Fly By Jing Xtra Spicy is the original Sichuan Chili Crisp with the heat dial turned up — Sichuan peppercorn leads, a slow cayenne-style burn follows, and it sticks around for 3–4 minutes. The texture is soft and chewy rather than crispy, and the jar fill is noticeably better than the original. If you want Fly By Jing’s flavor with actual heat, this delivers. If you’re chasing crunch, look at their Extra Crunchy instead. Tier: GOOD.
Fly By Jing Xtra Spicy Chili Crisp Review: What You’re Getting
This is my third Fly By Jing review — I came in with the original and the sweet and spicy (technically a chili sauce, not a crisp), and now the Xtra Spicy. It arrived as part of a 4-pack from Amazon ($34.99) alongside the Extra Crunchy, so I’ve got the whole lineup covered. 6 oz jar, same format as the original.
The Fly By Jing Xtra Spicy shares most of its DNA with the original Sichuan Chili Crisp. Same rapeseed oil base, same fermented soybean, same Sichuan peppercorn. The differences are in proportion — more heat-forward chili and a noticeably more prominent peppercorn presence. The serving size listed is one teaspoon, which I don’t love — it tells you something about the oil-to-solids situation before you even open it.
Quick Facts
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Brand | Fly By Jing |
| Product | Xtra Spicy Sichuan Chili Crisp |
| Category | Chili Crisp |
| Style | Sichuan / Chinese |
| Oil | Rapeseed (primary), Soybean, Sesame |
| Heat | 4 / 5 |
| Price | $8.75 (as part of 4-pack, $34.99) |
| Size | 6 oz |
| Per oz | $1.46/oz (4-pack) |
| Made in | Product of Sichuan, China / Mfg. in Los Angeles, CA |
| Buy | Amazon (4-pack variety), flybyjing.com, Whole Foods, Target |
| Tier | GOOD |
The Label
Full ingredients: non-GMO rapeseed oil, non-GMO soybean oil, dried chili pepper, fermented soybean, garlic, shallots, mushroom powder, ginger, sesame oil, salt, Sichuan pepper, seaweed powder, spices. Contains soy and sesame.
That’s a clean list — identical ingredients to the original, just in different proportions. No MSG, no preservatives. The umami load is carried by fermented soybean, mushroom powder, and seaweed powder, which is Fly By Jing’s approach across the line. Rapeseed oil leads — the traditional Sichuan cooking oil, with a cleaner, slightly nuttier flavor than the soybean oil most chili crisps default to.
Dried chili pepper is third, behind the two oils. Sichuan pepper appears further down the list, but it punches well above its position — you’ll feel it well before any cayenne-style burn arrives. Fermented soybean is fourth. No soybeans stuffed in as filler — everything on this list is pulling real flavor weight.
Serving size is one teaspoon. For a product this heat-forward, that’s more reasonable than it is for the original — you might actually use just a teaspoon. But it still signals a higher oil proportion relative to solids. Vegan, sugar-free, woman-owned, Asian-owned, certified B Corp. Product of Sichuan, China — the peppercorn and dried chilies have actual regional provenance, not just branding. Store in a cool dry place, refrigerate after opening.
Appearance and Aroma
Settlement is noticeably better than the original Fly By Jing. That jar was a consistent complaint of mine — roughly 50/50 oil-to-solids, Borderline on the five-level scale. This one is Acceptable to Good: a solid two-thirds of the jar is actual material. Sichuan peppercorn is visible throughout, along with larger chunks of chili than I saw in the original. The oil has more micro-bits floating around in it — spices and seasonings that provide the extra heat, not stuff that would count as crunchable solids, but it makes the oil look more active.
On opening, the smell hits immediately — that characteristic Fly By Jing roasted-oil aroma, clean and pungent. There’s more peppercorn in the initial smell than the original, and underneath it something that reads slightly sweeter. The chili isn’t the loudest thing in the opening aroma, which is interesting given the name on the label. It smells like the original’s more serious older sibling.
Texture
The Fly By Jing Xtra Spicy is chewy, not crispy. The bits are soft and have some give — not soggy, but calling this a “crisp” is a stretch. There’s no crunch here. You’re getting chew and substance, but the crispy texture you’d expect from the name isn’t present in a meaningful way.
That said, there’s noticeably more material than the original. The solids are thick and dense, and the jar feels substantial when you spoon into it. If you found the original disappointing on fill, this one is better. The bits are Sichuan peppercorn, chilies, and fermented aromatics — nothing that reads as filler. You can taste everything. You just can’t crunch any of it.
Unless Fly By Jing added more filler — which I wouldn’t want — I’m not sure how they’d make this much crispier given the ingredient set. Peppercorn goes soft in oil. That’s just what happens. Which is probably why they have a separate Extra Crunchy product with a completely different ingredient approach.
Flavor and Heat
The Sichuan peppercorn leads. That’s the first flavor — not heat, not chili, but the slightly citrusy, tingly peppercorn character. There’s some numbing effect, present rather than dominant. The málà sensation is real but restrained — this isn’t a full-numbing product. It’s peppercorn as the opening act before the heat arrives.
Then the burn comes in. And it stays. That’s the defining characteristic of the Xtra Spicy versus the original: the heat lingers. The original dissipates fairly quickly — a minute or two and it’s gone. This one sticks around for 3–4 minutes. I broke a light sweat. The heat type reads like Chinese red chili or cayenne — a clean burn on the tongue, not the throat, not the nose. Nothing intimidating. But it’s real, persistent heat that occupies your attention for a while after the bite.
Underneath the peppercorn and heat, all the elements that make the original Fly By Jing work are still here. The sweetness from the fermented soybean and mushroom powder. The layered depth from the seaweed powder working behind the scenes. The sesame oil doing a supporting role. The whole-jar quality I noted in the original carries over — this oil is doing flavor work on its own, not just carrying the bits. Dip a fork in just the oil and you’ll get peppercorn, mushroom, a hint of sesame. The heat just makes it harder to focus on everything else.
On a practical heat scale: I could keep eating this on food without hitting a wall. If you’re heat-averse, this will be too much. If you eat hot sauce on everything, this is a manageable day for you. I’d call it a 4 out of 5 — certainly hotter than the original, but it’s a very reasonable “extra spicy.” Not intimidating.
Use Cases
The heat level changes the calculus on where this goes. The original is genuinely versatile — noodles, dumplings, rice, eggs. This one I’d steer toward applications where the food can hold up to the heat, or where heat is specifically what you’re after.
The most direct use case: chicken and broccoli, fried rice, any takeout or quick stir-fry that’s not quite meeting the mark in terms of spice. A small amount goes a long way — a teaspoon stirred through a bowl of fried rice will rewrite it. Wouldn’t put this on anything too delicate. The heat will dominate eggs if you’re heavy-handed, and anything with a subtle flavor — a mild broth, a clean protein — will get overwhelmed before the other flavors register.
This jar’s best role might be as a heat injection into other products. If you have a chili crisp you love the flavor of but it has zero heat, a tablespoon or two of this mixed in solves that problem. The Fly By Jing flavor profile is familiar enough that it blends cleanly without taking over the base product’s character. I wouldn’t dump the whole jar into something else — but as a strategic heat boost for a bland jar, this is exactly the right tool. It’s not a mixing candidate the way the original is (where you’d combine for flavor complexity). This is more targeted: you’re adding it for the heat.
Packaging and Value
At $1.46/oz as part of the 4-pack ($34.99 for four 6 oz jars), this is reasonable for the category — cheaper per ounce than the original at standalone pricing, and the ingredient quality justifies the premium over something like Lao Gan Ma at $0.89/oz. If you’re buying it single at $15–18, the math is tougher — ~$2.50–3.00/oz for a product where a significant portion of what you’re paying for is oil.
The ingredient quality is real. Non-GMO oils, Sichuan-sourced peppercorn and chilies, clean list. Whether that’s worth the premium depends on whether you value what’s in the jar or how much of it is crunchable solids.
Final Verdict
Fly By Jing Xtra Spicy delivers on its premise. The heat is real — Sichuan peppercorn up front, a cayenne-style burn underneath that lingers for 3–4 minutes. The ingredient quality is excellent. The jar fill is the best in the FBJ lineup so far. And the whole-jar quality carries over from the original: the oil, the seasonings, and the heat all feel like they were designed together, not assembled.
The gap is texture. This is soft and chewy rather than crispy, and for a product called a chili crisp, that matters. But the manageable heat is what pushes it above AVERAGE for me — it adds a dimension that the original doesn’t have, and it opens up a specific, useful role as a heat booster for other jars.
Biggest strength: The heat. Persistent, layered, not overwhelming. Sichuan peppercorn tingle followed by a clean chili burn that sticks around. The best heat profile in the FBJ lineup.
Biggest weakness: No crunch. Same chewy, soft texture as the original. If crunch is what you’re after, this isn’t the jar.
Would I buy it again? Yes — specifically as a heat booster for blander jars. It fills a role that most chili crisps don’t.
Want to see how all four Fly By Jing jars stack up? Check our Fly By Jing Sample Pack comparison.
How spicy is Fly By Jing Xtra Spicy chili crisp?
It’s legitimately hot but not overwhelming — roughly a 4 out of 5. The Sichuan peppercorn hits first, then a cayenne-style burn builds and lingers for several minutes. It’s noticeably hotter than the original Fly By Jing but still manageable for people with a medium heat tolerance.
What’s the difference between Fly By Jing original and Xtra Spicy?
The ingredients list reads very similarly — same base, same structure. The Xtra Spicy has higher proportions of dried chili and peppercorn, and the heat is significantly more persistent. Texture is soft and chewy in both versions.
Is Fly By Jing Xtra Spicy vegan?
Yes. The label confirms vegan, sugar free, woman owned, and Asian owned. Ingredients are entirely plant-based: rapeseed oil, soybean oil, dried chili pepper, fermented soybean, garlic, shallots, mushroom powder, ginger, sesame oil, salt, Sichuan pepper, seaweed powder, and spices.
Does Fly By Jing Xtra Spicy have MSG?
MSG is not listed in the ingredients. The umami comes from fermented soybean, mushroom powder, and seaweed powder — all naturally glutamate-rich ingredients. This is consistent with Fly By Jing’s broader approach of building flavor complexity through real ingredients.
What’s the serving size for Fly By Jing Xtra Spicy?
One teaspoon. That signals the jar is oil-heavy relative to crispy bits content, and that the flavor and heat are concentrated enough that a little goes a long way. One teaspoon per bowl is a reasonable starting point.
Where is Fly By Jing Xtra Spicy made?
Product of Sichuan, China, manufactured in Los Angeles, California for Fly By Jing, Inc. The Sichuan sourcing is relevant — the Sichuan peppercorn and dried chilies trace back to the region where the chili crisp tradition originates.
What should I put Fly By Jing Xtra Spicy on?
Anything that can handle the heat and benefits from Sichuan peppercorn character — chicken and broccoli, fried rice, bold stir-fries. Phil also uses it as a heat-injection tool: if you have a chili crisp you love but it has no kick, a tablespoon or two of Xtra Spicy mixed in fixes that. Avoid delicate flavors — the heat will dominate.