Most people looking for a Lao Gan Ma alternative want one of three things: no added MSG, a different oil, or something made closer to home. In the UK and EU the strongest options are White Mausu Peanut Rāyu for nutty crunch, Pretty NamNam Classic for the closest Sichuan-style copy without glutamate, J. Kinski for organic, Poon's for black bean depth, Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow for a cheap garlicky substitute, and ours for a garlic-forward Taiwanese take. Fair warning before you read on: Lao Gan Ma is good and very cheap, and for a lot of people it is still the right jar.
Obvious disclosure: we make crispy chilli oil, so we are not a neutral party. We have put ours in this list because leaving it out would be weirder. We have also been specific about where Lao Gan Ma and others beat us, including on price and on chilli content. But actually, we think it's not either or. Every chilli oil serves a different purpose and goes well with a specific dish. Eyan has approximately 7 different jars in her fridge at all times 🌶️
Why people look for a Lao Gan Ma alternative
Let us be clear about what we are dealing with. Lao Gan Ma is the jar that built the category. Tao Huabi started selling it commercially in Guizhou in the 1990s and it has been the global benchmark ever since. It is cheap, it is consistent, and the flavour is genuinely hard to beat at the price.
People still go looking, usually for one of these reasons.
- Added MSG. The label lists flavour enhancer E621. There is nothing dangerous about it, and the science on MSG has been thoroughly rehabilitated, but plenty of people simply prefer condiments where the savouriness comes from real ingredients.
- The oil. It is soybean oil, and it is 40 to 45% of the jar. Some people want rapeseed, sunflower, or just want to know exactly what they are eating.
- Supply. LGM has had periodic availability wobbles in Europe, and if your local shop is out, you are out.
- Where it is made. Some people want something produced in the UK or EU, for shorter supply chains, freshness, or just because they like backing smaller producers.
- Texture and flavour. LGM is onion-heavy and fermented-soybean savoury. If you want garlic, sesame, peanuts or a bigger crunch, you want a different style entirely.
- Storage. Some LGM labels advise refrigeration after opening and use within about a month, which surprises people expecting a cupboard condiment.
None of those makes LGM a bad product. They just mean it might not be your product.
What is actually in Lao Gan Ma
Worth knowing what you are comparing against. Formulations vary slightly between the 210g and 670g jars and between importers, so check your own label, but the pattern is consistent.
| Oil | Soybean oil, around 40 to 45% |
|---|---|
| Chilli | 25 to 35%, which is high for the category |
| Aromatics | Onion (roughly 8 to 15%), fermented soybean |
| Seasoning | Salt, sugar, Sichuan pepper, flavour enhancer E621 |
| Allergens | Soy. Some listings also declare sulphites |
| Made in | China |
| Price band | €, the cheapest per gram of anything here |
That chilli percentage is the number nobody talks about, and it is the one where LGM beats almost every premium brand in this list, including us. If raw chilli content per euro is your metric, stop reading and go buy Lao Gan Ma.
How we compared them
Five things, all checkable on a label rather than a matter of taste:
- Chilli percentage, where declared.
- Which oil, and roughly how much of the jar it is.
- Added MSG or flavour enhancers (E621, E627, E631).
- Allergens and diet: gluten, soy, peanuts, vegan.
- Where it is made and where you can actually get it.
Flavour opinions are ours and you may disagree, which is fine. The specs are not opinions.
The seven alternatives
1. White Mausu Peanut Rāyu Ireland
The one that converts people who thought they did not like chilli oil. Roughly a quarter of the jar is peanuts, with sesame at around 11% and chilli flakes at 6%, in sunflower oil with fried garlic, gochugaru, agave and tamari. Made in Meath, and it is inspired by Japanese taberu rayu rather than Sichuan chilli crisp, so it eats sweeter, nuttier and much milder than LGM.
It is vegan and gluten-free, which the wheat-containing options here are not. The trade-off is that peanuts rule out anyone with a nut allergy, and if you want actual heat this is not it. There is an extra hot version if you do.
2. Pretty NamNam Chili Crisp Classic Germany
The closest thing on this list to a like-for-like LGM swap without the glutamate. Made in Darmstadt, built on sunflower oil at around 59% with chilli at 8%, plus garlic, onion, fermented soybean, shiitake, sesame, Sichuan pepper, cinnamon and star anise. Explicitly modelled on classic Sichuan chilli crisp, explicitly no added MSG, and vegan.
The shiitake and fermented soybean do the umami work that E621 does in the LGM jar, which is exactly the right way to solve that problem. Chilli content is lower than LGM, so expect milder heat. They also do a Lemongrass and an XO Style, though the XO drops to around 3% chilli and is more of an umami paste than a chilli crisp.
3. Chilli Chan's Crispy Chilli Oil Netherlands / Taiwan
Ours, so weigh accordingly. Sunflower oil, chilli at 18%, roasted garlic, gluten-free soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame seeds, Sichuan peppercorn, spices and natural vegetable stock. Nine ingredients, no MSG, no artificial flavourings, no preservatives. Vegan and gluten-free. Great Taste 2025 winner. Made in the Netherlands in small batches, to a Taiwanese recipe.
The style is different from LGM rather than a copy of it. Theirs is onion and fermented-soybean led. Ours is garlic-forward and roasted, with sesame and a lighter touch of peppercorn, which is how Taiwanese chilli oil tends to run. Heat is a medium 3 out of 5.
4. J. Kinski Bio Chili Crunch Germany
The organic option, and the most spice-cabinet of the lot. Made by hand in Thuringia from certified organic ingredients: rapeseed oil, peanuts at 14%, chilli at 9%, paprika flakes, sesame oil, cane sugar, spring onion, ginger, Sichuan pepper, fennel, shiitake, garlic, star anise, cardamom, wakame, smoked salt, clove, bay and cinnamon.
That ingredient list is doing a lot, and whether you love it depends on whether you want a chilli crisp or a spice blend suspended in oil. An Austrian taste test found the heat approachable for beginners but flagged the crunch as too finely chopped and the sweetness as noticeable. They also do Hot, Double and a Dark version with cocoa and espresso, which is as unusual as it sounds.
5. Poon's London Extraordinary Chilli Oil UK
Include it with a caveat: this is not really a chilli crisp. Rapeseed oil makes up 64% of the jar and the chilli content is about 1.8% in total, split between crushed chilli and birdseye. What it actually delivers is salted black beans, ginger and garlic, which give it a deep, savoury, almost smoky quality. Great Taste 2 stars in 2023, and the backstory is lovely: Bill Poon made it for friends who posted him empty jam jars, and it got bottled after Ottolenghi's Helen Goh tasted a jar.
If you come to it expecting LGM-style crunch and heat you will be disappointed, and some retailer reviews say exactly that. If you come to it wanting black bean depth to stir through noodles, it is excellent. Contains wheat via the soy sauce, and contains a preservative (E202), so it is not gluten-free. Refrigerate after opening.
6. Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil Hong Kong
The budget swap, and the easiest to find. In most UK supermarkets, most Asian grocers, and most European online shops. Soybean oil, dehydrated garlic at 6%, dried chilli at 5%, salted chilli at 5%, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and sugar.
Two things to know. First, the chilli content is around 10% total, well under LGM, so it reads more garlicky than fiery despite the packaging. Second, the soy sauce contains wheat flour, so this is not gluten-free, and the EU formulation typically includes flavour enhancers E631 and E627. If you were switching away from LGM specifically to avoid enhancers, this does not solve it.
7. Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp USA
The brand that drove the Western chilli crisp boom, built on Sichuan ingredients and premium positioning. Worth naming because people ask about it constantly.
The problem is practical. European availability is patchy, it usually arrives through specialist importers, and once you have paid the shipping and duty it becomes the most expensive jar on this page by some distance. If you find it locally, try it. It is not a reliable weekly pantry swap on this side of the Atlantic.
The full comparison
| Brand | Oil | Chilli % | Added MSG / enhancers | Gluten-free | Made in | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lao Gan Ma | Soybean, ~40-45% | 25-35% | Yes (E621) | Not declared | China | € |
| White Mausu Peanut Rāyu | Sunflower | 6% | No | Yes | Ireland | €€ |
| Pretty NamNam Classic | Sunflower, 59% | 8% | No | Check label | Germany | €€ |
| Chilli Chan's | Sunflower | 18% | No | Yes | Netherlands | €€ |
| J. Kinski Chili Crunch | Rapeseed | 9% | No | Check label | Germany | €€€ |
| Poon's Extraordinary | Rapeseed, 64% | ~1.8% | No (contains E202) | No (wheat) | UK | €€€ |
| Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow | Soybean | ~10% | Yes (E631, E627) | No (wheat) | Hong Kong | € |
| Fly By Jing | Rapeseed | Not declared | No | Check label | USA | €€€€ in EU |
Price bands are per gram, not per jar, and jar sizes vary a lot: 125g for Poon's, 160g for J. Kinski, 190g for ours, 200g for Pretty NamNam, 210g for LGM, 240g for White Mausu. Always compare per 100g, not per jar.
Which one should you buy?
- You want the LGM flavour without the E621: Pretty NamNam Classic. Closest profile, shiitake and fermented soybean doing the umami honestly.
- You want crunch and nuttiness over heat: White Mausu Peanut Rāyu.
- You need gluten-free and vegan: White Mausu or ours. Poon's and Lee Kum Kee both contain wheat.
- You want garlic-forward and aromatic: ours, or Lee Kum Kee if budget is the priority.
- You want organic: J. Kinski.
- You are cooking rather than finishing: Poon's, for the black bean depth.
- You want the cheapest thing that is still good: Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow.
- You have a nut allergy: avoid White Mausu and J. Kinski, both peanut-based.
When to just buy Lao Gan Ma
A comparison page that concludes "buy ours" is not a comparison page. So, honestly:
Buy Lao Gan Ma if price per gram matters most, if you want the highest chilli content on this page, if you specifically want that onion and fermented-soybean profile that nothing else quite replicates, or if you have no issue with E621. It has been the benchmark for nearly thirty years because it earned it.
Buy something else if you want no added flavour enhancers, a different oil, a shorter supply chain, gluten-free, or a genuinely different flavour direction rather than a copy.
If garlic-forward and no MSG sounds right
Great Taste 2025 winner. Sunflower oil, 18% chilli, roasted garlic, sesame and Sichuan peppercorn. Nine ingredients, vegan, gluten-free, made in small batches in the Netherlands. Free shipping over 50 euros in NL, DE and BE.
Try oursFAQs
What is the closest thing to Lao Gan Ma?
For flavour profile, Pretty NamNam Chili Crisp Classic is the nearest match available in Europe, since it is built on the same Sichuan template with garlic, onion, fermented soybean, shiitake and Sichuan pepper, but without added glutamate. Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow is the closest on price, though it is more garlic-led and less chilli-heavy.
Does Lao Gan Ma contain MSG?
Yes. The ingredient list declares flavour enhancer E621, which is monosodium glutamate. It is a permitted and well-studied additive rather than a safety concern, but some people prefer condiments that build savouriness from ingredients like fermented soybean and shiitake instead.
Is there a gluten-free alternative to Lao Gan Ma?
Yes. White Mausu Peanut Rāyu and Chilli Chan's Crispy Chilli Oil are both labelled gluten-free. Be careful with Poon's and Lee Kum Kee, as both contain soy sauce made with wheat flour. Always check the current label, since recipes change.
Why is Lao Gan Ma so much cheaper than premium chilli crisps?
Scale, mostly. It is produced in enormous volume in China on soybean oil, which is cheaper than sunflower or rapeseed at that scale. Smaller European producers make far less, use costlier oils and ingredients, and carry higher unit costs. That is a real difference, not a trick.
Which chilli crisp is the spiciest?
By declared chilli percentage, Lao Gan Ma leads this list at 25 to 35%. Among the alternatives, Chilli Chan's is highest at 18%, followed by Poon's is lowest at under 2%. Note that chilli percentage is not a perfect proxy for heat, since chilli variety matters enormously.
Can I get Lao Gan Ma alternatives in the Netherlands and Germany?
Yes. Pretty NamNam and J. Kinski are German-made and easy to find there, with Pretty NamNam stocked in Rossmann. Chilli Chan's is in Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Picnic, Crisp and Stach in the Netherlands and selected EDEKA stores in Germany. White Mausu is increasingly stocked by specialist retailers across the EU.
Do premium chilli oils actually taste better?
Different, more reliably than better. Premium jars generally use costlier oils, more real aromatics and no flavour enhancers, which usually means a cleaner, more distinct flavour. But Lao Gan Ma has a specific savoury, oniony character that many people prefer, and no amount of price tag replicates it.
Keep reading
- The best crispy chilli oils in 2026, our wider side-by-side comparison.
- Crispy chilli oil: the complete guide, including how to read a label properly.
- 27 things to put crispy chilli oil on, whichever jar you end up with.
- 10-minute chilli oil noodles.
Spotted something out of date? Recipes and formulations change. Tell us and we will check the label and update the page.