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Soft, fluffy dinner rolls brushed with savory chili crisp garlic butter. These buns are flavorful, not spicy, and perfect for weeknight dinners or gatherings.
These chili crisp garlic butter dinner rolls are everything I love in a soft bun: fluffy, rich, savory, and totally irresistible fresh out of the oven. I use my go-to milk bun dough for this recipe — the same one I use for my Fluffy Baked Milk Buns with Ginger Hoisin Chicken — because it always gives me soft, pillowy results without the extra step of tangzhong. The chili crisp garlic butter takes these rolls to a whole new level. They look spicy, but they’re really not. Even my daughter, who can’t handle spicy food, absolutely loves these buns.
Why You’ll Like This Recipe
The buns are incredibly soft and fluffy thanks to milk, oil, and potato flakes in the dough.
The chili crisp garlic butter adds tons of flavor without making the rolls spicy. You can read about chili crisp here
This is a versatile, reliable dough that I use for many savory bun recipes.
The rolls are perfect for dinner, potlucks, holidays, or even meal prep.
They stay soft for days and reheat beautifully.
Ingredients and Substitutions
All-purpose flour – Bread flour can be used for a slightly chewier texture.
Fine sea salt – Regular salt works, but reduce slightly if using table salt.
Sugar – Adds a touch of sweetness and helps with browning; honey can be used instead.
Neutral oil – Avocado oil, canola oil, or light olive oil all work well.
Milk powder – Helps create a softer crumb; omit if needed, but the buns will be slightly less tender.
Instant yeast – Active dry yeast can be used; bloom it first in warm milk.
Instant potato flakes (unseasoned) – Mashed potato can be substituted in a pinch.
Whole milk – You may need a little extra depending on humidity and flour brand.
Unsalted butter – Used for the chili crisp topping; salted butter works, just reduce added salt.
Chili crisp – Use chili flakes with some oil; adjust amount to taste. You can read about chili crisp
Garlic – Fresh garlic gives the best flavor here. I do not recommend using minced garlic that comes in a jar
Egg – Used for egg wash to give the buns a glossy finish.
How To Make Chili Crisp Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls in a Nutshell
This dough comes together easily in a stand mixer and is slightly sticky, which is exactly what you want for soft buns.
You’ll mix all the dough ingredients, knead until smooth and tacky, let it rise until doubled, then divide and shape into 16 equal buns. After the second proof, brush with egg wash and bake until golden brown.
Right before the buns finish baking, you’ll prepare the chili crisp garlic butter by gently cooking the garlic in butter, then stirring in chili crisp and salt. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush them generously with the topping so it melts right into the rolls.
Serve them warm — that’s when they’re at their absolute best.
What to Serve This With
Roast chicken or grilled chicken thighs
Asian-inspired dishes like ginger hoisin chicken or soy-glazed pork
Soups and stews, especially creamy or brothy ones
Holiday meals as a savory dinner roll option
As a snack on their own (trust me, they won’t last long)
Storage & Reheating
Store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Reheat in a 325°F (165°C) oven for 8–10 minutes until warm.
You can also microwave individual buns briefly, but the oven gives the best texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these rolls spicy? Not really. The chili crisp adds flavor and aroma more than heat. Even kids who don’t like spicy food usually enjoy these.
Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes. You can refrigerate the dough after the first proof and shape the buns the next day.
Can I freeze these buns? Absolutely. Freeze baked and cooled buns without the topping. Reheat and brush with freshly made chili crisp butter before serving.
These chili crisp garlic butter dinner rolls are one of those recipes that look fancy but are actually very approachable. The dough is dependable, the topping is bold but not overpowering, and the end result is a tray of soft, shiny buns that disappear fast. If you love savory breads with big flavor — but not too much heat — this is definitely one to keep in your rotation.
If you are using active dry yeast, bloom it with about 1 -2 Tbsp of the milk called for in the recipe and let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy before using
Place all ingredients for the dough in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. I use the hook to stir everything to roughly combine the dry ingredients with the wet.
Start with the lowest speed to combine everything, about 3 minutes. Then increase the speed to medium and let the dough knead until it is soft and smooth. It is a sticky dough, so it will clear the sides of the bowl, but still somewhat sticky. The dough still sticks to the bottom of the bowl. It takes about 5-7 minutes of kneading for me to get to this point
If your dough feels dry, you can add a bit more milk, 1 Tbsp at a time. You want the dough to be soft and slightly tacky to the touch.
First proofing:
You can transfer the dough to another oiled large bowl for first proofing or you can proof right in the same bowl, but I usually scoop it out and oil the bowl, oil my hands and round up the dough and put it back into the bowl. Cover and let it proof at a warm place for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours until it doubles in volume (the time depends on the temperature)
Shaping:
Divide the filling into 16 portions. You can use two 8 x 8 inch or 9 x 9 inch round or square baking pan or 9 x 13 inches baking pan. I like to line it with parchment paper sling, overhanging on the side for easier removal later
Deflate the dough and divide it into 16 equal pieces. I usually weigh the dough and then divide it by 16, so I know how many grams of dough are needed for each bun. You can eyeball it, but I like to have the same size for each bun
Round each dough into a dough ball by pulling the edge towards the center, pinch it the seams together to seal and then flip it over and place the seam side down on the prepared baking pan
Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling. I would arrange about 8 buns per pan, if you use two pans. If you use one large baking pan, you can arrange into 4 x 4
Second proofing:
Cover the pan with lightly oiled cling wrap and let it proof until the buns filled up the pan and really puffy, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the temperature
Brush the top of the dough with egg wash.
Baking:
15 minutes before the end of the proofing time, start preheating the oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven. For convection oven, please lower the temperature by 20 F (15 C). Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven
Place two pans side by side in the oven if you are using two pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown
Prepare the chili crisp butter garlic topping:
5 minutes before the end of baking time, melt butter in a pan, then add the garlic and cook over medium-low heat until the garlic is aromatic, about 2-3 minutes. Watch the heat as we don't want to burn the garlic. Add the chili crisp and salt and stir to combine. Turn off the heat. Have a taste and add a bit more salt if you think it needs it
Brush with topping:
Set the baking pan on top of a cooling rack and use a pastry brush to brush the chili crisp butter garlic topping on top of the buns. You may need to use a spoon to scoop the chili crisp and garlic bits to help spread them as evenly as possible on top of the buns
Grab the parchment paper and lift the buns out from the pan and set on top of cooling rack. Serve them warm
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
Nutrition Facts
Chili Crisp Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls
Serving Size
1 dinner roll
Amount per Serving
Calories
182
% Daily Value*
Fat
8
g
12
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
0.1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
4
g
Cholesterol
7
mg
2
%
Sodium
259
mg
11
%
Potassium
121
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
24
g
8
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
4
g
4
%
Protein
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
90
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
3
mg
4
%
Calcium
40
mg
4
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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