Korean Beoteo Ojingeo Gui (Butter Grilled Squid)

Quick answer

Total time: 22 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Butter ojingeo gui is a Korean street snack of semi-dried squid scored with shallow cuts, seared in butter on a flat iron griddle, then coated in a glaze of soy sauce, oligosaccharide syrup, and gochugaru.

Semi-dried squid has less moisture than fresh and a more concentrated chew, which means it develops a toasty crust from the butter quickly without steaming through. The scoring allows the glaze to penetrate into the flesh rather than sitting only on the surface. Over high heat, the soy-and-syrup mixture caramelizes fast, coating the squid in a glossy, sweet-salty lacquer. Gochugaru adds a round, lingering heat at the finish. A scatter of sesame seeds goes on last, releasing a nutty aroma with each bite. The combination of butter richness, soy glaze, and chile heat has made this one of the most recognizable items at Korean pojangmacha stalls.

Ingredients (2 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
semi-dried squid	2	piece
butter	25	g
soy sauce	18	ml
oligosaccharide syrup	20	ml
gochugaru	3	g
minced garlic	8	g
cooking oil	10	ml
sesame seeds	3	g

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Score the inside of 2 semi-dried squid bodies at 1cm intervals with shallow cuts.

Cut the tentacles into 5 to 6cm pieces and slice the body into 4 to 5cm wide pieces.
2

Control

Combine 18ml soy sauce, 20ml oligosaccharide syrup, 3g chili powder, and 8g minced garlic in a bowl and mix well.

The balanced ratio of soy sauce to syrup is key to preventing the sauce from burning when reduced.
3

Control

Heat 10ml oil in a pan over medium heat and add the squid with the scored side facing down.

Cook uncovered for 2 minutes to lightly dry the surface and get some browning.
4

Control

Add 25g butter and let it melt, coating the squid as it does.

Once fully melted, pour in the sauce and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, turning the pieces frequently.
5

Control

Remove from heat when the sauce clings glossily to the squid and has reduced to a small amount of liquid.

Overcooking at this point causes burning - pull it while a little sauce remains.
6

Finish

Sprinkle with 3g sesame seeds and serve skewered on sticks or in paper cups street-vendor style.

Squid toughens as it cools, so serve immediately.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Semi-dried squid develops concentrated umami when seared in butter and a sweet soy-chili glaze.
Finish cue: Sprinkle with 3g sesame seeds and serve skewered on sticks or in paper cups street-vendor style.
Avoid this: Squid turns tough if overcooked; finish quickly over high heat.