Korean Stir-Fried Octopus Fried Rice
Quick answer
Baby octopus is tossed with rice over high heat in a gochujang-and-red-pepper-flake sauce for a bold, spicy fried rice.
What makes this special
- Flour-scrubbed octopus stir-fried on high heat for 2 minutes stays springy and tender.
- Octopus rubbed with flour to remove fishiness then stir-fried on high heat for just 2 minutes
- Gochujang-chili sauce coats each rice grain to build the vivid red color
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Rub the 200 g baby octopus with flour until the surface feels less slippery...
- 2 Mix 1.5 tablespoons gochujang, 1 teaspoon gochugaru, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar.
- 3 Heat the pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil, and stir-fry th...
Baby octopus is tossed with rice over high heat in a gochujang-and-red-pepper-flake sauce for a bold, spicy fried rice. The sauce coats each grain with a deep red glaze, and the octopus adds a springy, chewy bite throughout. Cleaning the octopus with flour before rinsing removes any sliminess, and a fast cook on high heat keeps the tentacles from toughening. Green onion and sesame oil go in at the very end for a fragrant finish.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Rub the 200 g baby octopus with flour until the surface feels less slippery, then rinse well and drain thoroughly.
Cut thicker parts into bite-size pieces so they cook quickly and evenly.
- 2Season
Mix 1.5 tablespoons gochujang, 1 teaspoon gochugaru, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar.
Stir until smooth so the sauce coats the rice instead of clumping in the pan.
- 3Control
Heat the pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil, and stir-fry the 80 g onion for about 2 minutes.
Cook until the edges turn translucent, not browned.
- 4Season
Raise the heat to high, add the octopus and sauce, and stir-fry quickly for only about 2 minutes.
Once the tentacles curl, avoid cooking longer because the texture can turn tough.
- 5Heat
Add 2 cups cooked rice and break it up with a spatula while tossing for about 3 minutes.
Keep the heat high enough for the grains to turn red and the pan to dry out.
- 6Finish
Turn off the heat, add 30 g green onion and 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and toss just until fragrant.
Check the seasoning, plate immediately, and serve before the octopus loses its springy texture.
After the steps
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Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
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