Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid
Quick answer
- Total time
- 25 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 11
About this dish
Scoring and timing determine the texture of this stir-fried squid.
Read more
Pat 2 cleaned squid dry, cut shallow crosshatches into the inside of the bodies, and divide both bodies and tentacles into bite-size pieces. The cuts increase the surface that can hold the sauce, but they should not be deep enough to slice through the flesh. Before heating the pan, mix 2 tablespoons of gochujang with 1 tablespoon each of gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, and minced garlic until the paste is even. In a wide pan over high heat, stir-fry the onion and thinly sliced carrot for 1 minute, allowing only the edges to turn translucent. Add the squid and turn it for 1 minute to firm the outside. Pour in the sauce and continue tossing over high heat for about 2 minutes, then add the cabbage and green onion for the final minute. Stop as soon as the squid turns opaque, the scored bodies curl, and the sauce clings instead of pooling. Longer cooking encourages more liquid to escape and makes the squid increasingly firm. Turn off the heat, mix in 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, and transfer the stir-fry out of the hot pan at once.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Pat 2 squid very dry, then score the inside of each body lightly in a crosshatch pattern.
Cut the bodies and tentacles into bite-size pieces so they cook quickly and take the sauce evenly.
- 2Season
Mix 2 tbsp gochujang with 1 tbsp each gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, and minced garlic until smooth.
If the paste is too stiff to coat the squid, loosen it with the soy sauce already in the mixture.
- 3Prep
Slice 1 onion thickly, slice half a carrot thinly, and tear 100 g cabbage into bite-size pieces.
Keep the green onion separate because it goes in at the end and should stay fragrant.
- 4Control
Heat a wide pan over high heat until clearly hot, then coat it lightly with cooking oil.
Add the onion and carrot and stir-fry for about 1 minute, just until the onion edges turn slightly translucent.
- 5Season
Add the squid and stir-fry for only 1 minute, turning the pieces so the outside firms up.
Add the sauce, keep the heat high, and toss quickly for about 2 minutes to avoid rubbery squid.
- 6Finish
Add the cabbage and green onion and stir-fry for 1 more minute, just until the cabbage softens slightly but still crunches.
Turn off the heat, drizzle 1 tbsp sesame oil, and serve immediately while hot.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Scored squid bodies and cabbage hit high heat together with a gochujang sauce for a spicy stir-fry.
- Finish cue
- Add the onion and carrot and stir-fry for about 1 minute, just until the onion edges turn slightly translucent.
- Avoid this
- The key is quick high-heat cooking--overcooking makes squid rubbery.
- Substitution
- Stop as soon as the squid turns opaque, the scored bodies curl, and the sauce clings instead of pooling.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
25min, 11 ingredients
Category median
25min, 8 ingredients
Based on 220 recipes
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