Korean Spicy Steamed Squid
Quick answer
Ojingeo-jjim is a Korean spicy steamed squid dish cooked with onion and green onion in a sauce of gochugaru, gochujang, and soy sauce.
What makes this special
- Ojingeo-jjim uses a precise ten-minute steaming technique to keep squid tender while absorbing a spicy gochugaru sauce.
- Start high then reduce to medium; total 10 minutes keeps squid tender
- Gochujang and gochugaru coat the surface in a vivid red glaze
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Clean 400 g squid, pat off excess moisture, and cut it into bite-size pieces.
- 2 Slice 1/2 onion into thick pieces and cut 1 green onion into similar lengths.
- 3 Combine 1.5 tablespoons Korean chili flakes, 1 tablespoon gochujang, 1 table...
Ojingeo-jjim is a Korean spicy steamed squid dish cooked with onion and green onion in a sauce of gochugaru, gochujang, and soy sauce. The key is keeping the total cooking time to around ten minutes, starting on high heat and finishing on medium, so the squid stays chewy rather than turning rubbery. Gochujang provides a thick, coating heat while the chili flakes add a sharper spiciness on top. One final toss at the end ensures every piece is evenly glazed with the red sauce. This quick-cooking dish works equally well as a banchan alongside rice or as an accompaniment to drinks.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Clean 400 g squid, pat off excess moisture, and cut it into bite-size pieces.
Spread the pieces out instead of stacking them thickly so they cook at the same pace and do not turn tough.
- 2Prep
Slice 1/2 onion into thick pieces and cut 1 green onion into similar lengths.
Keep the vegetables substantial, because very thin pieces soften too quickly while the squid is steaming.
- 3Season
Combine 1.5 tablespoons Korean chili flakes, 1 tablespoon gochujang, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and 100 ml water. Stir until the gochujang loosens so the sauce coats evenly later.
- 4Season
Place the onion and green onion on the bottom of the pot, then add the squid and pour the sauce evenly over it.
Make sure some liquid reaches the bottom so the seasoning does not scorch.
- 5Control
Cover the pot and cook over high heat for 3 minutes, just until steam builds.
Once it starts bubbling, reduce to medium heat and cook 5 to 6 minutes more, keeping the total time near 10 minutes.
- 6Finish
Turn off the heat when the squid turns opaque and the edges curl slightly.
Toss everything once with broad motions to coat it in the red sauce, then serve right away before the squid overcooks.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
Recipes That Go Well With This
More Steamed →Based on shared ingredients and meal pairing
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Haemul-tang is a Korean seafood hot pot that throws together crab, shrimp, clams, and squid in a fiery, brick-red broth. The liquid starts with gochugaru and plenty of garlic, building a spicy base that the seafood then amplifies with its own briny juices. Radish chunks soften as the pot bubbles, thickening the broth slightly and adding a cool sweetness behind the heat. Green onions and cheongyang peppers go in toward the end for a sharp, vegetal bite. The magic of haemul-tang lies in the convergence of flavors: crab shells release a sweet, crustacean stock; clams open to spill their liquor; shrimp and squid contribute distinct textures from snappy to chewy. The pot is brought to the table still at a rolling boil, and diners pick through the shells and tentacles while the broth continues to concentrate.
Korean Steamed Monkfish Stomach
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Paengibeoseot-jeon is a thin Korean pancake built around 200 grams of enoki mushrooms separated into loose strands and coated in a light batter of pancake mix, egg, and water. Cooked over medium-low heat, the batter spreads thin enough that the edges turn golden and crisp while the mushroom clusters in the center stay moist and chewy. Chopped scallions add color and a mild onion fragrance throughout. The pancake is served with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, and a pinch of chili flakes, whose acidity and salt lift the subtle earthiness of the mushrooms. Keeping the heat moderate is essential - too high and the outside burns before the interior sets.
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Korean Pickled Taro Stems
Torandae jangajji is a Korean pickled side dish made from taro stems. The outer fibrous skin is peeled away first, and the stems are salted and then blanched. Raw taro stems contain calcium oxalate crystals that cause an unpleasant prickling sensation in the throat, and blanching effectively neutralizes this before the stems are packed into the pickling liquid. The brine is made by bringing soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar to a boil, and it is poured over the stems while still hot so the seasoning penetrates quickly and evenly. Sliced garlic and ginger are simmered in the brine before it is poured, which infuses the liquid with deep aromatic warmth without any of the sharp pungency those ingredients carry raw. After two to three days of refrigerating, each piece develops a layered depth of salty, savory flavor with a clean vinegar brightness underneath. The defining characteristic of this pickle is its distinctive fibrous crunch, which stays satisfying even after the stems have fully absorbed the brine. It works as a rice accompaniment throughout the week and doubles as a drinking snack alongside soju.
Similar recipes
Korean Spicy Braised Pufferfish
Cleaned pufferfish fillets are steamed with bean sprouts and water dropwort under a spicy sauce built from gochugaru and gochujang. Pufferfish meat is very low in fat, giving it a lean, firm texture that holds together under bold seasoning rather than falling apart. Bean sprouts add a crisp, watery contrast to the dense chili paste, and water dropwort brings a distinctly herbal, slightly peppery fragrance that lifts the dish. Soy sauce and minced garlic round out the seasoning, adding depth without shifting the profile away from the chili-forward base. Pufferfish preparations are a regional specialty of Korea's coastal areas, where the fish is abundant and handled with particular care.
Korean Steamed Rockfish (Spicy Gochugaru Radish Braise)
Ureok-jjim is a Korean spicy steamed rockfish cooked with Korean radish, onion, and green onion in a gochugaru and soy sauce broth. Rockfish has firm, well-defined flesh that holds its shape through the cooking process, and scoring the skin lets the bold seasoning reach deep into the meat. Radish softens in the braising liquid and absorbs the chili heat while contributing natural sweetness, and ginger keeps the fish tasting clean. The remaining sauce is concentrated enough to spoon over rice, delivering a hit of spicy, salty flavor with every bite.
Korean Spicy Fermented Squid Jeotgal
Ojingeo jeotgal is a Korean fermented squid preserve made by salting cleaned, finely chopped squid for one hour to firm the flesh and extract moisture, then dressing it in a paste of gochugaru, minced garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and corn syrup. The salt cure intensifies the squid's natural chewiness, and cutting the pieces small accelerates seasoning absorption during the two-to-three-day cold fermentation. Chili flakes coat every surface in a deep red layer that delivers steady heat, while corn syrup adds gloss and a mild sweetness that prevents the salt from dominating. Spooned over steamed rice, each piece offers a firm, springy chew followed by a wave of fermented umami. Mixing in a touch of sesame oil before serving softens the saltiness and adds a nutty fragrance that rounds out each mouthful.