Spicy-Sweet Ojingeo Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-Fried Squid)
A stir-fry dish made by quickly cooking squid and vegetables over high heat in chili oil without letting excess liquid form.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This recipe quickly cooks squid and vegetables over high heat in a flavorful chili oil infused with garlic and chili flakes. Stir-frying rapidly to glaze the sauce keeps it from turning watery and keeps the squid tender and springy. Sweet, spicy, and savory, it makes a great dinner side dish, bar snack, or rice bowl topping.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Squid1 whole (large)
- Onion1 (small)
- Large green onion (daepa)1/2 stalk
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)1
Seasoning
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)2 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))2 tbsp
- Oyster sauce1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Sugar1/2 tbsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Toasted sesame oil
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Separate the squid body from the legs, keep the body whole without splitting it open, remove the innards, and wash it clean.
- Use 1 small onion suitable for pickling (or 1/2 medium onion), 1/2 stalk large green onion, and 1 Cheongyang chili pepper. You can also add carrots or other vegetables.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Separate the squid body from the legs, keep the body whole without splitting it open, remove the innards, and wash it clean.
Use 1 small onion suitable for pickling (or 1/2 medium onion), 1/2 stalk large green onion, and 1 Cheongyang chili pepper.
You can also add carrots or other vegetables.
Cut the ingredients
Cut the squid body into rings and slice the remaining parts into bite-sized lengths.
Chop the onion and large green onion into large pieces, and thinly slice the Cheongyang chili pepper.
Mix the sauce
In a bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients: 2 tbsp regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp corn syrup, and 1/2 tbsp sugar.
Make the garlic chili oil
Heat oil in a preheated pan, add 1 tbsp minced garlic, and stir-fry gently until fragrant, then add 2 tbsp gochugaru and...
stir-fry without burning to make chili oil.
Stir-fry the ingredients
Add the squid and stir-fry evenly; the flesh will start to plump up.
Pour in all of the prepared sauce, add the onion, large green onion, and chili pepper, and start stir-frying quickly over high heat.
Once you add the moist sauce and vegetables, you must stir-fry over high heat in a short amount of time.
As the sauce coats the ingredients and reduces, the squid stays tender while the vegetables keep a good texture.
It also keeps excess liquid from pooling later.
Once all the ingredients are cooked through, turn off the heat and finish with toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.
Finished dish
Cutting it into rings before stir-frying makes the plump squid look so appetizing.
Ppunwife's tips
- Once you add the moist sauce and vegetables, you must stir-fry over high heat in a short amount of time.
- As the sauce coats the ingredients and reduces, the squid stays tender while the vegetables keep a good texture. It also keeps excess liquid from pooling later.
FAQ
How do I prevent excess liquid from forming while stir-frying?
After adding the moist sauce and vegetables to the pan, stir-fry them quickly over high heat in a short amount of time so the sauce glazes the ingredients.
Can I add vegetables other than the basic ones listed?
Besides onion, large green onion, and Cheongyang chili pepper, you can add carrots or any other vegetables to your liking.
What is the best way to enjoy the finished dish?
You can serve it over rice as a rice bowl topping, pair it with boiled thin wheat noodles (somyeon) as mixed noodles, or wrap it in perilla leaves, which makes it even better as a side dish or snack with drinks.
