Spicy and Sweet Stir-fried Squid (Baek Jong-won Style)
Spicy and Sweet Stir-fried Squid (Baek Jong-won Style)
Easy Baek Jong-won Squid Stir-fry Recipe – Perfect for Beginners!
This is a must-make dish when squid is in season! Introducing a delicious stir-fried squid recipe, a beloved side dish for rice and a great snack with drinks, following Baek Jong-won’s method that anyone can easily master.
Main Ingredients- 2 squids
- 1.5 onions
- 1/2 carrot
- 1 green onion
- 1/8 cabbage
- 1 Korean chili pepper (cheongyang)
- 1 red chili pepper
Seasoning Ingredients- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare all vegetables for easy eating. Cut the cabbage and onion into large chunks to maintain their texture. Slice the carrot thinly for color. Clean and cut the squid into bite-sized pieces. Chop the green onion; some for making scallion oil and some thinly sliced diagonally for the dish. Diagonally slice the Korean chili peppers and red chili peppers for a visually appealing presentation. (Note: I ran out of green onions for the dish, so I omitted them, but if you have extra, slice them diagonally.)
Step 2
Heat a pan over medium heat and add cooking oil. Add the chopped green onions and slowly stir-fry over low heat until fragrant, creating a flavorful scallion oil. This step significantly enhances the depth of flavor in the squid stir-fry.
Step 3
Once the scallion oil is fragrant, add the prepared squid to the pan and stir-fry quickly over high heat. When the squid is slightly cooked and turns opaque, add all the seasoning ingredients except for the sesame oil and sesame seeds (soy sauce, gochujang, gochugaru, minced garlic, sugar) and mix well.
Step 4
Continue stir-frying for 1-2 minutes to allow the sauce to coat the squid evenly. Once the sauce has slightly reduced, add all the prepared vegetables (onion, carrot, cabbage, diagonally sliced green onion) except for the chili peppers. Stir-fry over high heat until the vegetables are slightly softened but still retain some crunch. You can also reduce the heat to medium.
Step 5
Continue cooking over medium heat. Stir-fry until the vegetables are cooked but still have a pleasant crispness. Be careful not to overcook, as this can release excess water and make the dish mushy.
Step 6
When the vegetables are almost done, drizzle in the sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds for added aroma and flavor. (Tip: If you have any leftover perilla leaves (kkaennip), you can add them at this stage and stir-fry briefly for an extra layer of fragrance and taste.)
Step 7
Transfer the finished stir-fried squid to a serving plate. Enjoy your delicious, spicy, and sweet squid stir-fry, a perfect accompaniment to a warm bowl of rice!
