Squid Stir Fry

A quick and flavorful stir-fry made with tender squid, vegetables, and a savory sauce.

Course Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine Chinese, Filipino

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 231kcal

Cost $8-$12

Clean and cut the squid: Slice the body open and rinse to clean. Score the inside if thick, then cut into ½-inch strips. If using whole squid, remove the head, guts, cartilage, eyes, and beak. Tentacles are edible—rinse and pat dry.
Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine (optional), sugar, cornstarch, and ¼ cup water. Mix until smooth and set aside.
Sauté the aromatics: Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Add garlic and chili garlic sauce (if using), and sauté for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Stir-fry the vegetables: Add the onions and stir-fry for 1 minute until slightly softened. Add bell peppers, chilies, and and the white parts of the scallions. Cook for another minute until just tender.
Add the squid: Turn the heat up to high. Add the squid to the pan and toss with the vegetables and aromatics for about 30 seconds.
Add the sauce: Pour in the sauce and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the squid is cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly.
If it looks too thick or dry, add a splash of water. Don’t overcook—squid cooks quickly and can turn rubbery.
Finish and serve: Add the green parts of the scallions and a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper. Toss briefly, then remove from heat.

Squid: Pre-cleaned tubes are ideal—they’re tender, cook fast, and easy to slice. You can also use whole squid with tentacles—just remove the eyes and beak.
Vegetables: Use a mix of onion, sweet peppers, and large chili peppers (mild and edible ones, not just for spice). Bell peppers work great too. You can also add chayote, carrots, or snap peas—whatever you have on hand. For spicier chilies, remove the seeds and membranes or blanch them to tone down the heat.
Soy sauce: I used regular soy sauce, but you can also use light, reduced-sodium, or dark soy sauce. Adjust to your taste.
Oyster sauce: This adds a rich umami flavor with a slight sweetness that balances the dish.
Shaoxing wine (optional): It adds depth and aroma. If you don’t have it, you can substitute with a splash of cooking wine or mirin (just note that mirin is sweet).
Chili garlic sauce (optional): It adds heat and a garlicky kick. You can also use sambal oelek, which has a similar spicy flavor.