Easy, delicious and addictive spicy squid rice bowl recipe.
Squid (오징어) is quite cheap and easy to get in Korea. Maybe because of that there are many Korean dishes made with squid.
What is Korean Spicy Squid Rice Bowl
One of my favorite ways and also one of the most popular ways to enjoy Korean squid is turning it into a spicy squid rice bowl. This is called Ojingeo Deopbap – 오징어 덮밥 in Korean.
In essence, it is a stir fried squid dish served on a bowl of rice. Squid rings are covered in spicy and savory sauce and it is simply delicious! The squid is also cooked with vegetables to add nice crisp texture in overall dish.
This combination also produces a good amount of sauce, which can be used to mix your rice with. It’s addictive and what’s more it’s very easy and quick to make, so it will be a perfect weeknight dinner!
Squid vs. Calamari
I often thought that calamari is just another fancy name for squid. While some people might agree with this, others say there are some differences.
While calamari is a type of squid, apparently it is smaller, tenderer and more expensive.
Yet, many culinary experts and fishmongers say their difference is like splitting hair.
Anyway, if you are interested in this comparison, you can read more about it from these articles.
For convenience reasons, I used pre-cut squid tubes that are readily available in the freezer section of a grocery store. But you’re welcome to use cleaned whole squid including tentacles. You can either cut them into strips (e.g. a little finger size) or cut them into ring shapes.
Cooking Tips
- The most common stir fried vegetables for this recipe are onion, green onions, carrots, and cabbage. You could instead add some zucchini or fresh chilies too.
- A small amount of chopped kimchi (about 1/4 cup) can be added to bring out more complex taste and texture. If adding some kimchi, reduce the amount of soy sauce by 1 tsp in the seasoning sauce as kimchi will add some saltiness to the dish.
- Korean chili oil can be optional, but it really adds nice subtle spicy flavor and rich red color. I highly recommend using it. Here’s my homemade Korean chili oil recipe.
- Don’t overcook squid as it will become rubbery and lose the nice bouncy texture. For this reason, it is best to consume the dish soon after making it.
- If you don’t eat spicy food well or you like to add some extra protein, serve the squid rice bowl with a fried egg. It will neutralise the spiciness a bit.
More Korean Squid Recipes
- Spicy Dried Squid Side Dish (Ojingeochae Bokkeum, 오징어채 볶음)
- Korean Seafood Pancakes (Hgaemul Pajeon, 해물파전)
Ingredients for Spicy Squid Rice Bowl (Serves 2)
Main
- 270g / 9.5 ounces squid (calamari), cut into ring shapes or little finger sized pieces
- 1 Tbsp rice wine
- 60g / 2 ounces onion, thinly sliced
- 20g / 0.7 ounces green onion, chopped
- 50g / 1.8 ounces carrot, thinly sliced
- 80g / 2.8 ounces cabbage, chopped
- Some cooking oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cups cooked rice, to serve
- (optional) fried egg, to serve
Seasoning Sauce
- 1 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce, regular kikkoman
- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2.5 Tbsp Korean chili oil
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ground black peppers
Garnish
- (optional) sesame seeds
- (optional) green onions, thinly sliced
* 1 Tbsp = 15 ml
** If you are unfamiliar with Korean ingredients, learn about them from here – Korean ingredients.
How to Make Spicy Squid Rice Bowl
1. Put the squid / calamari rings in a medium bowl. Add the rice wine and mix well. Set aside.
2. Combine all the seasoning sauce in a bowl and set aside.
3. Pre heat a skillet over medium high heat until well heated. Add a generous amount (2 to 3 Tbsp) of cooking oil and add onions and green onions. Stir for 1-2 mins until fragrant. The oil may splash, so watch out for that.
4. Add the remaining vegetables. Stir over medium high heat until the cabbage is slightly wilted (about 2 mins).
5. Add the squid and the seasoning sauce. Stir evenly with the vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium and cover the skillet with a lid and cook further for about 5 mins or until the squid is cooked. Stir occasionally.
6. Remove from the heat. Add the sesame oil and stir around quickly.
7. Serve the cooked squid and vegetables on a bowl of rice. If adding, garnish with sesame seeds and green onion and top up with a fried egg.
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Korean Spicy Squid Rice Bowl (Ojingeo Deopbap)
Ingredients
MAIN
- 270 g squid / calamari (9.5 ounces), cut into ring shapes or little finger sized pieces
- 1 Tbsp rice wine
- 60 g onion (2 ounces), thinly sliced
- 20 g green onion (0.7 ounces), thinly sliced
- 50 g carrot (1.8 ounces), thinly sliced
- 80 g cabbage (2.8 ounces), thinly sliced
- Some cooking oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cups cooked rice , to serve
- fried egg (optional), to serve
SEASONING SAUCE
- 1 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce , regular kikkoman
- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2.5 Tbsp Korean chili oil
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ground black pepper
GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
- sesame seeds
- green onions , thinly sliced
Instructions
- Put the squid / calamari rings in a medium bowl. Add the rice wine and mix well. Set aside.
- Combine all the seasoning sauce in a bowl and set aside.
- Pre heat a skillet over medium high heat until well heated. Add a generous amount (2 to 3 Tbsp) of cooking oil and add onions and green onions. Stir for 1-2 mins until fragrant. The oil may splash, so watch out for that.
- Add the remaining vegetables. Stir over medium high heat until the cabbage is slightly wilted (about 2 mins).
- Add the squid and the seasoning sauce. Stir evenly with the vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium and cover the skillet with a lid and cook further for about 5 mins or until the squid is cooked. Stir occasionally.
- Remove from the heat. Add the sesame oil and stir around quickly.
- Serve the cooked squid and vegetables on a bowl of rice. If adding, garnish with sesame seeds and green onion and top up with a fried egg.
Notes
Nutrition Info (per serving)
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
PS: I actually had to make it withou chili oil (somehow I had run out) but even then it was looovely!
Super tasty! And so quick! This is going into my repertoir of delicious emergency dishes 🙂
Hi Sue,
I hv try this, and I really like it. Thank you for the recipe 😍
But how to make it spicier?
Is it gochujang or gochugoru that make it spicier? What should I add more?
Did you use the chili oil? I would add more of it to make it spicier. Just FYI, S&B Layu chili oil is a little spicier than my homemade chili oil.
Hi sue
Yesterday make spicy squid for my dinner. It’s so good and I finis the spicy squid. I like the fllavor and it’s easy to make. Thank you for the recipe.👍👍
This was soooo good. Went all out and made the chili oil. So glad I did because it infused the dish with a depth of flavor that was excellent. Left out the gochugaru (chili flakes) so it wouldn’t be so spicy for the kids. They were lapping up the sauce, they loved it so much. Thank you!!!!
Thank you Sue ! I made it for the family tonight and it was just fabulous, more than fabulous!
I have a bag of seafood (mix of calamari and scallops)
What a hit 🙂
shampa mum
You’re the best!! Yum yum
Thank you! Hope you enjoy it. 🙂
I can’t tell you how good this looks to me! I love squid! And with the egg? Perfection. By the way, I’m almost out of the chili oil I made from your recipe! So good!
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed my chili oil recipe. I’m almost running out as well. 🙂 Time to make some more.
Sue your chili oil is classic! Made 2 big jars of it 🙂
You know I thought it would be super hot but even after adding a cup of Korean chilli flakes and gochugaru sauce it was mild.
We added more chili oil to our food, yes the eggs is just super!
I absolutely love your recipe! Can you please give an approximate weight for the squid used? We have both small and large ones available. Thank you!
Thanks for your kind words, Maheen. I updated my recipe above to incorporate more accurate weight information. Hope you enjoy my recipe!