Stir Fry Squid is a Chinese style recipe packed with heat and flavor from the aromatics, sauces and spicy calamari. This Asian squid recipe is quick and easy, making it the ideal dish for a weeknight meal.
This Chinese fried calamari recipe was inspired by one of my other stir-fry recipes, Hoisin Chicken and Broccoli stir-fry. You can serve this as an appetizer or a side dish, which pairs well with Burnt Garlic Fried Rice or noodles.
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How to stir fry squid, Chinese style?
The right ingredients will make your stir fry squid taste better. Choosing smaller squids will not only cook faster but will also improve the overall visual appearance of the dish. The best way to cut squids is to separate the tentacles and leave them as whole and cut the body of the squid to form “calamari rings”.
Stir fry recipes are also the best time to utilize those leftover sauce and vinegar packets from takeout meals.
You definitely need a wok if you want to stir-fry squids or any other stir fry recipes. As you know, stir fry recipes come together pretty fast, and you have to be super quick in adding the ingredients to the smoking hot wok.
The ideal way to stir-fry ingredients:
- Aromatics first (ginger)
- Proteins next (fried squids)
- Sauces last (soy, chili, vinegar)
Prepare this squid stir fry recipe in batches if you wish to make it in larger quantities for gatherings. You do not want to overcrowd the wok as it will prevent the wok from retaining heat and will sauté the ingredients instead of stir-frying it.
Serve the stir fried squids hot and avoid keeping any leftovers as they turn rubbery and chewy when reheated.
Ingredients
- Squids: Using both squid rings and tentacles adds variety in texture and contributes to the visual appearance of the dish.
- All purpose flour: Has a neutral taste and its coating works as a sponge to absorb the flavor in stir-fry.
- Ginger: Has a warm and pungent profile which is commonly used in Chinese cooking for flavoring and aromatics.
- Green onions: Adds freshness to the stir-fry and can be used as flavoring and garnish.
- Jalapeno: Adjust based on your spice preference. I went with seed-in sliced jalapenos to add a spicy kick to the stir fried calamari.
- Red onion: Adds a sweet mild flavor and adds vibrant color to the squid stir fry.
- Dark soy sauce: Contributes to the overall dark color in the stir-fry and is used less due to its high concentrated flavor.
- Light soy sauce: Adds saltiness and slight sweetness without darkening the dish.
- Rice wine vinegar: Adds acidity to balance the richness of other ingredients in the stir-fry.
- Sriracha sauce/chili sauce: Also adds a little more heat which complements the jalapenos.
- Black pepper: Adds a warm and pungent flavor to the deep-fried squids.
- Sesame oil: Imparts a rich nutty flavor which is essential in Chinese cooking.
- Vegetable oil: Use it for deep frying as it has a neutral flavor.
- Salt: Season the squids lightly and soy sauce may add a slightly salty taste to the dish too.
See recipe card for quantities.
Walk through the Recipe
Let’s start preparing our stir fried calamari.
We start off by heating oil in a heavy-bottom pan for deep frying. As the oil heats up, we season the squid rings and tentacles with salt and black pepper.
We gently coat the squids in all purpose flour and shake off any excess flour before deep frying.
Deep fry the squids for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and place it over a drying rack or paper towel to remove any excess oil.
Heat sesame oil in a wok on high heat and sauté ginger until aromatic. Next, add in the sliced Jalapenos, cubes of red onions, and stir-fry for 20 to 30 seconds.
Add in the deep fried squids and toss for another 30 seconds to coat the ingredients.
Pour in dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sriracha sauce and stir-fry for a minute until the sauce has coated every nook and cranny of the squids.
Sprinkle over sliced green onions and give a quick toss before transferring it over to a plate.
Your spicy calamari stir fry is now ready. Serve it as an appetizer with a garnish of sliced green onions or as a side dish with rice or noodles.
Substitutions
You can replace some of the ingredients in the recipe to suit what you have at home.
- All purpose flour: rice flour or corn flour.
- Jalapenos: add thai green chili if you prefer a more spicy stir-fry sauce.
- Sriracha sauce: any preferred chili/hot sauce or you can omit based on your spice tolerance.
- Red onion: white/yellow onion.
Tips
- Avoid over-frying squids: Do not overcook the squids as they may turn tough and rubbery.
- High heat: Ensure the wok is smoking hot for a quick and flavorful stir fry.
- Remove excess oil: I always throw the squids in the air fryer for a minute or two, to remove any excess oil used during deep frying. Remember to reduce the deep fry timing if you choose to use this method.
- Prep all ingredients in advance: Cooking with the stir fry technique is super quick and you don’t want to scramble for ingredients in the middle. Ensure all the ingredients are ready before cooking.
FAQs
Although fresh squid is recommended to achieve the best flavor and texture, you can use frozen squids but ensure it is thawed and well-drained before cooking.
You can stir fry assorted bell peppers, broccoli, bok choy, mushrooms, snap peas or carrots along with the squids or separately.
Peanut oil would be the ideal choice for stir frying but sesame oil works well too as it imparts a fragrant and nutty flavor.
There is no difference between calamari and squid. Calamari is used as a culinary term, whereas squids are used to specify the mollusk itself. Both names can be used interchangeably.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Prawns Koliwada (Mumbai-style spicy fried shrimps)
- Jerk Chicken Quesadilla
- Sumac Fries
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts Recipe (Indian style)
Fusion Recipes
Try out some of our specialty recipes:
- Jerk Shrimp Pasta (Rasta Pasta Recipe)
- Easy Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls
- Burnt Garlic Fried Rice
- Cevapi Sliders with Ajvar
Recipe
Spicy Stir Fry Squid (Chinese style)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb squid, rings and tentacles
- 1 bowl all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
- 3 green onions, finely sliced
- 1 Jalapeno, sliced
- 1 large red onion, cubes
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce/ chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoon sesame oil
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan to 350°F (175°C).
- Season the squid rings and tentacles with salt and black pepper. Coat all the squids in all purpose flour and shake off any excess flour. Deep fry for 1 to 2 minutes until golden and set aside on a drying rack or paper towel.
- In a wok, heat sesame oil on high heat and add ginger. Once the ginger is aromatic, add in the jalapenos, red onions and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the fried squids and toss for another 30 seconds.
- Pour in dark and light soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sriracha sauce and stir-fry for a minute until the sauce has coated the squids. Sprinkle over green onions and give a quick toss. Serve the squids in a bowl with garnish of sliced green onions.
Samantha
OMG Brendon you just reminded me of home with this one. Going to make this recipe again for my guests next weekend.
Good job!