Korean Ojingeo-bokkeum, Spicy Stir-Fried Squid

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Jagalchi Fish Market

📍 Where this dish comes from: Busan · Jagalchi Fish Market
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Korean Ojingeo-bokkeum, plated and ready to serve

Ojingeo-bokkeum is tender squid and crisp vegetables tossed in a bold, sweet-spicy red sauce. It is a classic Korean lunch special and one of the fastest dinners you can make. Crosshatching the squid helps it curl up beautifully and grab every bit of sauce.

Per serving: 253 calories · 12 g net carbs · 26 g protein · 10 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Korean Ojingeo-bokkeum

Korean Ojingeo-bokkeum, plated and ready to serve

Korean Ojingeo-bokkeum, Spicy Stir-Fried Squid

Ojingeo-bokkeum is tender squid and crisp vegetables tossed in a bold, sweet-spicy red sauce. It is a classic Korean lunch special and one of the fastest dinners you can make. Crosshatching the squid helps it curl up beautifully and grab every bit of sauce.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 23 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Korean
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 253kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cleaned squid bodies and tentacles
  • 1/2 small onion sliced
  • 1 small carrot thinly sliced
  • 1 small zucchini cut into half-moons
  • 1 green chili and 1 red chili sliced
  • 2 scallions cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • Sauce: 2 tablespoons gochugaru, 1 tablespoon Keto Gochujang-Style Paste (Chapter 10) or store-bought gochujang, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon allulose, 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Cut the squid bodies open and lay them flat, inside facing up. Score in a crosshatch pattern, then cut into 2-inch pieces. Cut the tentacles into bite-size lengths.
  • Stir together the sauce ingredients.
  • Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry the onion and carrot for 2 minutes, then add the zucchini and cook 1 minute more.
  • Add the squid and sauce and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the squid curls and turns opaque.
  • Add the chilies and scallions and toss for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and finish with sesame oil and seeds.

Notes

Squid needs either very quick cooking or very long cooking to stay tender. Here, keep it to just a few minutes on high heat. A crowded pan steams instead of stir-fries, so use your largest wok or cook in two batches.
Chef's Tip: Score the inside of the squid, not the outside. The pieces will curl outward into pretty rolls.
Keto Swap: Sugar or corn syrup is swapped for allulose. Serve over cauliflower rice to make the popular ojingeo deopbap, squid over rice.
Success Tip: Add a handful of shrimp along with the squid to stretch it for a bigger family.
Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 253kcal | Protein: 26g | Fat: 10g | Fiber: 3.3g
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Cooking Korean Ojingeo-bokkeum in the kitchen

About This Dish

Squid, or ojingeo, is one of the most popular seafoods in Korea and is eaten fresh, dried and grilled. Dried squid is a classic snack at movie theaters and on long train rides. The East Sea port of Jumunjin and the island of Ulleungdo are especially famous for squid, with lines of squid drying in the sun along the waterfront. In recent years, warming seas have made squid harder to catch off Korea’s coast, raising prices. Ojingeo-bokkeum remains a staple lunch at casual Korean restaurants.

Pairs Well With

This recipe is from The Ultimate Korean Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 4: Seafood (Jagalchi Fish Market). See all Korean recipes

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