If you are a seafood lover or looking for a hot, savory dish that still carries the distinctive taste of the ocean, then you must try squid hotpot immediately. Not only is it delicious and nutritious, but squid hotpot is also a fantastic suggestion for gatherings, family reunions, or days when you need a “heart-warming” dish full of energy. However, to make a pot of squid hotpot that is clear, sweet, and maintains the natural crispness of the squid, the squid hotpot recipe must be followed step by step correctly.

In this article, Ola Squid will guide you through preparing the most standard version of squid hotpot: from selecting the squid, preparation, cooking the broth, presenting, to tips for keeping the squid crispy when dipping. Every step is clearly presented, standard, and easy to apply for both beginners and experienced cooks.

Preparing ingredients for squid hotpot

For the squid hotpot to achieve perfect flavor, you need to prepare fresh, clean ingredients that are harmonious in taste.

Main ingredients:

500–700g fresh squid: tube squid, broad squid, or baby squid are all fine.
Chicken or pork bones: 500g to make the base broth.
Tomatoes: 2 fruits, helping to create color and a light sour taste.
Pineapple: ½ fruit, creating a natural sweetness.
Shallots, ginger, garlic: to make the hotpot broth fragrant.
Spices: salt, sugar, fish sauce, seasoning powder, satay, fresh chili.

Vegetables, mushrooms, and toppings:

Water spinach, bok choy, Napa cabbage.
Abalone mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms.
Fresh rice vermicelli or noodles.
Soft tofu or fried tofu.

Whether a hotpot is delicious or not, 70% depends on the quality of the ingredients. That is why the next part is extremely important.

Tips for choosing fresh ingredients

How to choose fresh squid

A pot of squid hotpot wanting to reach natural sweetness must have fresh squid. Below are the signs of fresh squid that professional chefs apply:

The squid’s eyes must be clear, not cloudy, without white slime.
The squid body is shiny, and the outer membrane is not peeling off too much.
Touching the body shows light elasticity, not mushy.
There is no foul odor, only the distinctive smell of the sea.
The tentacles are attached firmly, not falling off.

See more: How to choose fresh squid that not everyone knows

Tips for choosing fresh vegetables and mushrooms

A delicious hotpot cannot lack the accompanying vegetables and mushrooms. When choosing, you should:

Prioritize young green vegetables with small stems that are not wilted.
Choose mushrooms with bright colors, firm stems, not crushed by water.
Tomatoes should be naturally ripe red, not bruised.
Pineapple should be slightly ripe, not too sweet or too sour.

Detailed guide on how to cook squid hotpot

This is the most important part of the entire squid hotpot recipe. Just by following the steps below, you will have a clear, sweet, and properly fragrant hotpot broth.

Preparation and seasoning of ingredients

Detailed squid preparation

Separate the head and body of the squid.
Remove the ink sac, eyes, and beak to avoid bitterness and fishiness.
Wash the squid many times with dilute saltwater.
Use 2–3 slices of crushed ginger to scrub lightly to deodorize.
Cut the squid into rings or leave it whole if using baby squid.

Seasoning squid before cooking hotpot

This is the step that helps the squid be more fragrant even if only dipped briefly in the hotpot:

½ tablespoon fish sauce.
A little pepper (only when eating with adults).
1 teaspoon minced garlic.
½ teaspoon sesame oil or cooking oil.

Marinating for 10 minutes helps the squid be more aromatic, crispy, and sweet.

Steps to cook a delicious hotpot broth

Step 1: Stewing the broth

Stew chicken or pork bones for 45-60 minutes.
Skim the foam regularly to keep the broth clear.
Add grilled shallots and 1 crushed ginger bulb to increase the aroma.

Step 2: Making the hotpot broth

A delicious squid hotpot broth must converge 3 elements: sweet, slightly sour, and oceanic aroma.

You perform as follows:

Sauté garlic and shallots until fragrant.
Add tomatoes to sauté to create a natural red color.
Add pineapple to create a gentle sweet taste.
Pour the stewed broth into the pot, stirring gently.

Then season:

1 tablespoon good fish sauce.
1 tablespoon sugar.
½ tablespoon salt.
1 tablespoon seasoning powder.
1 small teaspoon of satay to create a light spiciness (optional).

Step 3: Finishing the hotpot broth

Add some chopped scallions and sawtooth herbs to the pot.
If you like a distinct sour taste, you can add 1 slice of lime or a little crushed tamarind.
The standard hotpot broth will have a light yellow-red color, with the scent of pineapple – tomato – ginger blended together.

Setting up the hotpot and preparing the dining table

A beautiful hotpot table increases the appeal of the dish a lot! You can present it as follows:

Arrange the squid on a separate plate, sprinkling a little scallion for beauty.
Divide vegetables and mushrooms into separate groups: water spinach – bok choy – Napa cabbage – mushrooms.
Place tofu, vermicelli, noodles in clean bowls.
Place dipping sauce in the center for everyone to use easily.

Secrets for a delicious and well-rounded squid hotpot

Tips to effectively remove fishy smell from squid

No matter how fresh the squid is, if prepared incorrectly, it is still easy to be fishy. You can apply:

Wash with dilute saltwater: Dilute saltwater helps clean the slime layer on the squid’s surface and remove fishy smells faster than regular water. Just mix 1–2 tablespoons of salt into a basin of water, wash a few times, and the squid will be clean and firmer.
Scrub the squid lightly with ginger or lime: Ginger and lime both have fragrant essential oils and strong deodorizing properties. When scrubbing directly on the squid body or squeezing a little lime juice onto the cleaned squid, the fishy smell almost disappears. This is also a way to make the squid smell light and more aromatic when processed.
Do not soak squid for too long in water: Soaking squid for a long time makes the meat mushy, loses its natural sweetness, and makes the fishy smell heavier. After washing, you should only let the squid drain and prepare to process as soon as possible.
Do not let squid be exposed to the air for too long after preparation: Once cleaned, squid is very prone to drying out and catching a fishy smell if left in the air for too long. It is best to put the squid in a sealed box or keep it in the refrigerator cooler if not cooking immediately.

How to keep squid crispy and sweet when dipping in hotpot

Squid is easy to become chewy if cooked for too long.

Principle: “dip fast, eat immediately”

Squid rings: dip for 5–7 seconds.
Baby squid: dip for 10–12 seconds.
Broad squid: dip for 8–10 seconds.

When the squid turns white and clear, it is ready.

Adjusting the sour and spicy level to suit your taste

People who like spicy: add satay, fresh chili, slices of bird’s eye chili.
People who like sour: add lime, tamarind, or rice vinegar.
People who like natural sweetness: add pineapple or white radish.

Other popular similar squid hotpot dishes

Sour and spicy squid hotpot

The hotpot dish is loved thanks to its Thai – Vietnamese flavor, both familiar and new.

Distinctive aroma: Lemongrass, chili, galangal, and lime leaves create a strong, gentle aroma, stimulating the taste buds right from the moment it is brought out.
Outstanding hotpot broth: Just enough sourness from tamarind or lime, light to heavy spiciness depending on taste. When combined with crispy sweet fresh squid, the hotpot becomes extremely appetizing.
Rich accompaniments: Water spinach, mushrooms, taro stems, baby corn, and fresh noodles help the meal be full and satisfying for longer.
Suitable for: Family and friend gatherings that want a “flavor-bursting” hotpot that is easy to make.

Mushroom squid hotpot

This is the perfect choice for those who like light, sweet, and easy-to-eat dishes.

Main flavor: The natural sweetness of mushrooms such as enoki, abalone, and king oyster mushrooms blended with fresh squid creates a light, fragrant hotpot broth that is low in fat and not greasy.
Advantages:
- Less spicy, easy to eat.
- Does not use many strong spices, so it keeps the full sweetness of the squid.
- Good for people eating healthy, young children, or the elderly.
Food experience: When dipping squid into the boiling mushroom hotpot, each piece of squid becomes firm and crispy, both light and delicious enough to eat forever without getting bored.

Refer to more: 5 ways to cook rich, authentic country-style freshwater crab hotpot

Dai Lanh squid hotpot

Specialty of the Khanh Hoa coastal region:

A specialty dish carrying the breath of the Khanh Hoa coastal region.

Unique ingredients: Using Dai Lanh squid, a type of fresh squid with thick, crispy meat and a deeper sweetness than regular squid. The squid is usually caught within the day so the freshness is almost absolute.
Authentic sea-flavored hotpot broth: Stewed from fish bones, shrimp, and vegetables, then squid is added to make the broth sweeter naturally without needing many spices.
Flavor highlight:
- Lightly sweet but still very rich.
- Distinctive sea aroma, suitable for those who love “original” seafood.
An experience worth trying: This is a hotpot dish with a clear regional flavor, helping you feel the freshness of Central Vietnam’s seafood in every piece of squid.

See more:

Recipe for making squid dipped in fermented rice sauce that is sour, light, and rich right at home

How to make crispy, delicious squid dipped in vinegar with authentic Southern flavor

Enjoying and storing squid hotpot

Delicious side dishes

Fresh rice vermicelli, noodles, or rice noodles.
Water spinach, Napa cabbage, bok choy.
Enoki mushrooms, abalone mushrooms.
White tofu or fried tofu.

How to make rich squid hotpot dipping sauce

Fish sauce with garlic, chili, and lime:

2 tablespoons good fish sauce.
1 tablespoon sugar.
1 tablespoon lime juice.
Minced garlic and chili.

Thai-style seafood sauce:

Blended green chili.
Cilantro, garlic.
Sugar + fish sauce + lime.

Storing cooked squid hotpot correctly

To store cooked squid hotpot correctly, you should only keep the solids like squid, vegetables, mushrooms… and discard the shared hotpot broth to avoid bacteria development. After the meal, let the solids cool completely before putting them in a sealed container, so the squid will not be steamed and become mushy.

The remaining hotpot should be stored in the refrigerator cooler for a maximum of 24 hours to keep its freshness. When wanting to use it again, reheat it on the stove to make the squid softer and sweeter; absolutely limit using the microwave because sudden high heat will make the squid become chewy and lose flavor.

Squid hotpot is not a too complicated dish but is easy to “score points” if you know how to choose fresh ingredients and cook with the right technique. When you grasp the squid hotpot recipe with simple steps and a few small tips to keep the squid crispy and sweet, you can completely make a steaming hotpot, both warming and authentic as if at a restaurant.

Hope these shares from Ola Squid will help you be more confident when entering the kitchen and have another delicious dish to change things up for the whole family. If you are looking for quality dried squid to prepare delicious dishes from squid yourself, you can refer to Ola Squid, where we specialize in providing authentic, high-quality dried squid.

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Preparing ingredients for squid hotpot