2 Easy and Delicious Ways to Make Stir-Fried Squid with Broccoli

Stir-fried squid with broccoli is a familiar dish in Vietnamese family meals thanks to the harmonious combination of the rich, sweet, and crispy texture of fresh squid with the refreshing, nutrient-rich nature of broccoli. However, not everyone knows how to stir-fry it so that the squid retains its natural crispness and sweetness without becoming tough or releasing too much water.

If you are looking to change things up for your family’s daily menu, join Ola Squid right away to discover how to make authentic, simple, and flavorful homemade stir-fried squid with broccoli below!

2 easy recipes for stir-fried squid with broccoli

Depending on whether your family prefers a gentle, subtle flavor or a spicy kick that stimulates the senses, you can choose 1 of the 2 following super delicious stir-fried squid with broccoli methods.

How to make crispy and delicious stir-fried squid with broccoli and oyster sauce

Oyster sauce is a wonderful seasoning that helps stir-fried dishes achieve a light thickness, eye-catching color, and rich sweetness. The combination of fresh squid and broccoli blended with oyster sauce creates an attractive and appetizing dish.

Prepared ingredients (2-3 people)

To complete the dish for a serving of 2 to 3 people, you need to fully prepare the following fresh ingredients:

Steps to make stir-fried squid with broccoli and oyster sauce

To make the dish achieve restaurant-standard flavor, please follow the detailed instructions below:

• Step 1: Prep the ingredients: Properly prepping the ingredients is the secret to helping the stir-fried squid with broccoli retain its beautiful color, crispness, and deliciousness without being fishy or watery during cooking.
  • Prep the squid: Buy fresh squid, pull out the ink sac, and remove the eyes and beak. Use coarse salt or a little white wine to gently rub it to eliminate any fishy odor, then rinse with clean water. Score the squid body in a dragon-scale pattern and cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • Prep the broccoli: Cut the broccoli into small, bite-sized florets. Soak the broccoli in diluted saltwater for about 10-15 minutes to remove dirt and small insects, then take it out, rinse, and let drain.
  • Prep herbs and seasonings: Peel and mince the shallots. Wash the scallions and cut them into segments of about 3 cm.

• Step 2: Marinate the squid: Place the prepped squid in a large bowl. Season with 1/2 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and a little minced shallot. Mix well and let the squid absorb the spices for about 10 – 15 minutes.

• Step 3: Sauté the aromatics: Place a pan on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and heat it. Add the remaining minced shallot and sauté until fragrant and golden brown.

• Step 4: Quickly stir-fry the squid over high heat: Add the marinated squid to the pan, turn on high heat and stir quickly. Stir-fry the squid quickly for about 2 minutes until the squid meat firms up, then transfer it to a separate plate; do not stir-fry too long as it will make the squid lose its crispness and release water.

• Step 5: Stir-fry the broccoli: Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to the pan and then add the broccoli to stir-fry. Season the pan with the remaining 2.5 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, and a bit of seasoning powder and sugar to taste. Stir evenly over medium heat until the broccoli is just cooked (about 3-4 minutes).

• Step 6: Stir-fry the squid and broccoli together: When the broccoli is just cooked, add the previously stir-fried squid back in to toss together. Adjust the seasonings to taste, sprinkle in the cut scallions, toss quickly for 1 minute, and turn off the stove. Transfer the stir-fried squid with broccoli to a plate, sprinkle a little ground pepper on top, and enjoy while hot.

How to make stir-fried squid with satay sauce and broccoli

If you prefer a spicy, tongue-tingling flavor, stir-fried squid with satay sauce combining both green broccoli and cauliflower is a suitable choice.

Ingredients needed

To make the dish of green broccoli and cauliflower stir-fried with squid in satay sauce, you need to prepare the following ingredients:

Step-by-step instructions for making stir-fried squid with satay sauce and broccoli

Get into the kitchen and make this spicy, aromatic, and flavorful dish with the 5 steps below:

• Step 1: Prep the squid and broccoli: Wash the squid with diluted saltwater, cut into bite-sized pieces, and let drain thoroughly. Separate the green broccoli and cauliflower into small florets, soak in diluted saltwater for 10 minutes, then rinse multiple times with clean water and let drain.

• Step 2: Marinate the squid: Marinate the squid with 1-2 tablespoons of satay sauce, 1/2 of the minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of MSG. Mix well and let sit for about 15 minutes for the squid to deeply absorb the satay spices.

• Step 3: Stir-fry the squid first: Heat cooking oil in a pan, and sauté the remaining minced garlic until fragrant. Next, add the marinated squid and stir-fry over high heat for about 2 minutes until the squid is cooked and firm, then remove the squid onto a plate.

• Step 4: Stir-fry the broccoli: Add the cauliflower and green broccoli into the pan used to stir-fry the squid. Add a little seasoning (sugar, MSG, a bit of satay if you want it spicier) and 1-2 tablespoons of filtered water to help the broccoli cook quickly without burning or drying out. Stir evenly over medium heat until the broccoli is crisp-tender.

• Step 5: Stir-fry the squid and broccoli together: Pour the plate of stir-fried squid back into the pan of broccoli, toss quickly over high heat for 1 minute for the ingredients to blend flavors together. Turn off the stove, transfer the dish to a plate and sprinkle fried garlic on top to enhance the crispy and aromatic flavor.

Refer to more delicious stir-fried squid recipes to change up your meals:

• How to make crispy, sweet, and water-free stir-fried squid with green beans
• How to make delicious, non-fishy stir-fried squid with celery and garlic
• How to make sweet and sour, crispy stir-fried squid with pineapple at home
• How to make crispy, sweet, water-free, and non-fishy stir-fried squid with garlic
• How to make crispy, delicious, non-fishy, and flavorful stir-fried squid with cauliflower

Tips for making stir-fried squid with broccoli even better

Although the recipe for stir-fried squid with broccoli is quite simple, to make the dish achieve restaurant-level deliciousness, you can refer to the useful little tips below.

Some techniques to keep in mind

During the preparation process, controlling the temperature and stir-frying time plays a decisive role in the quality of the dish:

• Do not stir-fry the squid for too long: Squid cooks very quickly; stir-frying it for too long will cause the squid muscle fibers to contract, leading to tough and chewy meat, losing its sweetness, and releasing a lot of water.
• Blanch the broccoli: You can blanch the broccoli in boiling water for about 30 seconds and immediately transfer it to a bowl of cold ice water. This method helps the broccoli retain its bright green color and keeps its crispness intact when stir-frying.
• Season at the right time: Seasoning at the end of the stir-frying process helps the dish taste just right, preventing vegetables from becoming limp, releasing water, or burning the seasonings at high temperatures.
• Do not cover the pan when stir-frying: Absolutely do not cover the pan lid during the stir-frying process. The condensed steam dripping from the pan lid will steam the squid and broccoli, making them soft, losing their crispness, and releasing a lot of water.

How to choose fresh and delicious squid

Fresh ingredients determine the deliciousness of the stir-fried squid with broccoli dish. You can apply the tips for choosing fresh squid shared by Ola Squid below:

• Squid skin color: Fresh squid skin always has a natural gloss, bright color, and faint pale spots clearly visible on the body.
• Squid eyes: Choose squid with crystal-clear eyes where the pupils inside are clearly visible. Do not choose squid with cloudy eyes or fluid discharge.
• Adhesion of tentacles: The tentacles must be tightly attached to the body, and all tentacle tips must be intact without falling off.
• Elasticity: Gently press your hand against the squid’s body. Fresh squid will have good elasticity, firm flesh, and immediately return to its original shape.
• Signs of spoiled squid: Stay away from squid that is discolored, mushy, with the head detached from the body, or emitting an unusual foul, fishy odor.

How to choose fresh and crispy cauliflower/broccoli

Besides fresh squid, choosing the right broccoli also helps make the stir-fried dish more rounded and nutritious:

• Cauliflower: Choose heads with an even, bright white color, free of bruising or discoloration.
• Green broccoli: Choose heads with a dark green color, uniform from the outside to the inside.
• Characteristics of florets: The tiny broccoli florets must be tightly packed together, still closed buds, and feel firm to the touch.
• Signs of bad broccoli: Do not choose broccoli that has begun to turn yellow, shows black bruised or moldy spots, contains worm cocoons inside, or has bruised and withered stems and roots.

Hopefully, with the 2 recipes for stir-fried squid with broccoli and the ingredient selection tips that Ola Squid has just shared above, you can confidently step into the kitchen to showcase your skills in preparing a stir-fried dish that is both delicious and nutritious for the whole family. Wishing you successful preparation and cozy family meals!

To explore many other attractive recipes such as stir-fried squid, grilled squid, squid salad, or authentic seafood dishes and useful cooking tips, don’t forget to visit Culinary Corner of Ola Squid.