Fried stuffed squid is one of the “heart-stealing” dishes for all seafood enthusiasts thanks to the perfect harmony between the sweet, crunchy taste of fresh squid and the rich, soft fattiness of the flavorful meat filling.

In this article from Ola Squid, you will find all the ingredients, cooking tips, and step-by-step instructions to manually create a delicious chef-standard fried stuffed squid right in your own kitchen.

Summary of content

Ingredients for Fried Stuffed Squid

The fried stuffed squid dish has long become one of the sophisticated choices for Vietnamese food lovers, especially those who enjoy the blend of seafood and pork.

The combination of the pure sweetness of fresh squid with the soft fattiness of the meat filling creates a whole that is both familiar and novel. To prepare this dish to a rich, well-rounded, and fragrant standard, the ingredients are the prerequisite factor.

For the stuffed squid part:

500g medium-sized tube squid (choose fresh ones with thick bodies, not too small for easy stuffing)
200g ground pork (shoulder or belly for a soft, juicy filling)
100g wood ear mushrooms, soaked until soft and finely chopped
100g glass noodles, soaked and cut short (can be replaced with cellophane noodles)
1 finely minced shallot
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 small carrot, diced
1 egg to create binding for the filling
Chopped green onions
Coriander (optional)

Seasonings for the filling:

1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon seasoning powder
1 teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon oyster sauce (helps the filling taste richer)
1 teaspoon sesame oil (adds fragrance)

How to choose fresh and delicious squid

When you want to make stuffed squid, the first factor you cannot ignore is the quality of the squid. The squid must be fresh so that when fried, it is lightly crispy, soft, not chewy, and has a natural sweet flavor.

Delicious squid always has a shiny outer skin and good elasticity in the body. When you press lightly with your finger, the squid meat will bounce back instead of leaving a dent. This is a sign that the squid is very fresh.
Additionally, the color of the squid also speaks to its freshness. Fresh squid is translucent white, with the head and body firmly connected and not falling apart.
The eyes of the squid should be bright and clear, not cloudy or blurry.
If you notice the squid has an unusually strong fishy smell or a slimy surface, it is a sign that the squid is no longer of sufficient quality for cooking.

The fried stuffed squid dish requires squid that is not too large, usually medium-sized because a body that is too small will be difficult to stuff, while squid that is too large can easily become chewy. To reach the standard, you should choose tube squid about 10–14 cm long, with a moderate body and a smooth surface. Many professional seafood restaurants also prioritize this type of squid to create a beautiful appearance and even cooking when fried.

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

How to choose pork and other ingredients

The meat filling plays the role of the soul of the fried stuffed squid dish, so the pork needs to be selected carefully.

Delicious meat is meat that has a pale pink to bright red color, no stale smell, and firm muscle fibers.
The most ideal lean-to-fat ratio is 7:3 to create a soft, lightly fatty texture without being greasy.
If you use only lean meat, the filling will be dry; if you use too much fat, the filling will be mushy and easily leak out when fried.

In addition to pork, sub-ingredients like shallots, wood ear mushrooms, ground pepper, cooking oil, seasoning powder, sugar, and salt also contribute to the characteristic flavor. Vietnamese shallots are fragrant and have a light pungency, helping the filling’s aroma rise. Dried wood ear mushrooms, when soaked and expanded, will provide a light crunchiness, creating an interesting sensation when eaten. You should choose large, thick mushrooms that are not moldy for the best quality.

When combining all these ingredients, the fried stuffed squid dish is not only delicious but also provides many nutritional values: protein from the meat, natural collagen from the squid, fiber from the mushrooms, and many essential minerals.

Steps to make authentic Fried Stuffed Squid

To make the fried stuffed squid dish reach the true standard taste of restaurants or professional home kitchens, each stage must be performed carefully and with the correct technique. It is not just simply stuffing meat into squid and then frying; this dish requires meticulousness in every step, from preparation to seasoning, from adjusting the heat to controlling the time.

Below is a detailed and complete guide so you can succeed on your first try.

Preparing squid and ingredients

When you buy squid, it needs to be washed with diluted saltwater or white wine to remove the natural fishy odor.
Separate the squid head from the body, then gently pull out and discard the ink sac inside. This operation requires a gentle hand because the ink sac is very fragile; if torn, it will stain the squid and cause an unpleasant smell.
Keep the squid head to mince finely and add to the filling. This is a tip that many chefs use to increase the natural sweetness of the filling and simultaneously utilize the entire squid without wasting anything.
For wood ear mushrooms, soak them in warm water for about 10–15 minutes to fully expand, then rinse with cold water. Afterward, squeeze dry and mince finely.
Shallots are also peeled, washed, and very finely minced so that when mixed into the filling, they will blend easily.

Thoroughness in the preparation stage helps the subsequent steps become smoother, while limiting any remaining fishy smell—the deciding factor for the deliciousness of fried stuffed squid.

Preparing the meat filling

In a large bowl, add the minced pork, finely chopped squid heads, shallots, wood ear mushrooms along with seasonings like seasoning powder, salt, sugar, MSG, ground pepper, and a little cooking oil. The ratio of seasonings will determine the rich flavor of the filling.

Usually, to make the filling for 4 people, one would use about:

1-1.5 tablespoons seasoning powder
½ tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon MSG
1 teaspoon ground pepper

When mixing, you should use your hands (wearing gloves) to feel the binding of the filling. Mix until the mixture becomes sticky and the ingredients are well blended. Don’t rush to stuff immediately, but let the filling rest for about 10–15 minutes so the seasonings can penetrate deeply. This is a very important stage, helping the filling not to be bland or crumbly after frying.

Some professional chefs also recommend adding a little tapioca starch for better binding of the filling, but it’s not mandatory. Depending on your preference, you can also add a little minced carrot to increase the color and natural sweetness of the filling.

Stuffing the meat into the squid

This is a stage that requires skill and patience.

Using a small spoon or teaspoon, gently push the filling into the squid body.
You should not stuff it too full because when fried, the squid will shrink and the filling will expand. If stuffed too much, the squid is very likely to burst or tear, making the dish lose its aesthetic appeal. It’s best to only stuff about 70–80% of the squid body.

After stuffing, use a bamboo toothpick to lightly pierce and secure the squid head. This action helps the filling not to fall out when frying. However, you need to pierce firmly but not too strongly to avoid puncturing the squid. This is a tip that many beginners often get wrong; just one excessive stroke and the ingredients can burst out in the oil pan.

Frying the squid

Prepare a deep-bottomed pan, and add about 100 ml of cooking oil.
Heat until the oil slightly bubbles, then drop the squid in. Most importantly, keep the heat at medium, not too high, to avoid burning the squid skin while the filling inside has not yet had time to cook.

The frying process lasts about 15–20 minutes. During that time, you need to flip both sides every 2–3 minutes so the squid turns golden brown evenly. This is an important principle to avoid the situation where the squid is burnt on the edges or absorbs too much oil. When you see the squid body is golden brown and slightly puffed up, that is also when you can take it out and let it drain the oil.

Just by frying with the correct technique, the fried stuffed squid dish is not only eye-catching but also retains a light crispness on the outside and moist softness on the inside.

When you cut each slice of squid, you will see the filling inside is firm, smooth, and evenly seasoned. The outside squid is lightly golden, soft but not chewy. The meat filling is fatty, sweet, and has the crunchiness of wood ear mushrooms. The aroma of squid, meat, and onions blends together to create an irresistible flavor.

You can enjoy this dish with white rice, fresh vermicelli, or served with raw vegetables and cucumbers; they are all very suitable. A delicious bowl of dipping sauce will make the dish more complete.

See more:

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Small tips to make Fried Stuffed Squid tastier

Although the recipe is already quite detailed, to make the dish reach perfection, you should apply some secrets passed down from professional chefs and families with long experience with fried stuffed squid.

The secret to frying crispy squid without it being chewy

If you want the squid not to be chewy, you need to note two things: oil temperature and frying time. Squid exposed to too high a heat will cause the protein to shrink quickly and make the squid chewy. Therefore, you should heat the oil moderately, then maintain medium heat throughout the frying process.

Before putting it in the pan, let the squid be completely dry. A good tip is that you can apply a thin layer of oil on the squid body before frying. This way helps the squid look shiny and beautiful, prevents it from being dry, and limits oil splattering.

How to make attractive accompanying dipping sauce

A delicious bowl of dipping sauce can take the fried stuffed squid dish to a new level. You can mix 1 tablespoon of good fish sauce, ½ teaspoon of sugar, ½ teaspoon of lemon juice, add minced garlic and minced chili. Stir well until the sugar dissolves.

If you like a rich dipping sauce style like at seafood restaurants, you can add a little mayonnaise or chili sauce to create an attractive creamy, spicy, and sour sauce.

How to preserve and reheat Fried Stuffed Squid correctly

If you make a lot or want to prepare ahead for a meal, correct preservation is very important.

After frying, the squid needs to be cooled completely before being placed in a storage container. Leaving hot squid in a sealed container will create steam and make the squid soggy.
In the refrigerator compartment, the dish can be kept for 1–2 days.
When you want to use it again, instead of reheating in a microwave, which makes the squid easily chewy, you should reheat it with an air fryer at 160°C for 6–7 minutes. Or quickly re-fry in a hot oil pan for 2–3 minutes; the dish will retain its flavor as if it were newly made.

That is the way for the fried stuffed squid dish to always be fragrant, delicious, and well-rounded whether you enjoy it immediately or the next day.

Whether it’s an everyday meal or a weekend gathering, this dish always brings a warm, complete feeling. If you want to make your meal more special, try making fried stuffed squid according to this guide—simple, easy to do but the quality is no less than that of a restaurant.

If you love delicious dishes from squid or are looking to buy quality dried squid, don’t forget to visit Ola Squid to explore more high-quality products and many other cooking secrets in our culinary corner at https://olasquid.com/goc-am-thuc/. Wishing you success and many complete meals!

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