How to Make Delicious Grilled Squid with Chili and Salt at Home

Grilled squid with chili salt has a spicy, fragrant, and rich flavor, with firm, crispy squid meat that smells incredibly appealing after grilling. To prevent the dish from becoming tough or burnt on the outside while remaining undercooked inside, you need to pay close attention to the grilling steps and temperature. In the article below, Ola Squid will guide you through how to make grilled squid with chili salt easily using 3 home grilling methods. Don’t miss out!

Ingredients to Prepare

To make grilled squid with chili salt for about 3 – 4 people, you can prepare the following ingredients:

You can adjust the amount of chili according to your taste. If you prefer a more pronounced spicy and fragrant taste, you can combine fresh chilies with chili powder so that the sauce has both a beautiful color and an enhanced flavor. 

How to Choose Delicious Squid for Grilling

Good squid is a key factor in determining the crispiness, sweetness, and aroma of the grilled dish. Depending on the type of squid used, you can rely on the following criteria to choose the right ingredient.

• For fresh squid: You should choose those with a bright body, skin that is still firmly attached, clear eyes, and elastic flesh. Fresh squid usually has a natural ocean scent, with no unusual foul or ammonia smell. When gently pressing the body with your hand, the squid flesh should feel firm and quickly spring back to its original state.
• For semi-dried squid (one-sun squid): You should select those with a dry outer body that still retains its flexibility, has a natural color, and shows no signs of sliminess or strange odors. Properly prepared and dried squid will have firm flesh and a deep sweet flavor, making it highly suitable for grilling with chili salt.

When buying squid, you should also prioritize products with clear origins, preserved under proper conditions, and showing no signs of abnormal discoloration. High-quality ingredients will help the squid retain its delicious aroma after grilling and prevent it from becoming tough.

See also: Tips for choosing fresh and delicious squid from foodies

Steps to Make Delicious Grilled Squid with Chili Salt

To ensure the grilled squid is evenly marinated while still maintaining its tender and crispy texture, you can refer to the steps below:

Step 1 – Preparing the squid

When you buy fresh squid, clean the ink sac, eyes, viscera, and the membrane inside the body. Rinse the squid with clean water, you can use a little salt to rub gently to eliminate odors, then rinse again and let it drain completely.

Use a knife to gently score criss-cross patterns on the squid’s body so that the seasoning clings easily and the squid pieces look more attractive when grilled. For large squid, you can cut them into bite-sized pieces or leave them whole, depending on how you wish to present them. If using semi-dried squid, simply defrost it properly if frozen, then clean and drain it well before marinating.

Step 2 – Making the chili salt sauce

Put the fresh chili, garlic, and lemongrass into a mortar to crush or blend finely. Add the coarse salt, sugar, chili powder, oyster sauce, fish sauce, ground black pepper, and cooking oil, then mix well.

After mixing, the sauce should have a salty, spicy, and slightly sweet flavor, while being thick enough to coat the squid surface evenly. If you prefer an intensely fiery flavor, you can increase the amount of fresh chili or chili powder to taste. Do not add too much water to the sauce, as a runny mixture will struggle to cling to the squid body and easily drip off during grilling.

Step 3 – Marinating the squid

Place the drained squid into a large bowl, add the freshly prepared chili salt sauce, and gently mix with your hands or chopsticks so the seasoning covers all sides. Pay special attention to the scored cuts on the body so that the sauce can penetrate into the small grooves.

Marinate the squid for about 15 – 20 minutes in the refrigerator. You should not leave the squid at room temperature for too long, especially in hot weather, as the squid will release water and affect the quality of the dish. If you want a more beautiful color after grilling, you can brush a thin layer of cooking oil on it before placing it on the grill grate or tray.

Step 4 – Grilling the squid with chili salt

Once the squid has absorbed the spices, you can choose a grilling method that suits your available equipment. Each method will have different heat levels and times, so it is necessary to monitor the process to prevent the squid from burning or drying out.

Method 1 – Charcoal-grilled squid with chili salt

Light the charcoal until it glows red and starts to form a thin layer of ash. Place the grill grate on top, wait for the grate to heat up, then put the squid on to prevent it from sticking to the grate.

Grill the squid over medium-heat charcoal, flipping frequently so it cooks evenly. For medium-sized squid, the grilling time is usually around 8 – 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the squid body and the heat of the charcoal. 

During the grilling process, you can brush an extra thin layer of sauce onto the squid to enhance the flavor. When the squid body firms up, turns opaque white, and the edges are slightly charred golden brown, you can take the squid off the grill.

Method 2 – Air-fried squid with chili salt

Preheat the air fryer to about 180°C for 3 – 5 minutes. Arrange the squid in the air fryer basket in a single layer, avoiding overlapping so that the heat distributes evenly.

Air-fry the squid at 180°C for about 8 – 12 minutes. After about 5 – 6 minutes, open the basket, flip the squid, brush with another layer of sauce if needed, and continue air-frying for about 5 minutes until the squid is cooked through. Each air fryer model has different power wattages, so you should check the squid in the final minutes. Do not air-fry for too long because high heat can easily dehydrate the squid and make it tough.

Method 3 – Oven-baked squid with chili salt

Preheat the oven to about 200°C for 5 – 10 minutes. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place the squid on top. You can brush a thin layer of oil on it to keep the squid surface from drying out.

Place the tray in the oven and bake at 200°C for about 10 – 15 minutes, depending on the size of the squid. After about 7 – 8 minutes, you should check and flip the squid to ensure even cooking. When the squid is firm, has a light golden surface, and gives off the rich aroma of chili salt, take the squid out of the oven. Let the squid rest for about 1 – 2 minutes before slicing so the meat retains its tenderness and juicy flavor inside.

See more flavorful grilled squid recipes:

• How to make delicious, sweet, and chewy plain-grilled squid at home
• How to make fragrant and spicy sate-grilled squid like in a restaurant
• 10 absolute must-try recipes for delicious grilled squid

Tips to Keep Grilled Squid Tender and Burn-Free

Squid cooks very quickly, so the grilling time must be carefully controlled. Too low a temperature causes the squid to release a lot of water, whereas too high heat or grilling for too long easily burns the surface before the inside meat reaches the ideal level of doneness.

Below are some key notes to make your grilled squid with chili salt even more delicious:

• Do not grill squid when it is still too wet: After preparation, let the squid drain well before mixing the sauce and marinating. A moderately dry surface will help the spices cling well and allow the squid to develop a beautiful color during grilling.
• Do not marinate for too long: About 15 – 20 minutes is perfect for the squid to absorb the flavor without releasing too much water.
• Grill over charcoal at medium heat: Do not place the squid too close to the coals because the sauce containing oil and sugar burns easily. Flip the squid frequently to cook both sides evenly.
• For air fryers: You can start at 180°C and check from the 5th or 6th minute. If the squid firms up quickly, reduce the remaining cooking time instead of following a fixed schedule.
• For ovens: Preheat the oven and position the squid where the heat is evenly distributed. You can flip it halfway through the baking process to prevent one side from getting dry.
• Do not grill for too long: As soon as the squid turns opaque white, becomes firm, and emits its characteristic aroma, take it out. Prolonged grilling will cause the squid to lose moisture and turn tough.
• Eat immediately while hot: Grilled squid with chili salt tastes best right after cooking. You can slice it into bite-sized pieces and serve it with Vietnamese coriander (rau ram), cucumbers, or dip it in green chili salt sauce as desired.

Above is how to make grilled squid with chili salt using 3 simple methods, perfect for doing at home. Just by choosing high-quality squid, mixing the sauce to taste, and controlling the temperature during grilling, you can easily prepare a fragrant, spicy, and flavorful squid dish that is never dry or tough. If you want to change up your taste buds with dishes made from dried squid, you can check out the dried squid from Ola Squid. Our products offer a variety of options in size and thickness, ideal for enjoying directly or cooking into many delicious home recipes.