How to Make Delicious, Crunchy, and Tender Stir-Fried Mixed Squid

Stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables is a familiar dish with a harmonious combination of crunchy, sweet squid and colorful vegetables. However, if the squid is prepared or stir-fried incorrectly, it easily turns tough and releases a lot of water, making the dish less appealing. With the method for stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables that Ola Squid shares below, you can keep the squid crunchy and sweet, the vegetables just cooked, and the stir-fry sauce rich and not watery. Discover it now!

Ingredients for stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables

For stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables to have an attractive color and balanced flavor, you should combine the squid with vegetables that have relatively different levels of crunch and cooking times. Broccoli, carrots, onions and bell peppers are popular choices, adding color while keeping the dish from feeling heavy.

Ingredients and quantities

The portion below suits about 3–4 people. You can adjust the amount of vegetables according to your preference and the number of diners.

If you like it spicy, you can add 1–2 sliced fresh chilies. Besides the vegetables above, the dish can also be varied with mushrooms, snow peas or baby corn to add variety.

Tips for choosing fresh squid

Fresh, good squid determines most of the crunch and sweetness of the dish. When buying, you should prioritize squid with a firm body, skin that still has a natural gloss and no unusual foul smell.

Some signs that help you choose fresh squid include:

• Firm squid body: Press lightly on the body with your hand; fresh squid usually has good springiness and quickly returns to its original shape.
• Natural color: The squid skin is bright and glossy, and may be slightly translucent; you should not choose squid that is dull or very slimy.
• Squid eyes: Clear, bright eyes that are not cloudy or discolored are a sign that the squid is still fresh.
• Tentacles and arms: The tentacles are firmly attached to the body, not mushy or coming off when you hold them.
• Smell: Fresh squid has the characteristic smell of seafood, with no unusual sour or strong fishy smell.

How to make crunchy, delicious stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables that doesn’t release water

To keep the squid from turning tough and the stir-fry from becoming watery, you should stir-fry the squid separately over high heat for a short time, and only then combine it with the vegetables. The vegetables should also be drained before stir-frying and seasoned at the right moment.

Step 1: Prepare the squid

After buying the squid, clean out the ink sac, and remove the innards, the cuttlebone and the eyes. Rinse quickly with clean water, then let it drain thoroughly. You can use a little crushed ginger to rub lightly on the squid to remove the fishy smell, then rinse again and pat dry.

Lightly score a few diagonal lines on the squid body, then cut it into bite-sized pieces. This not only makes the squid look better after stir-frying but also helps the seasoning cling to the surface.

After preparing, marinate the squid with a little seasoning powder, pepper and minced ginger for about 10 minutes. You should not marinate with too much fish sauce or liquid seasoning from the start because it can make the squid release water when stir-frying.

Step 2: Prepare the vegetables

Peel the carrot and slice it thinly or carve it into flowers. Remove the seeds from the bell pepper and cut into bite-sized pieces. Cut the onion into wedges and the celery into sections.

For slow-cooking vegetables such as carrots and broccoli, you can blanch them quickly in boiling water, then remove and soak in cool water. This helps the vegetables cook faster when stir-frying, while keeping their color and crunch better. Before stir-frying, you need to let the vegetables drain thoroughly to determine whether the stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables will release a lot of water.

Step 3: Stir-fry the squid separately (keeping it crunchy)

Place a pan on the stove, heat the pan, then add a little cooking oil. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, then add the squid and stir-fry over high heat.

Toss the squid quickly and evenly for about 1–2 minutes, until the squid has just firmed up and changed color, then turn off the heat or transfer the squid to a plate right away.

You should not stir-fry the squid too long because high heat acting for a long time will make the squid flesh shrink and become tougher and harder.

Step 4: Stir-fry the vegetables with the squid and season

Reuse the pan you just used for the squid, add a little oil if needed, then add the carrots and tomatoes and toss quickly over high heat. When the vegetables start to be just cooked, add the bell pepper and onion.

Continue tossing evenly, then season with oyster sauce, fish sauce, a little sugar and seasoning powder. Toss quickly for about 30 seconds to 1 minute so the squid absorbs the seasoning and blends with the vegetables. Finally add the celery, sprinkle on a little pepper, then turn off the heat.

Step 5: The finished dish

The stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables is firm and crunchy, with a natural sweetness and no toughness. The vegetables are just cooked, still keeping their crunch and eye-catching color.

The dish combines the bright white of the squid, the green of the celery, the orange of the carrot and the red of the bell pepper. The seasoning clings lightly to the outside of the ingredients, without creating too much liquid in the pan.

You can enjoy the stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables right away while it is still hot with white rice. The sweetness of the squid combined with crisp, fresh vegetables will add variety to a family meal without being too heavy.

See more delicious, easy stir-fried squid dishes to make at home:

• What to stir-fry squid with? A roundup of the most rice-friendly stir-fried squid dishes
• Recipe for crunchy, sweet and fragrant squid stir-fried with green beans
• How to make crunchy, sweet garlic stir-fried squid with no water and no fishy smell
• How to make delicious, crunchy cauliflower stir-fried squid, the more you eat the more you crave
• How to make sweet and sour pineapple stir-fried squid, pleasantly crunchy, at home
• 2 suggested ways to make delicious, crunchy, rice-friendly squid stir-fried with cauliflower
• How to make crunchy, delicious sweet and sour stir-fried squid, you’ll be hooked
• How to make squid stir-fried with crisp green water spinach, extremely delicious

Tips to keep stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables always crunchy, delicious and good-looking

Besides the recipe above, a few small tips during cooking will help keep the squid crunchy and prevent the dish from releasing water.

• Don’t stir-fry too long, use high heat, toss evenly: The squid needs to be cooked quickly at high temperature instead of stir-fried for a long time. The pan must be hot enough before adding the ingredients so the squid quickly firms up on the surface and releases less water.
• Season at the right time so the vegetables don’t release water: Vegetables contain a certain amount of natural water and will easily release it if marinated or seasoned too early. So you should let the vegetables drain before stir-frying and only season when the vegetables have started to cook.

Some frequently asked questions when making stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables

How many calories are in stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables, and is it fattening?

According to reference nutritional values, 1 plate of stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables provides about 136 kcal, along with about 17.4g of protein, 5.9g of fat, 3.5g of carbohydrate and 0.58g of fiber. However, the actual calories may vary depending on the amount of squid, vegetables, cooking oil and seasoning used.

At about 136 kcal per plate, stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables is not a dish with excessively high energy. However, eating a lot can increase the total calories for the day, especially when the dish is cooked with a lot of oil or eaten with a large portion of rice. If you are controlling your weight, you should prioritize plenty of vegetables, limit oil and sugary sauces, and eat it with a moderate amount of rice.

What goes well with stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables?

Stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables has a rich flavor and crunchy, sweet vegetables, so it goes best with hot white rice. In addition, you can also enjoy the dish with brown rice or add a light soup.

How do I store leftover stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables?

If you can’t finish it, you should let the dish cool slightly, then put it in a clean food container, close it tightly and store it in the refrigerator’s cool compartment. You should not leave the dish at room temperature for too long, especially in hot weather.

When eating it again, only take just enough and reheat it thoroughly. Stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables is best eaten on the same day; if it has been stored overnight, you need to check the smell and condition of the food before using it. You should not continue eating it if the dish shows unusual signs such as a sour smell, sliminess or color change.

Can fresh squid be replaced with dried squid for stir-frying?

Yes. Dried squid can be used to vary the dish into stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables, but the preparation differs from fresh squid. Dried squid needs to be cleaned, then soaked or softened appropriately before cooking so the squid flesh does not stay too hard.

If you want to try a version using dried squid stir-fried with mixed vegetables, you can refer to the dried squid products from Ola Squid to vary the stir-fry to your family’s taste.

I hope the detailed instructions above for making delicious stir-fried squid with mixed vegetables have helped you cook this dish successfully. If you are looking for delicious, fresh and quality dried squid to make this appealing dried squid stir-fried with mixed vegetables, don’t hesitate to contact Ola Squid right away!