• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Korean Bapsang logo

  • Start Here
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Main Dishes
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Pork
      • Seafood
    • Noodles and Rice
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups and Stews
    • Condiments and Sauces
    • Desserts/Sweets
    • Vegetarian/Vegan
    • Slow Cooker/Pressure Cooker
    • Kid-friendly/Mild Dishes
    • Traditional Holiday
      • Seollal (New Year’s Day)
      • Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)
  • Pantry
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Featured On
    • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Pantry
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Main Dishes

    Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)

    Published 12/02/2018. Updated 03/10/2024

    Jump to Recipe

    Ojingeo bokkeum is a spicy stir-fried squid dish. If you love squid and spicy food, this flavor packed dish is easy to make with a few staple Korean ingredients.

    DSC 0024 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)

    Ojingeo bokkeum (오징어 볶음) is a spicy stir-fried squid dish. Ojingeo is squid, and bokkeum refers to the dishes that are stir-fried. Koreans love squid, and this spicy dish is highly popular at home and restaurants.

    The squid is cut into bite-sized pieces and stir-fried in a slightly sweet gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste) based sauce along with some vegetables.The red spicy sauce adds a burst of spicy flavor to the crisp vegetables and tender squid!

    Once you clean the squid, the dish cooks up very quickly.

    DSC 0047 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)

    How to prepare squid

    Grab the body in one hand and the head in the other. Firmly pull apart with a slight twisting motion. The head and innards should easily slip out of the body. Then, cut the tentacles from the head just below the eyes.

    Remove the skin from the flesh and the beak from the center of the tentacles. However, Korean cooks commonly leave the squid skin on. It’s a matter of preference and depends on the squid.

    Finally, some people lightly score the squid in a small diamond pattern (about 1/4-inch squares). It helps the squid pieces hold more sauce and gives them an interesting look. I skipped scoring in this updated post. Instead, I left the squid body whole and cut into rings. You can also cut the squid body open and then into about 3/4-inch wide and 3-inch long bite size pieces.

    how to clean squid - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)

    Seasoning mix

    The seasoning mix is made with staple Korean ingredients, such as gochugaru (red chili pepper flakes), gochujang (red chili pepper paste), garlic, ginger, etc. This recipe is certainly hot, but not fiery hot. If necessary, you can adjust the heat level to your taste by using more or less gochugaru.

    Vegetable options

    I used onion, carrot, zucchini, and scallions in this recipe. Green cabbage and bell peppers are also common. Fresh hot chili peppers are also commonly used in this dish, but the heat can be quite intense with certain varieties.

    More squid recipe

    Ojingeo Muchim (Spicy Squid Salad)
    Ojingeochae Muchim (Spicy Dried Squid Strips)

    DSC 0011 1 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)

    For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

    DSC 0047 300x300 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)

    Ojingeo bokkeum (spicy stir-fried squid)

    4.71 from 51 votes
    Side Dish
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 1 medium size squid about 14 ounces
    • 1/2 medium carrot
    • 1/2 medium onion
    • 1/2 medium zucchini
    • 2 scallions
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

    Sauce:

    • 2 tablespoons Korean chili pepper paste gochujang
    • 1 tablespoon Korean chili pepper flakes gochugaru - 1 or 2 teaspoons more for a spicier dish
    • 1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup or 1 more teaspoon sugar
    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
    • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
    • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
    • pinch black pepper

    Instructions

    • Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
      DSC 0022 600x402 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)
    • Clean the squid (see note). Cut the body into about 3/4-inch rings (or slit the body open and cut into 3/4-inch wide, 2-inch long bite size pieces). Do not make the pieces too small as they will shrink when cooked. Cut the tentacles into the same lengths. See note if you want to score the squid.
      DSC 0245 600x402 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)
    • Mix the squid with the seasoning mix and marinate while preparing vegetables.
      DSC 0025 600x402 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)
    • Slice the onion. Cut the zucchini and carrot into half lengthwise and thinly slice into 2-inch long pieces. Cut the scallions 2-inches long.
      DSC 0135 600x402 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)
    • Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the carrots, followed by the onions, zucchini, and then the scallions. Stir fry the vegetables quickly only until they start to wilt, about 2 minutes.
      DSC 0028 600x402 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)
    • Push the vegetables to the sides of the skillet. Add the marinated squid and any remaining sauce to the center of the skillet. Stir fry just until the squid pieces curl up and turn opaque (about 2 minutes). 
      DSC 0032 600x402 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)
    • Stir to mix the vegetables and the squid well for a minute. Drizzle the sesame oil over. (Do NOT overcook the squid. The squid will get tough.) Serve warm with a bowl of rice or on top of rice. 
      DSC 0034 600x402 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)

    Notes

    How to clean squid: Grab the body in one hand and the head in the other. Firmly pull apart with a slight twisting motion. The head and innards should easily slip out of the body. You can also insert a fork or spoon to loosen up the innards from the inside of the body. the tentacles from the head just below the eyes. Remove the skin from the flesh and the beak from the center of the tentacles.
    How to score the squid: Slit the body open and flatten. Lightly score the inside in a small diamond pattern (about 1/4-inch squares). 
    Tried this recipe?Mention @koreanbapsang or tag #koreanbapsang!

    In this post, I’ve updated my squid recipe that was originally posted in April 2010 with more information, new photos and an improved recipe.

    You may also like:

    • DSC2072 4 300x300 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)
      Myeolchi Bokkeum (Stir-fried Anchovies)
    • DSC 0049 1024 e1690924639259 300x300 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)
      Cucumber Kimchi (Oi Kimchi)
    • DSC 2014 e1547701382767 300x300 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)
      Instant Pot Kimchi Jjigae (Stew)
    • DSC 2494 e1507685789860 300x300 - Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid)
      Spicy Seafood Japchae
    « Korean Dinner Party Menus
    Dakjuk (Chicken Porridge) »
    8116 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. CMGC says

      January 17, 2025 at 9:28 pm

      5 stars
      the entire family loved it! thank you

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        January 18, 2025 at 5:46 pm

        Great! Thanks for trying it out and letting me know!

        Reply
    2. Marie P. says

      December 29, 2023 at 3:31 pm

      5 stars
      Dear Hyosun: I’ve made your delicious recipe several times and have passed it on to friends and family because it is so good. I first tasted this dish in a restaurant that has since closed so I searched for a recipe that reminded me of the dish – one that I could make and this was it. It is very easy to make and very flexible as to which vegetables you’d like to use. I was a bit short one time on my squid so I added some shrimp to make up the difference and it worked great. Thanks so much for sharing this delicious recipe.

      Reply
    3. Claude says

      September 28, 2023 at 5:01 am

      Hi, I’ve had something simiar at a Korea restaurant, but it was a refreshing cold salad, which had finey sliced apple and octopus instead. Woud you know of this salad and a recipe? Thanks

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        September 28, 2023 at 10:08 pm

        It sounds like something similar to this but with octopus: https://www.koreanbapsang.com/ojingeo-muchim-spicy-squid-salad-2/

        Reply
    4. Martin says

      August 23, 2023 at 1:21 am

      5 stars
      I made this tonight and followed your recipe exactly as published.

      It’s a beautiful harmony of spicy, sweet, and umami with an appealing array of colors from all of the fresh ingredients. It’s a filling meal, yet so light, which I love!

      Thank you for sharing this recipe and it’s definitely one I will continue to cook for many years! You’re my favourite Korean cooking blogger! 😄

      Reply
    5. Jay says

      July 24, 2023 at 9:47 pm

      I followed your recipe to the dot…my wife’s mind was blown away! I have never seen her that amazed! I don’t normally leave a comment, but your recipe possessed my wife! The blowing of mind goes both ways!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        July 24, 2023 at 11:22 pm

        So happy to hear that! Thanks!!

        Reply
    6. María says

      February 14, 2023 at 6:55 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you very much for this fantastic recipe! I just made it tonight for dinner and it was a complete success! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will absolutely try more of your dishes! I love the nice and clean display of your website with so many great pictures, steps, and details. You made everything easier for us!
      Kind regards!
      Maria

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        February 14, 2023 at 9:48 pm

        Oh that’s great! Thank you for trying out my recipe and for the nice words!

        Reply
    7. Thia says

      January 24, 2022 at 12:25 am

      Thanks for the recipe. Ive tried making it with squid, made it with fillet dori and ive even tried making it with beef belly and they all tasted delish! Kamsahamnida.

      Reply
    8. Sherri says

      November 04, 2021 at 7:36 pm

      5 stars
      I made this twice, the second time with grouper cheeks instead of squid and it was just as good.

      Reply
    9. Kate says

      January 30, 2021 at 7:45 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for this recipie!! It’s exactly like my favourite Korean restaurant makes!! It’s now a family staple in my home!! Your amazing!!

      Reply
    10. Yu Alya says

      October 26, 2020 at 5:04 am

      5 stars
      Hi, thank you for this recipe! My husband is Korean and I’m Malaysian so obviously I am still clueless about korean dish and recipes. I try my best to serve korean food to my husband and found this recipe….my husband loves it so much!!!!! Thank you, you are my savior 😄💓

      (He compliments my cooking many times for the first time ever since we got married 🤣)

      Reply
    11. Mi-Hyang Park says

      October 06, 2020 at 8:43 pm

      5 stars
      My family and I really enjoyed this dish! Thanks for a relatively easy weeknight Korean dish! Yummy!

      Reply
    12. MrM says

      August 24, 2020 at 8:29 pm

      5 stars
      This was excellent. I didn’t have Korean pepper paste. I used Sambal instead. Market didn’t have fresh large squid, so I ended up with about 40 small ones. That took some time to clean and cut. I will definitely make again. My veggies were carrots cut into sticks, sweet onion, bell pepper and scallions at the end. Didn’t think about cabbage. Already had some prepared from making Kalua pig and cabbage.

      Reply
    13. Molly Meinbresse says

      August 14, 2020 at 5:34 pm

      5 stars
      I made this recipe with tofu instead of squid and it was amazing!!! It was not as saucy as the picture, so next time I might double the sauce recipe. I wonder if the tofu soaked up alot of the liquid. Regardless it was delicious. Thank you!!!

      Reply
    14. Carolyn says

      April 09, 2020 at 9:19 pm

      5 stars
      I am not much of a fish eater, but I’ve made this sauce twice now for fried tofu and it’s superb. Thank you so much!

      Reply
    15. Lori L says

      January 14, 2020 at 9:20 pm

      5 stars
      I requested this so much from my mom & I found your great site & made this & loved it so much! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        January 14, 2020 at 9:37 pm

        That’s great to hear! My daughter used to request this often too.

        Reply
    16. RK says

      December 04, 2018 at 3:04 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you, I’ve just tried this recipe for the third time and it’s delicious. I love seafood and this dish reminds me of the kind of lovely spicy and sweet flavours I experienced when visiting Korea.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        December 05, 2018 at 11:55 pm

        Awesome! You can make variations by adding different seafood as well. Thank you so much for stopping by and for the great review!

        Reply
    17. Joedy says

      January 07, 2015 at 7:52 pm

      I had this dish at a local restaurant and loved it… so I googled it and found your website. I made it last night and it was WONDERFUL! The only change I made was to add pork belly when stir frying the vegetables because that s how the restaurant served it… otherwise it was identical. I absolutely loved it and evryone at work the next day loved the leftovers. I will definitely make this dish for company very often 🙂

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        January 08, 2015 at 12:42 am

        Great! So happy to hear you made this dish at home. The addition of pork belly sounds delicious. Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out!

        Reply
        • Ash says

          April 24, 2020 at 9:39 am

          5 stars
          I love this # BTS

          Reply
    18. Gabriele says

      December 16, 2014 at 9:20 pm

      Hello Hyosun,
      Thanks so much for the Ojingeo Bokkeum! Tasted wonderful and was relatively easy to cook!
      Wonderful website….
      Regards from Berlin,
      Gabriele

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        December 16, 2014 at 11:00 pm

        Hello Gabriele – That’s great to hear! And thanks for the nice words! Oh I miss Berlin. Loved it when I visited in 2009.

        Reply
    19. kate says

      July 14, 2014 at 8:21 pm

      hi – this is one of my favorite dishes! however, occasionally when we go to the restaurant, it is not baby squid. Instead, the dish is prepared the same way but with another main ingredient. I cannot tell what it is (even fish v. meat), but there is a crunchiness down the middle that is either cartilage or bones. Any ideas what it is? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        July 15, 2014 at 12:45 am

        Is it monk fish? Does the dish have soybean sprouts like this? https://www.koreanbapsang.com/2013/11/agujjim-spicy-braised-monkfish-with.html

        Reply
    20. Anonymous says

      September 14, 2012 at 2:35 am

      Just made this for dinner. So yummy!!! My hubby said he thinks this is his favorite Korean meal I have made yet. Thank you for sharing!!!

      Leah

      Reply
    21. K & B says

      May 22, 2012 at 6:49 am

      OJingeo Bokkeum is so yummy. I love your recipe Hyosun, tried it 🙂

      -B

      Reply
    22. domestic bunny says

      December 24, 2011 at 3:19 pm

      wow, this looks lethal! can’t wait to try cooking it myself

      Reply
    23. Hyosun Ro says

      November 05, 2010 at 3:34 am

      KongKong – It’s always exciting to me to hear from someone like you who loves Korean food and likes to learn how to cook them.

      Yes, dried red pepper flakes may be substituted for gochugaru in this dish, but add in small amounts until the desired level of spiciness is achieved. The regular crushed red pepper flakes have a lot of seeds which have intense heat. Also, for this dish, you can just add more gochujang instead of using gochugaru. Adjust the amount of gochujang to your liking. Hope this helps. Thank you!

      Reply
    24. KongKong says

      November 04, 2010 at 7:23 am

      question: can regular dried red pepper flakes be substituted for gochugaru?

      Reply
    25. KongKong says

      November 04, 2010 at 7:16 am

      omg, so excited having found this site!!! my hubby and i are obsessed with korean cuisine, we live in the middle of no where in michigan, to get good authentic korean food we have to drive 2 hours to ann arbor or detroit. even then, we make the trip often just for some awesome bulgogi, soontofu jigae and spicy stir fried squid, spicy pork bbq and stir fried noodles…ahhh… my mouth is watering just talking about. i finally had to get the gochujang myself and try to ease our craving by trying a few dishes at home. THANK YOU for this site!!!

      Reply
    26. Hyosun Ro says

      April 13, 2010 at 1:35 am

      Thank you, Sooji! Good to hear from you. Try it. It’s pretty easy. Let me know how it goes.

      Reply
    27. Sooji Choi says

      April 12, 2010 at 11:31 pm

      Hi Mrs. Ro, it’s Sooji! Michelle told me about your blog…congrats on the FoodBuzz shoutout! I’ve been planning to try your porkbun recipe soon…will definitely let you know how it turns out. 🙂

      Reply
    28. Hyosun Ro says

      April 08, 2010 at 1:37 am

      Thanks. Hope you give it a try. My family loves it!

      Reply
    29. redkathy says

      April 07, 2010 at 4:50 am

      I love squid and spicy… This dish sounds perfect! Beautifully displayed too.

      Reply
    30. Hyosun Ro says

      April 07, 2010 at 1:40 am

      Linn and MaeJJ – Thanks for visiting and showing the interests in my recipes.

      MaeJJ – Yes, you will definitely learn how to cook Korean food by trying my recipes. They are authentic home cooking. Let me know if you have any questions.

      Reply
    31. MaeJJ says

      April 06, 2010 at 8:55 am

      Hi, I like your blog and I’m interested to cook Korean food (I’m Korean drama’s fan too). I has tried cook a few dish and now I’ll learn from you. OK?

      Thanks!

      Reply
    32. Linn @ Swedish Home Cooking says

      April 06, 2010 at 7:23 am

      Ohh I can’t wait to have some Korean food after this easter with so much milk products and French food. I just started an online cooking show, Swedish Home Cooking. Please check it out! Linn

      Reply
    4.71 from 51 votes (37 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Korean Bapsang

    Korean Bapsang Author
    Hi! I'm Hyosun, and I am a Korean-American mom of two wonderful grown-up children. Here, you will learn how to cook Korean dishes the way we Koreans traditionally eat at home. Read More...

    Never Miss a Recipe

    Trending Recipes

    • Spicy pork bulgogi served with lettuce wraps and ssamjang Jeyuk Bokkeum (Spicy Pork Bulgogi) 54.2k views

    • A 6-photo collage of 15 Korean vegetable side dishes 15 Vegetable Side Dishes (Banchan) 49.6k views

    • Spicy Cucumber Side Dish Oi Muchim (Spicy Cucumber Salad) 40.4k views

    • kimchi stew with tofu in an earthen pot with the lid laid on the side of the pot Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew) 38.3k views

    • Stir-fried glass noodles with beef and vegetables in a square bowl Japchae (Stir-Fried Starch Noodles with Beef and Vegetables) 37.4k views

    • Doenjang jjigae (Korean soybean paste stew) Doenjang Jjigae (Soybean Paste Stew with Pork and Vegetables) 37k views

    As Featured On:

       

    Footer

    Korean Bapsang New Logo

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Copyright © 2025 · All rights reserved · Korean Bapsang

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.