Grilled Squid Recipe
Grilled Squid Recipe – Calling all seafood lovers! Basted in a lemony, Asian-inspired sauce and grilled to perfection, this recipe delivers a unique and scrumptious meal. Best of all, squid is easy to prepare. 🙌
Don’t be intimidated if you’ve never made whole grilled squid before. Grilling squid for dinner isn’t as slippery of a task as it seems. All you need to do is clean it and marinate it for a couple of hours. Cook time is only a few minutes on each side, so this is one grilled meal that comes together lightning fast.
And really, there are only two simple requirements to making restaurant-quality grilled squid. First, buy pristine, ultra-fresh squid; second, don’t overcook it. Do that, and grilled squid might just become your new favorite seafood. 😋
What Does Grilled Squid Taste Like?
That’s a great question! Squid is underrated, in my opinion, because it tastes beautiful grilled. Don’t get me wrong, fried squid is fantastic. But frying squid obscures the flavor of this sea creature.
Grilling allows you to experience squid’s true taste – it’s kinda like grilled octopus but with sweet notes like shrimp. Paired with my lemony, Asian-y squid marinade, it’s pure heaven. 😇
Recipe Ingredients
- Whole Squid – Two or three medium-sized squid work for this recipe but feel free to make more. Just make sure they look and smell fresh before you buy them.
- Seasonings – For the marinade, you’ll need fresh squeezed lemon juice, soy sauce, chili sauce, olive oil, salt and pepper, minced garlic, and freshly grated ginger.
- Garnishes – Diced green onion is a beautiful and tasty garnish for this dish. 😍
How to Make Grilled Squid
Prep the Squid
- Clean Squid – Remove the head, tentacles, inner guts (the insides from the eyes upward), quill, and cartilage. If desired, remove the thin film from the hood too. Rinse the squid inside and out with cold water. (Photo 1)
- Score – Thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Score the squid, as this helps with cooking and a better presentation. Season with salt and pepper.(Photo 2)
Marinade the Squid
- Make Marinade – In a medium bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and chili sauce. (Optional step: Heat remaining marinade in a small skillet over medium-high. Stir fry for about a minute, and adjust seasonings to taste. You may need to add some water to prevent it from burning. (Photo 3)
- Marinate Squid – Brush the marinade over the squid and let them marinate in the refrigerator between 30 minutes and 2 hours. Reserve the rest for brushing the squid as they cook. (Photo 4)
Grill the Squid
- Preheat your gas or charcoal grill to medium-high (around 375-400°F/190-205℃).
- Grill – Place them on the hot grill. Cook for 1-3 minutes per side or until the flesh becomes opaque and slightly charred, basting occasionally. Don’t over-grill because squid can turn tough. Grill times will vary based on the squid’s size. (Photo 5)
- Final Stretch – Remove the squid from the grill and cut them into rings or leave them whole, depending on your preference.
- Serve – Garnish with green onion, and enjoy. (Photo 6)
Recipe Variations
- Customize the flavors by adding or changing the herbs and spices according to your preferences or regional variations. Squid pairs beautifully with just about any flavor, so do what you love! 🫶
- Make a squid dipping sauce. An Asian sauce would work great with the marinade flavors in this recipe, but any sauce you love with seafood will work. Serve it in ramekins for dipping, or drizzle it over the cooked squid.
- Grill pan. If you don’t have a grill, you can cook the squid in a hot grill pan on the stove. Either cooking method works with this recipe.
Tips and Tricks
- Double up the marinade, then use half for a dipping sauce after grilling.
- Don’t overcook the squid, as it can become rubbery. Grilling for a short time on high heat ensures a tender result.
- Grill times will vary based on the size of the squid, so keep a close eye on them as they grill. 👀
Make-Ahead Instructions
As with most seafood, you’ll want to enjoy this meal freshly cooked. That said, you can reheat squid gently at low temperatures on the stovetop, in the oven, or in your microwave. So, if you want to make it a day ahead, you can.
Just remember to reheat at the lowest temperature possible and be patient. Quick reheating will toughen up the squid. You can also freeze cooked squid for up to three months. Thaw it in the fridge the night before you plan to serve it and reheat it low and slow.
Serving and Storage Instructions
- Serve grilled squid hot with lemon wedges, extra sauce, rice, salad, or grilled vegetables.
- If you have leftover squid, store them in the fridge in an airtight container for no more than 3 days. Reheat them using your desired reheat method; just do it at very low temperatures and slowly so they don’t get tough.
FAQs
In a sense, yes. Calamari is a kind of squid with larger fins that run almost the full length of the body. You can use calamari or another squid variety for this recipe. 🦑
There are a few different methods you can use to tell.
First, the skin of the squid changes when cooked. It won’t feel wet and slippery when cooked.
Second, when you grab the squid with tongs, it shouldn’t drip water when you hold it up.
Third, you can test doneness by pricking the squid with a fork and seeing how tender it is.
And one last tip: the meat of the squid should turn opaque.
Yes, they are. I don’t care for them too much, so I usually remove them. But feel free to grill them up with the squid body if you like.
What Goes With Grilled Squid
I like to throw fruit and veggies on the grill at the same time. For example, grilled pineapple, grilled onions, and grilled bok choy are great. Serve everything with steamy white rice and a Greek salad, and you’ve got a complete meal in under 30 minutes!
More Sensational Seafood Dishes to Try
Conclusion
Fire up your grill and enjoy the tastiest squid you’ve ever tried! Have you already tried it? Let me know how you liked it in the comment section below. 😁
Grilled Squid
Ingredients
- 2-3 medium whole squid (about a pound)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- ½-1 lemon, juiced
- 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1-2 teaspoon chili sauce (optional)
- 1 green onion, diced
Instructions
- Clean the squid by removing the head, tentacles, inner guts, and cartilage. If desired, remove the thin film from the squid. Rinse them inside and out with cold water.
- Thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Score the squid, as this helps with cooking and a better presentation. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a medium bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and chili sauce. (Optional step: Heat remaining marinade in a small skillet over medium-high. Stir fry for about a minute, and adjust seasonings to taste. You may need to add some water to prevent it from burning.
- Brush the marinade over the squid and let them marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours). Reserve the rest for brushing the squid as they cook.
- Preheat your gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat (around 375-400°F/190-205℃).
- Place them on the hot grill. Cook for 1-3 minutes per side or until the flesh becomes opaque and slightly charred, basting occasionally. Do not over-grill, as squid can get tough. Grill times will vary based on the squid's size.
- Remove the squid from the grill and cut them into rings or leave them whole, depending on your preference.
- Garnish with green onion.
- Serve hot with extra sauce, rice, salad, or grilled vegetables.
Notes
- Double the marinade for extra sauce
- Don’t overcook the squid, as it can become rubbery. Grilling for a short time on high heat ensures a tender result
- Customize the flavors by adding or changing the herbs and spices according to your preferences or regional variations
- If you don’t have a grill, you can also cook the squid in a hot grill pan on the stove
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe
