Vietnamese Stuffed Squid is an interesting dish which is often prepared for holidays and family gatherings, and sometimes for everyday meals. Fresh, sweet squid combined with a filling of minced meat and shiitake mushrooms makes the dish so delicious and nutritious! Here’s how I make a simple version of it in around 40 minutes.
Choosing the Type of Squid for Vietnamese Stuffed Squid
Currently, there are several types of squid commonly used in cooking, such as baby squid (squid with roe), cuttlefish, and calamari (tube squid). Each type of squid has different texture, size, etc. Baby squid are usually small, filled with roe inside; cuttlefish are generally large, white, with thick and slightly chewy flesh. Calamari comes in various sizes, with a pinkish/grayish skin and moderately thick, fairly tender meat.
To make Vietnamese Stuffed Squid, you should use large-sized tube squid. Large tube squid have enough space to stuff with meat inside the tube, while the flesh is not too tough, making it easy to enjoy. Choose the freshest squid possible for the best quality dish.
Ingredients
The ingredients for Vietnamese Stuffed Squid are not too complicated, consisting of familiar items readily available in your kitchen pantry. To prepare for 4 people, you will need:
Stuffed Squid
- 600g squid (about 1.3 lbs)
- 200g ground pork (about 7 oz)
- 100g ground shrimp (about 3.5 oz)
- 4-5 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp chopped shallot
- 1 tbsp chopped green onion
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp pepper
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
Chili sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp chili sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
Choose fresh, new shrimp, squid, and ground pork. The seasonings for marinating the meat and making the chili sauce are also familiar ingredients in Vietnamese cuisine, such as fish sauce and chili sauce.
In addition to the ingredients above, from my experience, to make Vietnamese Stuffed Squid more easily, prepare gloves, a piping bag, and a few toothpicks. Using a piping bag to stuff the meat into the squid is the simplest, cleanest, and most convenient method. Additionally, to reattach the squid head to the body after stuffing, you will need a few toothpicks to secure them.
How to Make Vietnamese Stuffed Squid
Below is my detailed guide on how to make stuffed squid:
Step 1. Preparation
- If you buy fresh, unprocessed squid, you will need to prepare them. Separate the squid head from the body, then remove the ink sac and cut off the eyes from the head. Keep the squid tentacles, and finely chop the remaining parts of the squid head to incorporate into the filling later.
- For the squid body, pull out the cartilage (backbone) and clean the inside thoroughly. You may also peel off the squid’s skin to make it look whiter. Rinse with clean water.
Step 2. Prepare the Filling
- Put all the ingredients for the stuffing into a large bowl: ground shrimp, ground pork, chopped garlic, chopped shallot, chopped green onion, salt, pepper, and sugar. Mix all the ingredients well until they form a united mixture.
Step 3. Stuff the Squid Body
- Place an appropriate amount of filling into a piping bag, then cut off the tip of the bag. The cut should be about 1 inch in diameter to ensure the filling is piped into the squid body quickly, without clogging.
- Then, pipe the filling into the squid body. Be careful not to overfill; leave about 1 inch of space because the filling will expand during steaming and fill up the squid body.
- After stuffing, attach the squid head to the body by using a toothpick to skewer through and secure them.
Step 4. Steam the Squid
- Once ready, arrange the squid on a steaming tray and steam for 15 minutes from the point when the steam begins to rise.
- While steaming, prepare the chili sauce. In a saucepan, heat the mixture of sugar, chili sauce, and fish sauce over low heat until well combined.
- After the squid is fully steamed, transfer them to the saucepan, turn to low heat, and stir gently to allow the chili sauce to evenly coat the squid.
- Finally, plate the Vietnamese Stuffed Squid and slice it into bite-sized rings. Done!
Tips for Perfect Stuffed Squid
While this dish is not overly complicated, here are a few tips to ensure you achieve the perfect result:
- Use a piping bag: This is the easiest way to stuff the meat into the squid body. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a spoon. However, using a spoon can take a lot of time as you need to scoop and stuff the meat one spoonful at a time, and it may stick to your hands. You can also stuff it directly by hand.
- Leave 1 inch of space when stuffing: Make sure to leave about 1 inch of space at the top of the squid body. If you don’t, the filling will expand during steaming and spill out, making the dish look less appealing.
- Attach the squid tentacles properly: When reattaching the tentacles to the squid body, insert the tentacles deeply inside the body, then use a toothpick to skewer through both to secure them.
- Do not over-steam the squid: Steam for only 15-20 minutes. The longer you steam, the more the squid shrinks and becomes chewy.
Storage
For stuffed squid, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If you want to keep it longer, you can even freeze it, although the texture may be slightly affected. When reheating, steam it again for 10-15 minutes instead of using the microwave to help the squid remain tender.
Vietnamese Stuffed Squid Recipe
Ingredients
Stuffed Squid
- 600 g squid about 1.3 lbs
- 200 g ground pork about 7 oz
- 100 g ground shrimp about 3.5 oz
- 4-5 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp chopped shallot
- 1 tbsp chopped green onion
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp pepper
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
Chili sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp chili sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
Instructions
Step 1. Preparation
- If you buy fresh, unprocessed squid, you will need to prepare them. Separate the squid head from the body, then remove the ink sac and cut off the eyes from the head. Keep the squid tentacles, and finely chop the remaining parts of the squid head to incorporate into the filling later.
- For the squid body, pull out the cartilage (backbone) and clean the inside thoroughly. You may also peel off the squid’s skin to make it look whiter. Rinse with clean water.
Step 2. Prepare the Filling
- Put all the ingredients for the stuffing into a large bowl: ground shrimp, ground pork, chopped garlic, chopped shallot, chopped green onion, salt, pepper, and sugar. Mix all the ingredients well until they form a united mixture.
Step 3. Stuff the Squid Body
- Place an appropriate amount of filling into a piping bag, then cut off the tip of the bag. The cut should be about 1 inch in diameter to ensure the filling is piped into the squid body quickly, without clogging.
- Then, pipe the filling into the squid body. Be careful not to overfill; leave about 1 inch of space because the filling will expand during steaming and fill up the squid body.
- After stuffing, attach the squid head to the body by using a toothpick to skewer through and secure them.
Step 4. Steam the Squid
- Once ready, arrange the squid on a steaming tray and steam for 15 minutes from the point when the steam begins to rise.
- While steaming, prepare the chili sauce. In a saucepan, heat the mixture of sugar, chili sauce, and fish sauce over low heat until well combined.
- After the squid is fully steamed, transfer them to the saucepan, turn to low heat, and stir gently to allow the chili sauce to evenly coat the squid.
- Finally, plate the Vietnamese Stuffed Squid and slice it into bite-sized rings. Done!
Nutrition
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