Marinated in a sweet and tangy vinaigrette and stuffed with tomatoes and onions, this inihaw na squid is delicious hot off the grill. Perfect as an appetizer or main dish.
I am not picky about what I eat, and almost any type or form of food is fair game, but if I were to pin my favorite, it would be fish or shellfish over meat and poultry. As much as I enjoy the occasional BBQ pork on a stick, I am happiest with seafood on the grill.
If you're looking for a delicious appetizer or a satisfying dinner meal, you need not look further than grilled jumbo squid! Marinated in a sweet and tangy vinaigrette, stuffed with onions and tomatoes, and cooked over hot coals to juicy perfection, it's sure to hit the spot!
It's a simple dish that's easy to prepare yet packs fantastic flavor. It's delicious as a main dish with steamed rice, but it's just as wonderful as an appetizer with an ice-cold beer.
If planning a boodle fight, have inihaw na pusit on your menu list. It's a great addition to any BBQ feast alongside your favorite grilled meat, fish, and sides such as pickled mangoes and eggplant salted egg salad. YUM!
How to keep the squid tender
- Marinate the squid in vinegar for about 30 minutes to an hour before cooking to help tenderize and remove some of the chewiness. The acids in the vinegar help break down the protein fibers of the calamari.
- Alternatively,ย you can soak the cleaned squid in milk. The lactic acid in milk helps breaks the protein fibers of the calamari.
- Drain well and thoroughly pat dry to remove surface moisture so it will sear quickly and not overcook in the steam.
- Grill over high heat. The hotter the grill, the faster the squid will brown without losing tenderness.
Grilled Squid Marinade
Marinate the squid in vinegar, honey, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and chili peppers to infuse flavor and tenderize. To use as a baste, boil the mixture for about 7 to 10 minutes to reduce and kill off any bacteria.
Inihaw na pusit is best enjoyed fresh from the grill. If you have leftovers, turn them into this delectable sisig na pusit!
More squid recipes
Ingredients
- 2 (about 2 pounds) jumbo squid
- 2 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Marinade
- ยฝ cup honey
- ยฝ cup brown sugar
- ยฝ cup vinegar
- 5 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 thumb-size ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 Thai chili peppers, minced
Instructions
- Hold the tail tube portion of the squid and with fingers, grasp the cuttlebone (the thin, clear cartilage inside the tube) and pull from the squid's body.
- Remove black ink and discard. Rinse the squid and drain well.
- In a bowl, combine honey, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, salt, and chili peppers. Stir together until sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Gently add squid in a single layer. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Drain squid very well and thoroughly pat dry. Reserve marinade.
- In a saucepan, boil the reserved marinade for about 7 to 10 minutes or until reduced.
- In a bowl, combine tomatoes and onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide tomato-onion mixture and stuff each of the squid.
- Grill squid over hot coals for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, regularly basting with marinade.
Notes
- Drain the squid well and thoroughly pat dry to remove surface moisture so it will sear quickly and not overcook in the steam.
- Grill over high heat. The hotter the grill, the faster the squid will brown without losing tenderness.
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
TennMom says
I have made this several times. Always a HIT ! Thank you.
Joseph says
So happy to have you Back , 1960s. My Mom and I so long ago made stuffed Squid Italian style this looks so interesting. Lets get cooking girl.!!!!! Joseph
Vermil Reyes says
anu po pwedeng ipalit na ingredient kapag wala po honey?
Lalaine Manalo says
Pwede po regular sugar ๐
Lea says
Easy but nice recipe.thanks for sharing
Eat Girl says
Hi Ms. Lailanie, Would like to ask if I can grill this squid in my oven?
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, you can ๐
Sarita says
Thank you for the recipe, this was a fantastic marinade for the squid. The flavour was beautiful on the bbq squid, absolutely delicious!
Jasmin says
This is so amazing and really helpful..
I tried this at home and they loved it..
Thank you so much๐
SIRPO says
WASTING YOUR TIME ON LARGE SQUID TOUGH AND CHEWEY NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO
INSTEAD GET THE BABY SQUID ABOUT 3 TO 4 INCHES IN SIZE
STUFF WITH CRAB OR SHRIMP
BROIL
WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER
Howard says
Sirpo your a dill .
Stick to Lalaine's recipe and even you cant go wrong , and remember god sends the fish
and the Devil ๐ฟ sends the cook .
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OR
You stick to your winning chicken dinner and leave the fish too Lalaine .
Joy says
This is a very good recipe.My family loved it ๐
Lalaine says
Thanks, Joy!
Thomas says
Hi, I am Thomas from Germany,
Really lami receipe. I like to grill the squid this way.
Maraming salamat po.
Thomas ๐๐๐๐
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you, Thomas. I am glad you like the recipe ๐
Emily Grace Lim Guingona says
It was my first time to grill squid so I tried to google recipes for the marinade and man, this one's really good!
Lalaine says
Thank you, Emily ๐
Marie Pizon says
To all those reading this recipe and thinking "why isn't there a comment about the taste.. did anyone try this..." I'm telling you now! Please try it. This recipe was a success. I received compliments from people who admitted they don't east squid and they couldn't get enough. I prepared this for my hubby's birthday and it was great on the bbq. I marinated for more that 2 hours but I followed everything else. Thank you so much for sharing this ๐
Lalaine says
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, Marie. I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, it's one of my favorite ways to enjoy pusit ๐
Andrew says
I ate this in the Philippines on a small cruise of Manila Bay. I loved it. I am going to try this tonight.
Lalaine says
Enjoy!
George says
Hi Lalaine
I just ran across your website 2day & i see lot's-O-Good Stuff!!
I'm going to try the grilled squid this afternoon for dinner, but i'm adding Navel Oranges, Cilantro & apples to the onions & tomatoes for the stuffing
I"m eye-balling the chicken liver dish U have on the site as well
Anyway, just a quick hello from Orlando & I look fwrd to using your site a bunch!
txs,
George
Joshua says
Hello, I am trying to master filipino cooking as I have been craving them. However, I've got one question, will the thai chili peppers make the squid spicy? If so, could I just omit it or does it add a key flavor to the marinade? I am just not a fan of spicy food, even if it is just a little spicy. Thanks!
Lalaine says
Hello Joshua
I like a bit of spicy in my food so the addition of chili peppers do improve flavors for me but that does not mean the inihaw na pusit will be less enjoyable without them ๐ Please feel free to omit the chili peppers if you like. Happy cooking/grilling!
julie says
i love squid,i always cook the squid adobo and buy the stuffed one.Now that i have the recipe i'll make it .
By the way i use Desktop.thanks.
Lalaine says
Enjoy!