Grilled Squid is one of the tastiest seafood dishes you can cook on your bbq or your grill pan. It tastes pretty similar to grilled octopus. But with much less effort and cooking time required.
Table Of Contents
What It Tastes Like
To start with, Grilled squid tastes nothing like fried squid. With grilling, you get to enjoy Squid's whole flavor and meat texture. It's meaty and very delicious. Something very similar to the taste of grilled octopus with shrimp sweetness.
This Greek-style Squid is lightly marinated while you heat your grill pan or bbq, with a bit of olive oil, dried oregano, coriander, salt, pepper, and a pinch of paprika.
It is then served drizzled with a traditional Greek grilling sauce. That is made of extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon. This sauce is called Ladolemono and is added to almost all grilled meat and seafood. And on top, some dried oregano is sprinkled.
Are Squid And Calamari The Same?
Squid and Calamari are the same. In fact, Calamari is a type of Squid. Calamari tends to be slightly more tender than Squid. Though that depends also on the size. To distinct the two, pay attention to the fins. Calamari has bigger fins that cover almost the whole length of its body. While Squid has smaller ones covering about ⅓ of its body. You can cook either of the two following this recipe.
How To Tenderize Squid
To tenderize Squid there is nothing more you need to do other than refrigerate for 2-3 days prior to cooking. The longer Squid stays in the fridge the softer its meat gets. Plus the stronger its flavor becomes. Make sure you keep it in a strainer though. If it sits in its liquid it will get a fishy smell and begin to spoil.
Grilling Squid
Grilling Squid is very simple. You can do it on a grill pan, gas grill, or even charcoal bbq. The process is the same. And all you need to know to cook super tender and delicious Squid is this:
- You need to preheat your grill or grill pan very well. It needs to be very hot so Squid gets seared properly.
- Cook swiftly. If you cook Squid for too long it becomes chewy and rubbery. That's why you need a really hot surface, to minimize the cooking time.
- Do not turn often. It won't sear nicely or get cloured properly if you do so.
- When cooking a large Squid slice it on one side to help heat reach all the way to the center of the Squid.
How To Know If It's Cooked
Firstly, the skin alters when Squid is cooked. It won't feel moist and slippery anymore when you touch it. Secondly, when you hold the Squid upside down with cooking tongs, there shouldn't be any water dripping from it. And lastly, you can prick its meat with a knife to see how tender it feels.
SERVE WITH ↓
Serve this Grilled Squid with Greek Salad, a fresh and herby Potato Salad, Greek Lemon + Oregano Potatoes, or a Beetroot Salad Dip. Or serve together with some Horta (boiled leafy greens).
Recipe
Grilled Squid (on grill pan or bbq)
Ingredients
For The Squid:
- 300-400 gram (1 large) Squid
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ⅓ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper
For The Olive Oil And Lemon Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
To Serve With:
- dried oregano to serve with
- lemon cut in quarters
Instructions
For The Grilled Squid:
- Prepare the squid. Pull the head away from its body. Cut off the legs right under the eyes (leave some meat on the base of the legs so they come off in one piece). Remove the teeth located right in the center of the legs. Slice the ring containing the legs so they lay flat open. Remove everything from inside the squid including its bone. Remove the outer skin by pulling it off its body with your hands. Then rinse the squid well, drain, and pat dry with paper towels.
- Marinate the squid. Sprinkle all of the seasonings on the squid and drizzle with the 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Rub everything all over the squid. Marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, heat your grill or grill pan on high.
- Slice the squid on the opposite side from the one containing the fins. Slice it halfway through (leaving the side containing the fins intact) a few times with 1.5 cm (¾ inch) space between each cut.
- Grill the squid. For a real tender squid your grill or grill pan should be very hot. Transfer squid to a grill or grill pan and place it sliced-side up. Grill the squid and the legs for 3-4 minutes on high. Flip the squid and the legs. Hold it down with the tongs. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Then hold the squid on one side with cooking tongs so it cooks on the sides where the body connects with the fins. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. Then hold the squid upside down. If water stops coming out of it, it's ready if not cook for 2-3 minutes longer or until it stops.
- Transfer to a serving plate.
Make The Olive Oil And Lemon Sauce:
- Add lemon and olive oil to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over the squid while it's still hot.
- Serve with dried oregano sprinkled on top and fresh lemon quarters on the sides.
Nutrition
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This was a perfect step-by-step guide to making Mykonos style squid for our family. It came out amazing.
Glad you enjoyed it Nicole!
Really easy squid recipe, it was also fun finding a new easy sauce! I'm confused about how you tenderize the squid in the fridge though. Do you leave the squid in the fridge covered with a lid or plastic wrap, or do you leave it open to the air? Do you clean and prepare the squid before letting it rest in the fridge, or do you let the whole squid sit in the fridge? I guess I just need a few more details before I can try the tenderization.
Hi Mike, to tenderize the squid in the fridge you clean it first and then place in a strainer, then cover the strainer with plastic wrap. Leave for 2-3 days. This is mostly done for fresh squid as this won't make any difference to frozen squid.