I sometimes feel like eating a small morsel of fermented seafood with rice. That’s Korean jeotgal, salty preserved seafood. It tastes salty, chewy, garlicky, gingery, and sweet with a deep, fermented, almost nutty flavor. Today I’m again introducing you to one of my favorite mitbanchan (preserved side dishes that can be refrigerated for a long time). It’s spicy fermented squid jeotgal called ojingeojeot.
Korea is surrounded by ocean on 3 sides, so you can imagine that a variety of fresh fish and seafood dishes are available all year round. My Korean ancestors wanted to enjoy their fresh fish for a long time so they developed a way to preserve them in salt. This jeotgal can be eaten later with rice and other side dishes, or it could be used in kimchi making, too. It’s mostly made with seafood such as anchovies, shrimp, small yellow corvina, or pollock’s intestine, etc.
Among all the different kinds of jeotgal, this ojingeojeot made with squid is my favorite because it’s very easy to make and squid is available pretty much everywhere, fresh or frozen. I use frozen here in New York City because fresh squid is hard to find.
Ingredients
Makes 1 pound of ojngeojeot
- 1 pound cleaned squid (See the video for how to clean squid)
- 3 tablespoons Kosher salt
for the seasoning paste:
- ⅓ cup gochu-garu (Korean hot pepper flakes)
- ⅓ cup rice syrup (or corn syrup)
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon peeled ginger, minced
- 2 green chili peppers, stems removed, deseeded, and chopped
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Directions
Ferment squid:
- In a bowl, mix the squid and the salt, then put it into a glass jar or an airtight container.
- Cover and refrigerate. Let it ferment for 1 month. Mix it up every week or two by turning the jar upside down, so the salty water mixes with the squid. Put it back into the fridge right side up.
(1 month old fermented squid on the left, fresh salted squid on the right) - After 1 month take the squid out of the jar and rinse it in cold running water to remove any excess salt. Drain and dry it out with paper towels.
- Peel the skin off. It can be slippery so I usually use paper towels to get a grip.
- Cut into strips, chop the squid into small pieces, and then gently pound with your knife to soften it. Set aside.
Make seasoning paste:
- Combine hot pepper flakes, rice syrup, fish sauce, green onion, garlic, ginger, and green chili pepper in a large bowl.
- Mix well with a spoon.
Put it together:
- Add the chopped squid to the bowl of seasoning paste. Mix well and add sesame seeds and sesame oil.
- Mix all together with a spoon and transfer to a glass jar or an airtight container.
- Keep it in the refrigerator and serve just a little as a side dish, until it runs out.
Maangchi's Amazon picks for this recipe
It's always best to buy Korean items at your local Korean grocery store, but I know that's not always possible so I chose these products on Amazon that are good quality. See more about how these items were chosen.
The day has arrived! After one month of fermenting my squid, today I am making this side dish. I can’t wait to taste it. I will take a photo of it when I am finished.
ow ow, I’m sure you will love it. I can’t wait to see your ojingeojeot! : )
Help Maangchi!! This is my first time trying your recipe and I choose this squid dish, my favourite. Today marks the 1 month of marinating the squid in salt. When I open the container there is a strong smell like that of rotten cheese. Is that normal?? Anyhow I went ahead to wash and rinse the squid and made the paste, mix the chopped squid in and now there are in the container in the fridge. I tried a small piece, the paste is great, the squid is chewy and a little salty, but there is still that rotten smell/taste to the squid. Is it edible or I must discard everything and try a new batch?? Would appreaciate your speedy reply. Thank you very much.
It sounds like your squid is well fermented! yum!
Thought I would share this – I was cleaning squid to make this dish, and one of my squid contained a WHOLE, fish – about 3 inches long! It must have been caught right after its meal, because the fish was in perfect condition.
haha, a 3 inch still fresh whole fish inside the squid! Exciting!
Did you salt it with squid or threw it away?
I threw it away. It was an odd, but exciting moment!
I forgot to mention, this is my second attempted batch. It came out much better. I’ll post a picture of it this time!
I like this very much but did not know how to make it. I ate at korean restaurant one time. Thank you for your sharing.
Try it out, homemade ojingeojeot is very delicious and less salty.
Yum… Thank you for sharing this recipe, can’t wait to try it. I want to surprise my friend (she recently took me to a korean restaurant), and I loved this dish. Hope it turns out good.
Let me know how it turns out. Good luck!
Hi Maangchi
My first ojingojeot (22/12)was a success. I finished them in 2 days. Now I’m waiting for my squid to be ready (17/3) and let my sister’s family have a taste. I didn’t have any left for them to try the first time. They are great fans of Korean food and always enjoy the Korean dishes that I prepared.
“Salty fermented squid called ojingeojeot is a side dish that you can keep it in your fridge for months and months, and enjoy it right until it runs out.” – Are you really referring to the ojingojeot or the salted squid cos my ojingojeot will not last more than 2 days in my fridge.
Thnx for the delicious recipe.
ow ow, it sounds like you are a big fan of ojingeojeot! Now you can make your favorite side dish at home anytime you want!
Despite the dubious looks my family gave while I was salting the squid, I soldiered on & was rewarded by an incredibly flavorful condiment. The first night I served a small bit with a ton of rice and your eggplant side dish and a Chinese style green bean dish. My family LOVED it. I’ve been eating it every day with lunch since. Thank you for yet another wonderful recipe.
“Despite the dubious looks my family gave while I was salting the squid, I soldiered on & was rewarded by an incredibly flavorful condiment” lol lol.
I am Making this Ojingejeot !! I know its Great because I Love Ojingeochae Muchim and Kimchi with Squid !! Congrats to Maangchi !! I want You to know Maangchi is THE BEST Korean cooking Teacher in the World and I am Soo Happy She teaches us all so well !
ooh I know your ojingeojeot is being fermented for almost 1 month! : )
Take a photo (if you can) and post it directly here: https://www.maangchi.com/photos/upload
Maangchi, what other fish can we ferment like this? Now it is February and it is not squid season. And I had another question: what do you think about mussles? I haven’t seen you use it. I looked it up and saw that mussles eat debris from the sea whereas oysters eat plankton. Is that why you don’t use it? Thank you Maangchi!
Yes, you can make Korean jeotgal (salted and fermented seafood) with clams, oysters, mussels, and anchovies. More jeotgal recipes will be posted in the future.
Sunday, February 20, 2011: About two hours ago, I took the salted squid out that had been sitting in the fridge for a month. It didn’t smell and was a beautiful color. Made the sauce last night because I was so anxious to combine everything together this morning. Needless to say, the seconds the mix was complete, I ate some with hot rice. DELICIOUS! Well worth the prep and wait. Thanks Maagnchi.
ummm,, “Sunday, Feb,20,2011” was very important day for your Korean cooking career! lol
Hi Maangchi! I fermented my ohjingeo for a month, but when I pulled it out it had mold on it!! :( Can it still be used, or should I try again? And what should I do next time to make sure it doesn’t get mold?
It depends on how moldy it is. If the mold is only on the top, then I would rinse it off thoroughly until it’s not slippery and remove the skin of the squid before adding seasonings. If the mold has spread throughout, I would give up eating it.
Next time if you make it again, use more salt and don’t forget to sprinkle some salt on top of the squid in the container and keep it in the fridge.
Don’t give up making delicious ojingeojeot. : )
Hello Maangchi,
I really enjoyed watching your videos, im a Filipina and i really want to try your recipes, just want to ask, i think i couldnt find pepper flakes here in Qatar, what we have her is chilli powder and chilli flakes, can i use those? and also can i keep the squid for 2 weeks only? i just feel excited to taste this recipe, hope to get your response :) Thanks
Your Chilli Flakes will be fine ! –just be sure Your squid are well salted and in “airtight containers ” before fridge —ok ! After Your 2 weeks Rinse rinse rinse – to get away the salt !! You can Do 1 week or 2 week up to 4 week —
-Bertintowncenter
uhn nee, it’s this squid after fermented still have fishy smell?
can i use lemon, so the squid not smell fishy?
Hi Maangchi,
Just wanted to let you know that I finished making your ojingeojeot for the first time tonight and I couldn’t believe how good it tasted! Thank you for sharing this recipe! Can’t wait to let my husband try it when he comes back from his business trip. He is going to fall off his chair:)
” when he comes back from his business trip. He is going to fall off his chair:)” I wish he really fell off his chair without injury because of your delicious ojingeojeot. : )
I just started a batch of ojingeojeot tonight…. I’m crossing my fingers! Wish me luck!
yay! I wish you tons of luck with making good ojingeojeot! : ) Let me know how it turns out and send me a photo of your seasoned ojingeojeot if you can.
If I wanted to make this less spicy, how much chili peppers can I put in? Maybe half of a red one, and half of a green one? Or should I put the original amount, but leave the seeds out?
Get mild hot pepper flakes if you want mild version of soondubu jjigae. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/hot-pepper-flakes
mild hot pepper flakes in Korean: 덜매운 고추가루
Or use less hot pepper flakes than in the recipe. Start with very little and add more until you can tolerate it.
Good luck with making good ojingeojeot.
Do I have to wait for 30 days? I am so impatient! I started on 1/9! I really want to prepare it now! :)
yes, indeed! : ) I did many experiments while developing this recipe. The taste and flavor are different depending on how many days you ferment. I found at least 1 month fermentation is the best result.
can i replace the squid with shrimp? would that make saeujeot?
i made a little jar of kimchi last night but i’d like to try it with seafood..can i just throw in some shrimp in with the rest or do i have to ferment it first?
i really like your website it’s always helpful :)
Hi, I a Korean-American and I really like your site because it helps me get in touch with my Korean side. I love your website and have been using it to cook Korean food for my parents. My Mom and Dad are so surprised and really happy when I make korean food for them. They say that I should be okay to marry a korean guy now. LOL ^_^ My mom loves this Ojingeojeot and I am secretly making it for her. I also made some extra seasoning paste and mixed it with some raw oyster so we could eat it right away. My mom was really happy. Thank you so much for your website and recipes Maangchi!!!
haha, they said you could marry a Korean guy? That’s so cute! I hope your mom is very impressed with your ojingoejeot. Send me a photo if you can and let me know about your mom’s reaction. : )
” I also made some extra seasoning paste and mixed it with some raw oyster so we could eat it right away.” great! oh, I feel like fermented and seasoned oyster now,
Hi Maangchi, I love this recipe but I think my finished product is too salty. I’ve already added the squid to the hot pepper mix, so is there a way to reduce the saltiness? Should i resoak the whole thing in water?
There is nothing much to do about salty ojingeojeot. However, If I were you, I would take some from the jar or container and mix with chopped cucumber right before serving.
Ah, I fermented my squid a month ago and was so anxious to see the results!! Yesterday I finished making it, but the squid looked a little darker than yours… Is this a sign of old squid?? :( I bought mine at an Asian seafood supermarket in a frozen box just like yours! >.<
“the squid looked a little darker than yours” Don’t worry! It will turn out delicious.
Sirdanilot, don’t worry abt bad smell in yr fridge. As long as u use a good glass (preferable over plastic) container that is super airtight (if u still want extra “protection”, wrap cling wrap over the entire jar), there is NO SMELL! I hope u will try to mk coz it is VERY VERY DELICIOUS! if u like herrings (my MUST-EAT when in Amsterdam….oh, mussels too!) then u will like ojingeojeot!
Hi Maangchi
Normally I would stir-fry squid with bell pepper, onion and carrot or make Thai-style squid salad. I’ve never eaten raw fermented squid before but your casserole of ojingeojeot looks too delicious.
Yesterday I prepared my first batch salted squid but I think I need to salt some every other week to make sure I have fermented squid at hand.
I can’t wait ..sigh….
wow, 1 month later, you will make delicious ojingeojeot!
Maangchi,
Can I use a plastic container– a Rubbermaid for ex, to store the squid, or do I need to use a glass jar?
yes, you can use a plastic container, too. sorry about the late reply. I just got back home from Honduras.
Maangchi, today we bought 2kg of fresh squid at the market which I cleaned and put half of it in the freezer (we used the other half for another dish). I am a bit afraid of trying this recipe though because I don’t want my fridge to be penetrated by a fishy smell! Will it smell very horrible if I make this recipe?
“I am a bit afraid of trying this recipe though because I don’t want my fridge to be penetrated by a fishy smell! Will it smell very horrible if I make this recipe” You asked the wrong person. Be brave to make delicious food. : )
HI Maanchi, Last night I made my cousin-sisters a small dinner using some of your recipes and they loved it. Seems that they are the only family memebers who are brave enough to try some different then hamburgers. hahaha
I wanted to make this recipe but I live on the navajo reservation and stores here don’t have squid, so I use shrimp. I cut them into bite-size pieces and blanched them enough to be cooked but still soft, then mixed in with the other ingridents. I had to use Red Chile powder (used in mexican dishes) but it still came out GOOD!
Then I made Dubu buchim yangnyumjang and dubu ganjang jorim, Soegogi gui,
*** I accidently press the “Submit Comment” button before I finished typing. hahaha***
I also made Japchae, Mandu, kongnamul muchim, and Oisobagi. And all was So Delicious. Thank you for your recipes. Only one photo was taken of it, so I guess that means I have to make them all again and take better photos. So happy!! LoL
Ah!! sorry, forgot the “g” in your name. Maangchi. lol
lol lol, you are so cute!
Hello Maangchi!
It has been a long time since we have chat:) I’m Pristine from Singapore. I’m just wondering, can I use this ojingeojeot in fermenting kimchi?
By the way, I am going to make my first batch of kimchi next week! (EXCITING!:)) and i want to know if its good to add both aejeot (anchovy fish sauce, right?) and saewoojeot together in the kimchi paste?
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes:D
Did we chat? Where have you been, Pristine! lol
“can I use this ojingeojeot in fermenting kimchi?” yes, you can. Chop up the fermented squid and put it into your kimchi paste.
“both aejeot (anchovy fish sauce, right?) and saewoojeot together in the kimchi paste?”
Yes,you could use fish sauce and saewoojeot together. When you use saewoojeot, mince it with a knife https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/salted-shrimp
Good luck with making delicious kimchi!
Do you include the tentacles, or do you just use the body portion? Anyway, I blanched some last night and it was soo good :D I love your recipes!! Thank you so much <3 ^^
“Do you include the tentacles” yes, indeed! : ) I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed the blanched squid. It’s soft and sweet!
Maangchi, this is the first time I post something, I just joined your fans but have been watching your shows for a while. Thank you so much for showing the world how to eat healthy and what to do with vegetables, as in the west we are often limited to salad, stew. My husband and I love spicy food but I have three young kids. I’d love to introduce them to fermented fish, as it is soo healthy, but could you give me an idea what veggies could I mix their fermented squid with? Thank you!
I wouldn’t use a lot of vegetables to avoid watery ojingeojeot which will go bad easily. One of the reasons I use chili peppers is that they don’t contain much water. You see I dry the fermented squid with paper towels in the video.
If you want to eat it with vegetables, I recommend taking some from your ojingeot jar or container each time right before serving, and mixing it with your favorite vegetables such as cucumber, celery, carrot..etc
wouldn’t the squid go bad if it is kept in the fridge for a month? it is seafood…i’m just cautious…hehe
Don’t worry, it will ferment instead of going bad because of salt. : )
If you can’t find small squids, can you just use one regular sized one?
yes, you can use regular sized squid. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/squid
Sounds really yummy, I love squid! I’ll have to try it this weekend! So excited!
ooh whoo! let me know how yours turns out 1 month later after making.
So adorable. Like Kimchi with seafood, and of course not with a vegetable base but with a fish base :D By the way. How does the squid taste like? Is it sour like in regular Kimchi, or is it just salten?
Love it :)
No, it’s not sour but a little sweet, salty, chewy, and a little spicy. The best part is the flavor that comes from well fermented seafood! It’s not fishy at all
Ohh Maangchi! Can´t believe you posted!
I was dying for this recipe!!
Thank you so much!!!!!!!!
yay! 1 month project!
My favorite side dish! Thank you for posting this – I’m going to start it this weekend!
This weekend? It sounds great!
My wife loves ojingeojeot she always has it in the fridge. But it is the stuff from a jar. Now that I know how easy it is to make I will a big batch when I get home. So around Christmas I will post a pic of how it turns out.
: ) I feel your love for your wife! awesome!
Your wife is lucky to have such a thoughtful husband.