By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 16
100 cal · 45 min
Grilled Squid and Pork Paste with Scallion and Shallot
Recipe GLPR44357efa01f04f
A smoky Vietnamese grilled dish featuring tender squid bodies stuffed with a savory pork and mushroom filling, infused with garlic, shallot, and Maggi seasoning. The mixture is secured inside the squid tubes and cooked over high heat until charred and fragrant, then finished with fresh lime juice and aromatic Vietnamese coriander. This bold, umami-rich preparation is perfect for summer grilling and serves 16 as a main course.
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Ingredients
1½ pounds squid bodies (about 34 small squid), cleaned
2 ounces squid tentacles, chopped
10 ounces ground pork (10 to 20% fat)
20 g dried wood ear mushrooms
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 scallion (green part only), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Maggi Seasoning
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground white pepper, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
lime wedges, for serving
Vietnamese coriander or cilantro, fresh
neutral oil for grilling (vegetable oil)
Directions
Rehydrate the dried wood ear mushrooms in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain well and chop into small pieces.
In a bowl, combine the ground pork, chopped squid tentacles, rehydrated wood ear mushrooms, finely chopped shallot, minced garlic, sliced scallion green, Maggi Seasoning, sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper. Mix until just combined.
Pat the squid bodies dry with paper towels and season lightly inside and out with the remaining teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper.
Carefully spoon the pork mixture into each squid body, filling it about three-quarters full. Do not overstuff, as the filling expands during cooking.
Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat and oil the grates lightly to prevent sticking.
Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, place the stuffed squid on the hot grill. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the squid is opaque, tender, and lightly charred, turning carefully to avoid losing the filling.
Transfer the grilled squid to a serving platter and drizzle with the fresh lime juice while still warm.
Garnish generously with fresh Vietnamese coriander or cilantro and serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.
Comments
Fresh squid is a real constraint in Charlotte: Harris Teeter's seafood counter carries it sporadically, and you cannot count on availability without a call ahead; Food Lion rarely stocks it, and Publix and Walmart don't reliably do so either—a specialty stop at a Chinese or Vietnamese market on Mecklenburg Avenue or a dedicated fishmonger is the only reliable path. The paste-and-grill technique is sound and the ingredient list is cheap once squid is secured (pork, mushrooms, aromatics, and lime run $3 to $4 total), but 45 minutes understates the work: cleaning squid by hand, mincing the pork and mushroom, forming paste, and heating the grill realistically takes an hour, and the dish doesn't keep—it's best eaten the same night, still warm. For 16 servings, this is more a party appetizer than a weeknight dinner, which changes the math on that special squid run.
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