By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 3, 2026
Serves 6
342 cal · 43 min
Barbecued Squid Salad
Recipe GLPR1fcb343e166352
A vibrant, quick-cooking salad featuring tender barbecued squid with scoring marks that curl beautifully when cooked. Fresh squid is marinated with lime zest, garlic, and crushed peppercorns, then briefly grilled until opaque and tender. Served over a bright salad of red onion, mango, green beans, avocado, and fresh chilli, finished with lime juice, fresh coriander, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
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Ingredients
800 g fresh squid, cleaned and prepared
3 limes, zest reserved and juice squeezed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 garlic cloves, smashed flat
1 ½ tsp mixed peppercorns, crushed
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed
1 fresh red chilli, thinly sliced (or more to taste)
250 g green beans, trimmed and steamed until tender-crisp
2 ripe avocados, halved, stoned, and scooped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 handful Fresh coriander, chopped
Lime wedges for serving
Directions
Prepare the squid: Using a sharp knife, score the inner side of the squid tubes in a crosshatch pattern at 5mm–1cm intervals, cutting through most of the flesh but leaving the sides intact to prevent them from falling apart. If any tubes are particularly large, cut them in half widthwise. Leave the tentacles whole. Place all squid pieces into a non-metallic bowl.
Make the marinade: Add the lime zest, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, and crushed mixed peppercorns to the squid. Stir to combine evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours, to allow the flavours to infuse.
Prepare the salad base: In a large bowl, combine the thinly sliced red onion, cubed mango, and sliced fresh chilli. Pour the reserved lime juice over the mixture and add a pinch of salt. Toss gently and let sit for at least 10 minutes, until the onion turns pink from the lime juice. Add the steamed green beans to the side of the bowl.
Add the avocado: Halve each avocado, remove the stone, and scoop the flesh into the salad bowl. Gently add plenty of seasoning with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Set the salad aside but do not toss yet.
Heat the barbecue: Preheat a barbecue or grill to high heat until it is very hot.
Grill the squid: Season the marinated squid pieces generously with sea salt. Working quickly, place the squid tubes and tentacles on the hot barbecue and cook for no more than 1½ minutes total. The flesh should turn from greyish to opaque and shrink up into a spiral shape where you've made your cuts—the squid will be tender and properly cooked at this point. Overcooking will make it tough.
Finish and serve: Gently toss the salad ingredients together very roughly and transfer to a serving platter. Top with the hot grilled squid. Scatter the fresh chopped coriander over the top, drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil, and serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.
Comments
Squid is a special-order item at most Charlotte grocers—Harris Teeter and Publix carry it occasionally in their seafood counters, but you may need to call ahead or make a dedicated stop, which adds real friction to a weeknight. The salad itself is simple and reasonably priced once you have the squid (around $12–15 per pound), with mango and avocado pulling the per-serving cost to roughly $4–5, depending on season. The stated 43 minutes understates the work: cleaning squid, rendering it tender, and dicing avocado just before serving means actual hands-on time closer to an hour, and the avocado oxidizes quickly, making this a same-night dish that does not keep. It's a bright, summery plate that suits confident cooks willing to hunt for squid and time service carefully.
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