Adobong pusit is a Filipino-style squid adobo made with garlic, onion, tomato, vinegar, and soy sauce, often finished with squid ink for a dark, savory sauce. This version keeps the squid tender by cooking it quickly; family and regional versions vary, including some made without soy sauce or tomato.
Ingredients
Use cleaned squid if you can find it; ask the fish counter to clean whole squid and keep the ink sacs if you want to use fresh ink. The jarred squid ink listed here is optional, but it gives the sauce a deeper color and briny flavor. If it is unavailable, leave it out rather than substituting a strongly flavored ingredient.
- 2 lb (900 g) cleaned squid, tubes and tentacles, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces if large
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil, such as canola
- 1 medium yellow onion, about 1 cup (150 g) thinly sliced
- 5 garlic cloves, about 15 g, finely chopped
- 1 medium ripe tomato, about 1 cup (180 g) chopped
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) cane vinegar or rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Filipino-style or regular soy sauce
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 tsp (10 g) squid ink, optional
- 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) kosher salt, or to taste, depending on the saltiness of the soy sauce
- 2 tbsp (6 g) sliced scallions, for serving
Instructions
Have the aromatics chopped and the squid drained before heating the pan. Squid cooks quickly, so it helps to measure the vinegar, soy sauce, and water in advance. A wide skillet or sauté pan gives the squid room to cook in a shallow layer instead of steaming in a crowded pile.
- Prepare the squid. Pat the cleaned squid dry with paper towels. Cut larger tubes into bite-size pieces and leave small tentacles whole or halve them. If the squid is wet, blot it again; excess water can dilute the sauce and keep the squid from searing lightly. Keep it chilled while you prepare the vegetables.
- Soften the aromatics. Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring so it does not brown or scorch.
- Cook the tomato. Stir in the chopped tomato and cook for about 4 minutes. Break it up with the spoon as it softens. The tomato should release some juice and form a loose, fragrant base, but it does not need to disappear completely.
- Add the vinegar and squid. Pour in the vinegar and water, then add the bay leaf and black pepper. Bring the liquid to a lively simmer. Add the squid and stir once to coat it. Simmer uncovered for 2 minutes; letting the vinegar bubble briefly before stirring again helps its sharp aroma mellow.
- Finish the sauce and cook safely. Stir in the soy sauce and squid ink, if using. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring gently, until the squid is opaque and just tender. Check the thickest piece with a food thermometer: USDA FSIS lists 145°F (63°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for seafood. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the squid reaches that temperature, since extra cooking can make it chewy. Taste the sauce and add salt only if needed.
- Serve promptly. Remove the bay leaf, scatter scallions over the top, and spoon the sauce over the squid. Serve while hot, with plenty of rice to catch the tangy, savory juices.
Tips
- Choose vinegar you enjoy. Filipino cane vinegar has a clean, mild tang and is a good choice when available. Rice vinegar is a practical substitute with a gentler flavor. Distilled white vinegar works too, but it tastes sharper, so start with a little less and adjust the sauce at the end.
- Keep the squid dry and the pan broad. A crowded pan releases liquid and steams the squid. If your skillet is small, cook the squid in two batches, then return it to the sauce to finish. This small adjustment helps the sauce stay concentrated.
- Do not rely on color alone. Squid turns opaque as it cooks, but pieces vary in thickness. Check a thick piece with a thermometer for 145°F (63°C), the USDA FSIS safe minimum for seafood, and take the pan off the heat promptly. Overcooking is the most common reason squid becomes rubbery.
- Season at the end. Soy sauce contributes salt, and squid ink can add a salty, ocean-like note. Taste the finished sauce before adding the measured salt; depending on your soy sauce, you may need only a pinch or none.
Serving Suggestions
Serve adobong pusit hot with steamed white rice, which balances the vinegar and makes the flavorful sauce easy to enjoy. Garlic rice is another good match, especially if you want a more substantial meal. Put the squid and sauce over rice just before serving rather than letting the rice sit in the pan, so it keeps its texture.
For a simple meal, add a fresh side such as sliced cucumber, tomato, or a lightly dressed green salad. Pickled vegetables can work too, but choose a mild, crisp accompaniment so the plate does not become overly sour. A bowl of plain rice and a small dish of extra sliced scallions are useful at the table for anyone who wants a little more freshness.
This recipe serves four as a main dish with rice, or more as part of a Filipino-style spread with several shared dishes. If serving it family-style, keep the squid in a shallow warm serving bowl and bring the sauce along rather than draining it away. The sauce is an important part of the dish, not just a cooking liquid.
Variations
Make it without soy sauce: Some versions of squid adobo rely on vinegar, garlic, and the squid’s own ink rather than soy. Leave out the soy sauce and replace its 2 tablespoons (30 ml) with water. Taste before adding salt, because ink and the squid itself contribute plenty of flavor. The result is lighter in color if you also omit the ink, and its vinegar flavor will stand out more clearly.
Use fresh squid ink: If your cleaned squid comes with intact ink sacs, you can use the ink instead of jarred ink. Handle the sacs gently and stir the ink into a small spoonful of water before adding it to the pan to reduce splashes. Ink sacs are not always included with cleaned squid, so jarred squid ink is the more dependable option. If neither is available, simply omit it; the dish will still have the characteristic vinegar-and-garlic adobo flavor.
Add heat: Add one thinly sliced red or green chili with the garlic, or serve sliced chili on the side. This lets diners adjust the heat without changing the balance of the whole pan. For a milder, sweeter profile, cook an extra few minutes of onion with the tomato, but avoid adding much sugar; the tomato and onion already soften the vinegar’s edge.
Try a different vegetable base: Some cooks use more tomato, while others keep the sauce spare and emphasize garlic and vinegar. You can add another chopped tomato for a saucier, fruitier result, or omit tomato for a sharper, less sweet sauce. These are useful home-style variations rather than a single fixed formula; keep the squid quantity and brief cooking time the same.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking in a shallow, covered container. They keep for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. The sauce may darken as the squid ink settles or the flavors mingle; that is expected. Store the squid with its sauce so it does not dry out, and use a clean utensil when serving from the container.
For longer storage, freeze the cooled squid and sauce in a tightly sealed freezer-safe container for up to 2 months for best texture. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Squid can become firmer after freezing and thawing, so freezing is best when convenience matters more than its just-cooked texture.
Reheat only the portion you plan to eat, gently in a covered skillet over low heat with a spoonful of water, or in the microwave in short intervals. Stir as needed and check that leftovers reach 165°F (74°C), the safe temperature for reheated leftovers. Avoid a long simmer: reheating to temperature is necessary, but prolonged heat can make the squid tough. Eat reheated leftovers promptly and do not repeatedly cool and reheat the same batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does adobong pusit mean?
Adobong pusit means squid prepared in the Filipino adobo style. The dish commonly combines squid with vinegar and garlic, with soy sauce, tomato, bay leaf, or squid ink included in some versions. Filipino adobo is a broad family of preparations, so ingredient choices and proportions can differ between households and regions.
Can I use frozen squid?
Yes. Thaw frozen squid in the refrigerator, then drain and pat it very dry before cooking. If it is sold in a block of ice or releases a lot of liquid after thawing, give it extra time to drain. Do not thaw it on the counter. Once thawed, cook it promptly and follow the same brief cooking method and temperature check.
How do I keep squid from getting rubbery?
Use a hot, wide pan, avoid crowding, and cook the pieces only until they reach the safe temperature. Squid can become chewy when it spends too long at intermediate cooking temperatures, so have the sauce ready before adding it and check the thickest pieces rather than leaving the pan unattended. Cutting very large pieces into a similar size also helps them cook evenly.
Can I make this recipe without squid ink?
Yes. Squid ink is optional and mainly changes the color and adds a distinct briny depth. Without it, the sauce will be lighter and more tomato-brown, but the vinegar, garlic, soy, and squid still make a flavorful adobo. Do not use food coloring as a substitute; it will change the appearance without adding the ink’s flavor.
Can I prepare adobong pusit ahead?
You can chop the onion, garlic, and tomato and measure the liquids a day ahead, keeping them covered in the refrigerator. For the best texture, cook the squid close to serving time. If you need to make the complete dish in advance, cool and refrigerate it promptly, then reheat it gently to 165°F (74°C); expect the squid to be somewhat firmer than when freshly cooked.
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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