Squid in Its Own Ink (Chipirones en su Tinta)
Tender baby squid simmered slowly in a deep, dark sauce built from caramelized onion and their own ink. A classic of northern Spain, rich and briny, traditionally spooned over plain white rice.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Clean the squid
Pull the head and tentacles away from the body. Cut the tentacles just below the eyes, discarding the beak hidden among them. Reach inside the body and pull out the thin, clear cartilage (the ) and any innards, keeping aside the small silvery ink sac near the eyes without breaking it; set the sacs in a small bowl with a splash of water. Rinse the bodies and tentacles well and leave whole or cut the bodies into rings.
- 800 g baby squid, cleaned, ink sacs reserved
✅ Done when: the squid bodies are hollow, clean and free of cartilage, with the ink sacs safely set aside
Build a deep sofrito
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over low heat. Add the onion, green pepper and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook very slowly, stirring often, for 20–25 minutes until deeply golden and almost jammy. This long, patient cooking is what gives the sauce its sweetness, so do not rush it or let it brown too fast.
- 2 large onions
- 1 green bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 60 ml olive oil
✅ Done when: the onion is soft, sweet and a deep golden-brown, with no raw bite left
Add tomato and wine
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Make the ink sauce
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Simmer the squid gently
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Finish and serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Clean the squid
Pull the head and tentacles away from the body. Cut the tentacles just below the eyes, discarding the beak hidden among them. Reach inside the body and pull out the thin, clear cartilage (the ) and any innards, keeping aside the small silvery ink sac near the eyes without breaking it; set the sacs in a small bowl with a splash of water. Rinse the bodies and tentacles well and leave whole or cut the bodies into rings.
- 800 g baby squid, cleaned, ink sacs reserved
✅ Done when: the squid bodies are hollow, clean and free of cartilage, with the ink sacs safely set aside
Build a deep sofrito
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over low heat. Add the onion, green pepper and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook very slowly, stirring often, for 20–25 minutes until deeply golden and almost jammy. This long, patient cooking is what gives the sauce its sweetness, so do not rush it or let it brown too fast.
- 2 large onions
- 1 green bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 60 ml olive oil
✅ Done when: the onion is soft, sweet and a deep golden-brown, with no raw bite left
Add tomato and wine
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Make the ink sauce
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Simmer the squid gently
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Finish and serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Chipirones en su tinta is a signature dish of Basque and Cantabrian cooking, born in fishing towns where small squid were caught close to shore and nothing from them went to waste, including the ink. The dark, savoury sauce built from slowly cooked onion and the squid's own ink became a point of pride, served in homes and in the pintxo bars of San Sebastián and Bilbao alike.
It later spread across Spain as a classic restaurant dish, often appearing on menus simply as "chipirones" and almost always paired with white rice to balance the richness of the sauce.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Its jet-black, glossy sauce and the tenderness of the squid when cooked properly make it one of the most memorable seafood dishes in Spanish cooking.
💡 Fun Fact
The ink is a natural defence the squid uses to escape predators underwater, and cooks learned to turn it into one of the most prized sauces in Spanish cuisine.
Basque Country, northern Spain
43.32°N, -1.98°W
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!