Fried Calamari Recipe (2024)

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This is the best Fried Calamari Recipe ever, they are tender in the inside and crispy fried to golden brown perfection. Best of all, they are the perfect appetizer for any gathering or dinner party.

I've always loved getting calamari as an appetizer, but sometimes it's a bit chewy and difficult to eat. A friend served this at our weekly girl's get together and it was perfect, delicious and tender.

Fried Calamari Recipe (1)

Jump to:
  • The Marinade
  • The Batter
  • The Flavor
  • Tips for Perfect, Crispy Calamari
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • How to reheat fried calamari
  • Related Recipes:
  • Full Recipe

From the taste and texture, I presumed she either found a special type of calamari to serve, bought something pre-made and just reheated or found a special time-consuming recipe to make it so good.

It was none of those things. In fact, it was so easy, she was almost reluctant to tell me her secret. She simply marinated the calamari in buttermilk and fried them in seasoned flour to make them not just tender but also delicious.

Fried Calamari Recipe (2)

Not only was the fried calamari excellent, but she also served it with a lemony aioli sauce and a side of fresh cut lemon that was divine. I've always dipped in tartar sauce or marinara sauce, but this sauce was light and added to the experience.

I managed to get the recipe from her for the sauce too. Wow, both are so easy that I'm now serving these every chance I get. We had an end of summer party where everyone brought a dish.

Some of my friends asked that I have these on the menu, so I asked Jennifer if she was going to bring them or should I.

Fried Calamari Recipe (3)

Since she was kind enough to give me this scrumptious recipe, I let her be the heroine and bring them, but we floured and fried them right at the party, setting up a little serving area.

I provided a fresh lemon and she had already prepared the lemony aioli. I had a small fry baby cooker she used and Jennifer's station was the hit of the party.

The trick when frying was to prevent overcrowding in the fryer and only prepare a small amount at a time.

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Fried Calamari Recipe (4)

The Marinade

I learned or read online that soaking the squid in buttermilk for at least 30 minutes or for an hour before cooking will tenderized it.

I tried it and found that it works: my calamari still has a bite, but they're less chewy.

Why Buttermilk Instead of Eggs? The acidity in the buttermilk helps keep the calamari tender and helps create a lighter, crispier batter.

Fried Calamari Recipe (5)

The Batter

The batter makes a big difference when cooking calamari aside from the texture of course. They range from simple to the slightly more complicated.

I prefer my calamari to be lighter in coating. So, after a bit of experiment, I concluded that actually, the cornflour is what makes the difference here. The result is a crispy coating that won’t fall off during frying.

The Flavor

Adding paprika imparts a richer brown color and when it comes to crispy fried calamari, less is more.

Using cornflour with the good old fashioned flour and seasoning mix, this trick works every single time!

Try sprinkling the squid rings with extra salt flakes fresh out of the pan, adds extra crunch.

Tips for Perfect, Crispy Calamari

Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking these squid rings to attain vital crisp results. Overcrowding tends the pieces to release water and they'll steam rather than fry. Deep-frying in batches without over-crowding will help maintain oil temperature.

Use a good quality calamari to start with when preparing this dish. To actually taste it, I noticed that slightly thicker (with about 1 cm rings), there's more Calamari to get your teeth into.

For the coating, use cornflour and bread flour instead of regular flour to get that vital crunch results. While the flour seasoning is a matter of preference, adding fresh herbs like paprika and garlic powder (or oregano) will absolutely lift the flavors.

Always use a clean oil and the perfect temperature to cook is 170°C (340°F) heat when frying. Check your oil by sprinkling a pinch of flour into a hot oil, if it bubbles, then it's ready.

Ingredients

for Calamari:

  • 1 lb calamari bodies sliced into ½ inch rings, tentacles left whole
  • 1 ½ cup buttermilk

Flour Seasoning:

  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ cup cornflour
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon red chili flakes optional

Garnish:

  • chopped parsley for garnish
  • lemon wedges to serve

Lemon aioli:

  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • dash of Tabasco
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Prep the Aioli and the Squid:

  1. Prepare lemon aioli by whisking together mayonnaise and the lemon Aioli ingredients.

Aioli ingredients

  1. Clean and prepare the calamari and soak in buttermilk for 30 minutes or better for at least an hour.

Prep the Flour Seasoning:

  1. Combine flour & cornflour with flour seasonings (like paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne powder and red chili flakes).
  2. Once you've finished soaking, dredge the calamari in seasoned flour, tossing evenly to coat.

Cooking the Calamari:

  1. Preheat frying oil to 350 degrees F. Carefully drop a handful of the calamari into the hot oil.
  2. Cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Remove with slotted spoon and transfer to a paper lined baking sheet.
  4. Repeat with remaining calamari.
  5. Sprinkle parsley on top. Serve with lemon wedges and lemon aioli.

How to reheat fried calamari

Using the oven is by far your best option if you want to reheat the calamari. It may takes for about 10 minutes or more to be able to get it back to the same texture when you first cooked it.
Steps:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Arrange the calamari on a lined baking sheet
  3. Heat for about 10-15 minutes or until it is fully re-heated
  4. Just make sure that the squids are completely re-heated before taking them out.

Do Not Use the Microwave

Never nuke any leftover fried calamari. I am guilty of this as well as this could be the easiest or convenience way to reheat the food.
However, I learned that reheating fried foods in the microwave will render the opposite result.

When using the microwave, any fried foods will end up soggy and we don't want to eat "soggy" fried calamari. Which means, throwing them in the oven is the only way to do it.

You can check these Japanese Potato Croquettes for a different kind of crispy treats that my family enjoys.

Fried Calamari Recipe (6)

I never thought making this Baked Furikake Salmon recipe using an air fryer would result in the juiciest, most tender salmon each time.

Fried Calamari Recipe (7)

Full Recipe

Fried Calamari Recipe

3.65 from 222 votes

Pin Recipe

Marinating the squid in buttermilk defeats the rubber band effect some fried calamari tends to have. These crispy fried calamari are the perfect appetizer for any gathering or dinner party.

Servings: 4

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes minutes

Total Time 43 minutes minutes

Ingredients:

Calamari:

  • 1 lb calamari bodies sliced into ½ inch rings, tentacles left whole
  • 1 ½ cup buttermilk

Flour Seasoning:

  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ cup cornflour
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon red chili flakes optional

Garnish:

  • chopped parsley for garnish
  • lemon wedges to serve

Lemon aioli:

  • cup mayonnaise
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • dash of Tabasco
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Prep the Aioli and the Squid:

  • Prepare lemon aioli by whisking together mayonnaise & the lemon Aioli ingredients.

  • Clean and prepare the calamari and soak in buttermilk for 30 minutes or better for at least an hour.

    Fried Calamari Recipe (9)

Prep the Flour Seasoning:

  • Combine flour & cornflour with flour seasonings (like paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne powder and red chili flakes).

  • Once you've finished soaking, dredge the calamari in seasoned flour, tossing evenly to coat.

Cooking the Calamari:

  • Preheat frying oil to 350 degrees F.

  • Carefully drop a handful of the calamari into the hot oil.

  • Cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.

  • Remove with slotted spoon and transfer to a paper lined baking sheet.

  • Repeat with remaining calamari.

  • Sprinkle parsley on top. Serve with lemon wedges and lemon aioli.

    Fried Calamari Recipe (10)

Notes:

1.) Why buttermilk instead of eggs? The acidity in the buttermilk helps keep the calamari tender and helps create a lighter, crispier batter. So, adding eggs or breadcrumbs is not necessary.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 282mg | Sodium: 1436mg | Potassium: 485mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1035IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 3mg

Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

Did you make this?I would love seeing what you've made! Tag me on Instagram @theforkbitedotcom or leave me a comment or rating below.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Asian, Mediterranean

Keywords: best fried calamari, best fried calamari recipe, crispy fried calamari recipe, fried calamari, fried calamari recipe, how to fry calamari, how to fry calimari, how to make fried calamari

Fried Calamari Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to cooking calamari? ›

Soak the rings in a solution of salted milk for 30 minutes (refrigerated) before cooking. I shared this earlier, but this is the trick to tenderizing the calamari meat and it also helps tame the fishy taste. For crispy fried calamari, coat the rings in a mixture of flour, cornstarch, and baking powder!

What is the best oil for deep frying calamari? ›

What's the Best Oil to Fry Calamari In? Any high-smoke-point oil — like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil — will work for frying calamari. I recommend an oil with a very mild flavor so that the delicate calamari flavor shines through.

How do you keep fried calamari crispy? ›

Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.

If you've ever seen a high-volume restaurant or fast-food chain kitchen in action, you'll notice that they keep deep-fried foods like crispy, fried chicken wings on perforated trays that act in much the same way as the cooling rack and baking sheet combination.

How do you cook calamari so it's not rubbery? ›

Soaking calamari rings in vinegar helps tenderize them which makes them less chewy. Also it gets rid of any unpleasant smell. After this I like to marinade the calamari in a special spice mix with olive oil. I use garlic, lemon juice, salt, black pepper and cumin.

What makes fried calamari rubbery? ›

Fried calamari gets tough when even slightly overcooked. The trick is to thaw and bring to room temperature before frying. Soak them in water and baking soda for an hour. Clean them in cold water then dry them.

Why do you soak calamari in milk? ›

I also soak my calamari in a water, baking soda, and salt bath for 15 minutes before frying to help ensure a more tender texture. Some people prefer to soak in milk as the lactic acid helps to tenderize the calamari. If you choose to do this, use enough milk to cover the calamari.

What oil should you not use for deep frying? ›

Flaxseed, Walnut, and Sesame Oil: These oils are not recommended for deep frying in a commercial deep fryer. They have distinct flavors that may not be suitable for all types of fried foods, and their low smoke points make them susceptible to burning at high temperatures.

What's the difference between fried squid and calamari? ›

In short, there is no actual difference between calamari and squid. Calamari is the Italian word for squid, and the term stuck around in English-speaking countries. In the U.S., we often think of calamari fritti, or fried squid.

How do you keep batter from falling off calamari? ›

Dredge the cut up calamari in seasoned flour, making sure it is well coated, and shake off the excess. If you have a sifter, that'll make the job easier. Assuming you've got a sifter, dredge the calamari in flour, throw it into the sifter and shake it until all of the excess flour falls through.

What goes with fried calamari? ›

Chips, Mashed Potatoes, or Potato Salad

Chips are a classic choice for an extra crunch with your crunchy deep-fried calamari rings. Paired with your favorite dipping sauce, this delicious combo can awaken your taste buds.

How do you know when fried calamari is cooked? ›

Fry the squid – add the flour-coated squid to the skillet, working in 2-3 batches to make sure it doesn't overlap. Cook for 2-4 minutes, until the calamari stiffens, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until golden brown.

Why does breading fall off calamari? ›

If the oil temperature is too low, the calamari will absorb too much oil and become soggy, or will lose its breading all together. On the other hand, if the oil is too hot, the outside will cook faster than the inside.

Should I rinse calamari before cooking? ›

4 Rinse squid body and tentacles before cooking. Slice body crosswise into rings for salads and soups.

How do you make batter stick when deep frying? ›

Dip it in flour, then beaten egg, then flour again, and only turn once. Dip it in a light coating of flour first, that helps the batter stick!

What is the best tenderizer for calamari? ›

I use baking soda to tenderize calamari. For each pound, I dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in just enough water to cover the calamari. Let sit for about 15 minutes and then rinse very well and pat dry.

Is it better to boil calamari before frying? ›

There's no need to boil the calamari before frying, this will make it tough. Set up a dredging station with the whisked eggs in one shallow bowl, and the whisked flour mixture in another. Cover the squid rings in the whisked eggs, then cover with flour. Fry in oil over medium heat until golden and cooked through.

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