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.
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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.
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.
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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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.
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
① 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.
② 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.
③ 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.
④ 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:
- Prepare lemon aioli by whisking together mayonnaise and the lemon Aioli ingredients.
Aioli ingredients
- Clean and prepare the calamari and soak in buttermilk for 30 minutes or better for at least an hour.
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.
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:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
- Arrange the calamari on a lined baking sheet
- Heat for about 10-15 minutes or until it is fully re-heated
- 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.
Related Recipes:
You can check these Japanese Potato Croquettes for a different kind of crispy treats that my family enjoys.
I never thought making this Baked Furikake Salmon recipe using an air fryer would result in the juiciest, most tender salmon each time.
Full Recipe
Fried Calamari Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients:
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:
- 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.
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.
Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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.
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Osnat says
Can you make it with frozen calamari rings?
Calleigh says
@Shauna,
No, you don't need to rinse the calamari after marinating, you just bring them out using a slotted spoon and just dip them into the flour mixture.
Shauna says
hi, never made calamari. Trying your recipe tonight. Do you rinse the calamari after it’s been marinated or dry it at all? Or do you bring it out of the marinade in a slotted spoon and directly into the flour mixture? Thanks! Looks delicious can’t wait.
Calleigh says
@Rich,
I used the Bob's red mill cornflour or you can use the Potato cornstarch as well.
Rich says
What type of cornflour did you use. I am looking and all I see is corn meal or corn masa. Is that the same thing? Thank you. This looks amazing and I am making it for Christmas Eve.
Berna says
Oh boy!! the moment I saw this post, my heart beats fast.. this is one of my favorite appetizers.. perfect for weeknight bubbly.
Anjali says
Love the tip to use buttermilk instead of eggs or breadcrumbs!! These turn out to be the perfect little bites!
Dannii says
My husband always orders this when we are out, so I am going to have to try making some at home.
Whitney says
Fried calamari is my fave! This looks like a super easy recipe to make at home, thanks for sharing!
Anita says
These are so good, and thanks for that buttermilk tip, I would never have thought about it. And they were gone in a heart beat too. 🙂
Jennifer Q says
So that's how you get calamari to be tender! Buttermilk! I've not had luck with making tender calamari before trying this. Thanks!
Fran says
Do I rinse the buttermilk of, then coat? Will the buttermilk flavor be there?
Denise Oliver says
A delicious recipe!! I love how tender the calamari rings turned out to be.. They are so yummy, yet so simple to and easy to make at home.
Giorgina Pong says
My kids love them as well as my husband. Totally perfection, not too spicy.
Eloise Morrison says
Uggh... I messed the first batch of my calamari rings 🙁 but after the second try, they were perfect. I tweaked and added some cayenne and spice herbs.. tasted delicious. This will be our regular appetizer on Friday night.
Madelyn says
Crispy, tender, mouth-watering calamari bites.. No calamari fan should miss this one.
Katrina D says
This is my first time to re-create this calamari at home and it turned out so delicious and super tender inside.
Susana Roesler says
i love this recipe, the only change I made was to dredge the calamari in cajun spice coating and some salt. Serve with spicy mayo for dipping.
Ophelia W. Donoho says
I'm obsessed with these appetizers..never thought making these at home could be so easy. I will use the buttermilk trick.. thank you for sharing!!
Juliet Lund says
These are so crispy ring of squids..I love it!! However, I would like to add more cayenne pepper next time and add sriracha to the buttermilk - its' only me 🙂 because I love strong flavors and spice. Overall, big thumbs up 🙂 Thank you.
Dianne W says
This recipe will be going into regular rotation.... these are so delicious, crispy yet tender ring bites.. Cant go wrong with the extra crispiness. 🙂
Crystal J says
I love calamari and always order these appetizers in the restaurant, but puzzled why 10 rings of calamari cost $$!! So, I thought, recreating them at home would save me dineros... The result? your recipe is the best calamari I ever tasted.. they are so crispy and tender. I tried frying them though instead of baking. YUMMY!!
Jessica Wertz says
You cant go wrong with this recipe. Simply marinate, coat in seasoned flour and deep-fry and presto, you'll get a tender, juicy & crispier calamari.. Thanks for sharing.
Jennifer Francis says
I love this calamari recipe, so juicy and tender due to marinating them overnight.
Diane W says
This is so delicious. I marinated a little longer and it was so tender, I did finished the whole plate 🙂
Dana M says
I just made this calamari as described and I deep-fried a little longer which gave the crispiness to the flour coating but tender in the inside. Yummy!!
Calleigh says
@Brittany,
Yes, you can marinate the calamari rings in buttermilk overnight.
Brittany says
can you marinate the rings in butter milk overnight
Mandy Le Feuvre says
What have you served it on? Thank you
Calleigh says
@Jesicca,
Grapeseed oil for a high heat saute.
Canola oil for frying or deep-frying.
Jessica says
What kind of oil is best to fry the calamari?
Valerie says
Tried this tonight. The sauce was delicious! However some batter was struggling to stay on the squid. What am I doing wrong!?
Sonika Balyan says
This looks so tempting but since i am vegan i cannot try this recipe at my home. Please share some vegan recipes.
Makiya E Berry says
Yumm I've never had calamari, definitely looks like something I'll have to try out!Thanks for the recipe.
Via Bella says
This sounds amazing and I know so many people who would eat this up in a heartbeat. So I will pass this recipe on to them.
Catherine says
Beautiful photography! Your calamari looks perfect....I wish I could dig in right now! Pinning 🙂
Carmen says
Calamari is my favorite! I've always avoided making it at home, because I know how easy it is to overcook it. This looks so simple, though! I am going to pin this to try it soon!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
The minute I saw the recipe I pinned it before reading your post. When I see calamari I think of my mamma making them for my papà -- it was one of his favorites. The only thing that's a challenge is finding of fresh calamari. My mouth is watering just looking at the seafood. BTW-- we use buttermilk a lot for marinating purposes. It's excellent.
valmg @ From Val's Kitchen says
This sounds like a flavorful dish. It reminds me how much I do enjoy a good buttermilk coating on foods like chicken, it really makea s difference in the flavor.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Fried makes everything delicious and I absolutely love the mixture you have used for coating the calamari. I am vegetarian, but I can definitely use the exact same ingredients to fry up some zucchini or cauliflower. Love the lemon aioli as the dipping sauce.
swathi says
I always skeptical of cooking calamari thinking that it will become chewy. But your recipe sounds delicious and easily doable. I am going to try it. Let me see I can get hold of fresh squid. These are ultimate party dishes love those lemony avioli dip . yum
Christine says
I've never been a huge fan of calamari, but I think I would really like this recipe. They look so yummy! Saving for later!
Surekha says
This recipe sounds easy and looks delicious too. My roommate would love this as I am a vegetarian
Carlee says
That looks heavenly! I love calamari but have never attempted to make it at home. Now I want to try!
Jio says
I haven't heard about calamari, but I would definitely taste it if I ever made this from your recipe
Veena Azmanov says
My absolute comfort food is deep fried calamari with tartar sauce. I would give anything to have that now... Unfortunately I don't get them here... This is so going to make me hunt for some. This looks so good.
Ellaine says
I loveeeeee calamari! Seafood restaurants for me aren't complete w/o this. And oh, the photos make it more appetizing!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
I LOVE fried calamari but have never tried to make it at home. This recipe looks absolutely delicious and your photos are stunning!
Nicole - Cookies & CarrotSticks says
Never made calamari at home. We all love calamari and this sounds and looks absolutely yummy!
Kylee from Kylee Cooks says
What a great recipe for a party! I bet there were queues of people lining up to try this. Freshly made anything is always a hit - but then you went with the lemon aioli, and knocked it out of the park!
Andree-Anne @ singly scrumptious says
Yum yum yum ! I love fried calamaries, especially with aioli, soo good! And I love your photographs, so beautiful 🙂
Adriana Lopez Martin says
Classic recipe the calamari fritti but not that easy to make has a trick otherwise calamari is not that good. Love yoru photos so pretty!
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh says
As much seafood that I do love, I've never been fond of calamari. My husband on the other hand loves it. Your recipe sounds easy enough for him to make!
Calleigh says
@Ali Rost,
Thanks for the great tip Ali, I'll try that one next time 🙂
Ali Rost says
What beautiful food photography! I have a friend who make the best Fried Calamari. Her tip for making sure the flour doesn't come off of the squid while it's frying? It should be quite dry when you're dredging it. You can spread them out on a paper towel (similar to patting chicken dry) or do what she did, which is to just give each handful of squid a thorough squeeze before dredging to get rid of excess water. x
Sreekar says
frankly, love Calamari made in any form. this recipe looks doable. Will surely give this a go come weekend!
Fashion Wanderer says
Yum! I order for appetizer when I go have dinner at restaurant. I never made it home. I'm going to bookmark this post and try it home for myself! Thanks for inspiration 🙂
Sachin says
Sounds easy and looks amazing..will try out this recipe...