Crispy Fried Calamari
Fried Calamari is a lot easier to make at home than you might think! This recipe has a crispy batter that fries perfectly to a golden brown crunch.
Are there any foods you can think of that you MUST get if you see it on the menu when you’re dining out?
For me, Fried Calamari was always one of those must-order dishes. I don’t eat fried food too often, but fried calamari is one of my favorites.
Rings of squid coated in a super crispy, crunchy shell, dipped in a little marinara or aioli…the BEST!
I get the impression that a lot of people are intimidated by deep frying, but it’s actually one of the easiest and quickest cooking methods of all.
This calamari for instance only takes 2-3 minutes total for each batch.
It’s super fast, and the fresh-out-of-the-fryer crispy coating is so much better than what you’d get at a restaurant.
The most important thing when frying is to make sure the temperature is right. If you don’t have a thermometer, please consider getting one! It is one of the most essential tools for the kitchen.
Some people like having a dedicated deep fry thermometer, but I just use my thermapen or this thermometer to check the temperature.
How to Make Fried Calamari:
To get started with the calamari, cut the squid into tubes, then soak in lemon juice for 30 minutes:
This tenderizes the squid and adds flavor.
Next, mix flour with cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt:
Split this between two bowls, then add buttermilk or milk to a third bowl.
Remove the squid from the lemon juice, then dredge in the flour:
Then into the buttermilk or milk:
Then into the second duplicate bowl of flour:
Then deep fry the calamari in batches, for 2-3 minutes:
The calamari should be golden brown and crispy! Drain on a paper towel, and immediately salt the calamari so the seasoning sticks:
Serve plain, with marinara sauce, lemon wedges, or aioli:
Potato Croquettes and these Mozzarella Sticks are two more crispy treats that I enjoy making on occasion. Enjoy!
Fried Calamari
Ingredients
- 1 lb cleaned calamari tubes cut into rings, and tentacles left whole
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or milk
- vegetable or canola oil for deep frying
- marinara sauce, lemon wedges, or aioli, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Place the calamari into a bowl with the lemon juice, and let sit for 30 minutes. This will tenderize the calamari.
- Preheat frying oil to 375 degrees F, either in a deep fryer or a large cast iron pot, no more than 1/2 full.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cayenne, paprika, and salt. Add half of this mixture to another medium bowl. Place the buttermilk or milk in a third bowl. Place the three bowls on the counter in the following order: spiced flour, buttermilk, and spiced flour.
- Remove the calamari from the lemon juice, then dredge each piece in the flour, shaking off any excess, then into the buttermilk, shaking off the excess, then back into the second bowl of flour. Repeat this process with all the calamari.
- Fry the calamari in batches for about 2-3 minutes total, until golden brown. Then drain on a paper towel and immediately salt the calamari generously so the salt sticks. Serve with marinara sauce and lemon wedges, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Post updated in November 2018. Originally published February 2016.
These were soo crispy! This recipe is going into regular rotation.
Our Home is the home of the 7 Fishes every Christmas (Italians), so fried Calamari is by far my Favorite!! This recipe is the BEST One I’ve seen EVER!! Great job!!! I will continue to make them this way.. Can’t go wrong with extra Crispy!! Thanks
I too always order Calamari to see which restaurant does the best, but puzzled why 8 rings of Calamari would cost £8! So I thought I’d give it a go at making them my-self. Came across your recipe that looked the most straight forward. I brought buttermilk, for the 1st time ever, for it. Oh my gosh they were the best I’ve ever had. I ate them as I made them! They were so delicious and crispy.
Was shocked at the amount of oil needed for frying, (I don’t oil fry food), but totally worth it. The only problem i had was the mixture started getting gloppy and sticky together like dough…..but even then they came out scrumptious. I don’t know how often I’d be making it though….My kitchen was an oily, doughy mess afterwards😂
Very crispy but kind of bland…I would increase the cayenne pepper next time and add sirachi to the buttermilk.
I loved the recipe. However my buttermilk was so thick, I will thin it a bit for less coating. Squid has become very expensive. I found reasonably priced , cleaned, nice size (6 in) at my local Asian store. No lemon needed with this purchase. Very tender.