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Fried Calamari

By The Modern Nonna

on Nov 07, 2022, Updated Sep 22, 2025

5 from 3 votes

My easy Fried Calamari 🦑 recipe is crispy, tender, and simply divine. I’m super excited to show you my foolproof method for achieving the perfect balance between that melty interior and crispy golden crust. Not only are they delicious, they’re packed with Vitamin A, Calcium and protein 💪, and come in at only 200 calories! Whether you’re celebrating the Feast of the Seven Fishes 🐟 or you just love seafood, this will quickly become your go-to recipe for restaurant-quality calamari.

Why You’ll Love Fried Calamari

With just 15-minutes and a handful of ingredients, you can enjoy perfectly crispy Fried Calamari without the guilt. By making calamari 🦑 at home, you get to control the quality of the ingredients. Fresh calamari is marinated in buttermilk, infusing it with max flavor and tenderizing the rings in the process. Additionally, dredging the marinated calamari in a trio of seasoned flour, egg, and breadcrumbs gives it a crispy coating that will have you seriously thinking about eating the whole bowl 😋. Shallow fry them in healthy avocado oil, or air-fry them for a quick and easy method. Finish up with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a 🌶️ spicy mayo dip, adding layers of taste and texture to this favorite appetizer.

Ingredients

🦑 Calamari: I recommend using fresh calamari for the most tender results. However, frozen squid rings will work in a pinch.

🥛 Buttermilk: Marinating your calamari in this secret ingredient tenderizes the meat. Additionally, you can make your own buttermilk by stirring lemon juice into whole milk and letting it sit for a few minutes until it thickens.

🧂 Spices: Mix salt, pepper, and paprika into your flour mixture for more flavorful breading.

🌾 Flour: Dredge your calamari in seasoned flour to lay the foundation for that crispy coat.

🥚 Eggs: Next, you’ll dredge your floured calamari in egg to give the breadcrumbs something to hold on to. Don’t skip this step, it’s crucial to achieving that golden crust.

🍞 Breadcrumbs: A final coating of breadcrumbs adds a final layer of crunch.

🥑 Avocado oil: I like shallow frying my calamari in avocado oil since it’s a healthier alternative to other oils and has a high heat point.

🍋 Lemon: There’s just something about fresh squeezed lemon that takes fried seafood to the next level. It cuts through the oil leaving behind bright, citrusy flavor.

🌶️ Spicy mayo: I like to dip my fried calamari in spicy mayo for a creamy kick.

Calamari for Feast of the Seven Fishes

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a special Italian-American 🎄 Christmas Eve tradition, celebrated with a range of seafood dishes. Rooted in the custom of refraining from meat on this holy night, the feast typically features seven different types of 🐟 fish, as a way to symbolize spiritual completeness. You can choose fish dishes from this easy Fried Calamari to shrimp to flavourful seafood stews like this Cioppino Recipe, each dish is prepared with love and tradition. My family would gather around the table to savor this seafood celebration, creating lasting memories and honoring both culinary and cultural legacies during the holiday season.

Variations and Substitutions for Fried Calamari

1. Instead of using only calamari, you can mix in other seafood such as 🍤 shrimp, scallops, or even white fish.
2. Substitute regular flour and breadcrumbs with gluten-free alternatives. Be sure that all ingredients of the recipe are gluten-free, including the marinade and any dipping sauces you choose.
3. Experiment with variations on the marinade for the calamari. For example, you could add 🌿 herbs like thyme, rosemary, or oregano to the marinade.
4. Instead of traditional frying, you can opt to bake the 🦑 calamari in the oven or air fryer for a healthier alternative. Be sure to adjust the cooking time and temperature accordingly.

More Seafood Recipes

Fish and Chips

1 hr

Salmon Skewers

14 mins

Branzino Recipe

40 mins

Grilled Seafood

8 mins

Best Served With

• A Simple Green Salad 🥗 would be a great option.
• A dipping sauce like spicy mayo, marinara, aioli, or tzatziki.
• Crusty garlic bread made with my No Knead Peasant Bread or Baguettes 🥖.

Common Questions

Fried Calamari

This Fried Calamari is everything you love about the classic appetizer—lightly coated, golden crisp, and perfectly tender inside. It’s quick to make at home and guaranteed to disappear the moment it hits the table.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Makes: 4 servings

Author: The Modern Nonna

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Video

Equipment

Redmond Real Salt

Mixing Bowls

Ceramic Pans

Air Fryer

Frying Pan

Measuring Cups + Spoons

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 squid , cut into rings
• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk
• ▢ salt, to taste
• ▢ pepper
• ▢ paprika
• ▢ ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 3 whisked eggs
• ▢ 1 cup panko breadcrumbs , or Italian breadcrumbs
• ▢ spicy mayo
• ▢ lemon slices, for garnish
• ▢ avocado oil , for shallow frying

Instructions 

• Buy buttermilk at the store or simply make your own by combining 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice, gently stir and leave it alone for 5 minutes to curdle.
• Wash the squid, remove the tentacles from the middle and cut it into rings.
• Note: if the squid has a gladius (or pen) which looks like a long piece of plastic in it, please discard.
• Once the milk curdles, you can add in the calamari (or squid rings) including the tentacles, and let them sit in the buttermilk to get tender for at least an hour.
• Once tender, you can prepare your dredging station by adding flour to a bowl, whisked eggs to a second bowl, and breadcrumbs to a third bowl.
• Make sure the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs are seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste. You can even add finely grated parmesan to the breadcrumbs if you wish for extra flavor.
• Dip each ring in the flour (shaking off the excess) then the eggs, then breadcrumbs and continue this step that for each one.
• Get the oil in a frying pan hot and fry them for 2 minutes on each side until golden. You can also air-fry them as per my notes.
• Enjoy hot with lots of lemon and spicy mayo on the side — to make the spicy mayo just mix any mayo of choice with any hot sauce you like. Enjoy!

Notes

• Air fryer instructions: Air-fry the calamari in batches at 400F for 6-8 minutes or until golden, and make sure to flip them halfway through. Before frying, spray them on each side with avocado oil spray.
• Seafood add-ins: Instead of using only calamari, you can mix in other seafood such as shrimp, scallops, or even white fish.
• Gluten-free: Substitute regular flour and breadcrumbs with gluten-free alternatives. Be sure that all ingredients of the recipe are gluten-free, including the marinade and any dipping sauces you choose.
• Dairy-free: Instead of marinating in buttermilk, use full fat coconut milk and lemon juice. This will tenderize the calamari and impart a nice flavor. 
  
  
  

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 204kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 138mg, Sodium: 222mg, Potassium: 182mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 279IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 118mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

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