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.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 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!
Video
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.
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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
