These amazing seasoned and fried calamari are so crispy they make the perfect appetizer addition to your table! They are so addictive, and the whole process will only take you about 15 minutes to make!
Ingredients you need to make this recipe:
- Squid: It doesn’t make a difference whether you buy fresh, previously frozen or frozen squids. If they are frozen, make sure you thaw them beforehand.
- Cornstarch: Addding cornstarch in the batter will help the fried calamari to have this lightly crisp texture.
- Rice flour: The secret in keeping your calamari crispy is to add rice flour in your batter! Only using all-purpose will make them soggy after a short while. However, there needs to be a perfect amount of rice flour. Using too much rice flour will result in your fried calamari tasting grainy.
- Frying oil: You need to choose a good frying oil by paying attention to its smoke point, which is the temperature that the oil starts to break down and smokes. For most frying recipes, including this one, you need your oil to reach a temperature of 350°F to 375°F. Your oil also needs to have a neutral taste. In addition, your oil needs to be neutral tasting. As good as olive oil is, it is not a good frying oil because not only it has a low smoke point of 325°F, but also has a strong taste. To fry my calamari, I am using avocado oil, which has a smoke point of over 500°F.
TIPS FOR MAKING FRIED CALAMARI
- You need to drain any excess liquid and dry them thouroughly with paper towels. Cut into 1-inch-wide pieces. In a mixing bowl, add all batter ingredients and mix. TIP: By drying the squids, you prevent moisture from making them soggy after frying. In addition, you will save yourself from few oil splashes!
- Add calamari pieces into the batter and make sure they are evenly coated with the batter.
- Add enough oil for frying in a cast iron or deep-frying pan and wait until it reaches 350°F. Gently add the battered calamari into the hot oil and fry until they become golden, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the calamari and place them on a plate with paper towels to remove excess oil. You can then proceed with the rest of the calamari batch. TIP: The ideal frying temperature is anywhere between 350°F and 375°F. If you do not have a cooking thermometer, one good old way to know your oil is hot enough is to insert the wooden tip of a spoon and you’ll know your oil is hot enough if it bubbles around it.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE
Can I only use rice flour in my batter? Unfortunately no. Because rice flour has a coarser texture, doing a 1:1 substitute of all-purpose with rice flour will result in your fried squids to have a grainy feel in your mouth. Furthermore, it is the all-purpose flour that helps achieve a golden color.
What do you serve fried calamari with? Fried calamari are so delicious on their own with a little bit of lemon juice. I also like to serve them with marinara sauce for a complementary taste. You can also serve them with a simple aïoli or tartar sauce.
If you enjoyed this recipe, try out my Pastéis de Bacalhau also called Portuguese salted cod croquettes!
If you’ve tried this Crispy Fried Seasoned Calamari recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can let me know how it went by commenting in the comments section below and don’t forget to leave a rating!
Equipment
- Frying or cast iron pan
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb squid fresh or thawed
- Oil for frying
For the batter:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp rice flour
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- Pinch of pepper
Instructions
- With paper towels, dry the squids thoroughly. Cut into 1-inch-wide pieces.
- In a mixing bowl, add all batter ingredients and mix. Add calamari pieces into the batter and make sure they are evenly coated with batter.
- Add enough oil for frying in a cast iron or deep-frying pan and wait until it reaches 350°F. Gently add the battered calamari into the hot oil and fry until they become golden, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the calamari and place them on a plate with paper towels to remove excess oil. Proceed with the rest of the calamari batch.
- Serve hot with a marinara sauce or aioli.
I am rarely keen to cook seafood. However, the tips and presentation of this recipe put me up to to the challenge. It was a succes!
Even better: not time consuming. I literally left from work, passed by the grocery store with recipe at hand, got home, cooked and ate! …all in less than two hours from the time I left my office to the time I was sitting to have supper.
Hi Alejandro,
thank you for your feedback, I am glad to hear the recipe was up to your expectations!
Cheers,
Justine