Fried calamari serves as an ideal starter for any meal. This easy-to-make recipe brings the classic Italian restaurant experience right to your kitchen. The squid is soaked in buttermilk, and then coated in a seasoned cornmeal breading for extra crunch. Each batch takes about 45 seconds to deep fry, resulting in a light, crispy calamari that's simply irresistible.
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Raise your hand if you’re a fan of crispy, crunchy calamari. I know I am!
The crunchy, light squid is full of bright seafood flavor and is so amazing when dipped in tangy, luscious marinara sauce. It’s something I always order at Italian restaurants - but now I make it at home, and it’s even better.
Fried calamari is a quick and easy recipe that’s made extra delicious with seasoned cornmeal breading that everyone will love. It’s also a super fun dish to make with the whole family. Kiddos will love breading the calamari rings while you fry them up.
I have an entire post dedicated to everything you need to know about calamari! Check it out if you want to learn more!
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
- Super Quick. Once the squid is prepared, breading and frying it is a breeze! Frying is done in just 45 seconds per batch.
- Crispy. I add cornmeal to the breading to add an even more amazing crunch to the fried calamari! The crispiness is out of this world!
- Crowd Pleaser. Who doesn’t love crispy calamari dipped in marinara sauce? It’s a favorite around here, and it’s sure to be a favorite in your home, too.
🥘 Ingredients
Super crispy deep-fried calamari is so quick and easy to make. You can prepare your own squid or have a fishmonger prepare the squid for you.
- Squid – 1 pound of squid. You want the squid to be cleaned well and the head/tubes sliced into ½-inch thick rings. Leave the tentacles whole! Those will be fried as is.
- Buttermilk – 1 cup of buttermilk. Buttermilk (or a buttermilk substitute) helps to tenderize the squid and helps the breading stay in place.
- Cooking Oil – You’ll want to use a neutral cooking oil to fry the calamari. Try canola, vegetable, or sunflower.
- All-Purpose Flour – 1½ cups of all-purpose flour. You’ll mix the AP flour with cornmeal and seasonings to dredge the calamari.
- Cornmeal – ⅓ cup of cornmeal. The cornmeal provides an awesome crunch to the calamari once it’s fried.
- Old Bay – 2 teaspoons of old bay seasoning. I love the flavor combo of Old Bay and seafood! It perfectly complements the flavor of the calamari.
- Kosher Salt – 2½ teaspoons of Kosher salt. This should be divided between a 2-teaspoon portion and a ½ teaspoon portion. Once it's done, you’ll use the smaller portion to season the fried calamari.
- Lemon Wedges (optional) – This is an optional garnish! But it helps brighten the flavor of the calamari before eating.
- Marinara (optional)– This is an optional but recommended sauce to serve with the finished calamari. Try my homemade marinara sauce, or you can also use any sauce you’d like.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Fried Calamari
Calamari is a perfect quick appetizer. Follow my easy instructions, and you’ll have crisp calamari like no other. All you need is a couple of mixing bowls, your measuring utensils, and a skillet or deep fryer.
This recipe will make about 4 servings of calamari.
Soak & Bread the Squid
- Prep the squid. Start by patting 1 pound (454 grams) of cleaned squid dry using paper towels. You especially want to do this if it’s been thawed. Place the dried squid into a bowl, pour 1 cup (237 milliliters) of buttermilk over it, and toss it to coat it evenly. Cover with plastic cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours maximum.
- Heat the frying oil. Next, heat enough cooking oil to fully submerge the batches of calamari in a deep skillet, Dutch oven, or deep fryer. Bring the oil to 375°F (190°C).
- Mix breading. While the oil is heating, prepare the breading! In a shallow dish, combine 1½ cups (187.5 grams) of AP flour, ⅓ cup (53 grams) of yellow or white cornmeal, 2 teaspoons (4 grams) of Old Bay seasoning, and 2½ teaspoons (15 grams) of Kosher salt. Mix well and set aside.
- Bread the calamari. Working in batches as needed, use a fork to remove the squid pieces from the bowl of buttermilk. Then, allowing the pieces to drip dry as much as possible, transfer them into your shallow dish of breading. You want to lightly dredge each piece and shake off excess.
Fry the Calamari
- Fry until golden. Working in batches, place the breaded squid pieces into the heated oil and fry until a light golden-brown color and crispy. About 45 seconds is all it takes! Then, use a slotted spoon or metal tongs to remove the fried calamari to a wire cooling rack (with paper towels beneath to catch the oil).
- Finish and serve. When all the calamari are fried, place the calamari into a large bowl and sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt. Toss to coat, then serve immediately!
🥗 What To Serve With
Serve with extra lemon wedges as a garnish and a side of marinara sauce, seafood dipping sauce, bloves, or tzatziki sauce! It’s a fantastic appetizer that anyone will love. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- If you can’t find buttermilk (if you’re like me and always forget to buy it when I need it), try any of my buttermilk substitutes shared here. My favorite is the heavy cream and lemon juice, but you can use whatever milk you have on hand.
- Cornmeal is used here to get the crunchiest fried calamari breading possible! You can use yellow or white cornmeal, whatever you can find! Or, you can blitz the cornmeal in a food processor to make it a finer consistency if preferred.
- You can use fresh or frozen squid for this recipe! I recommend using fresh, local squid whenever possible. If frozen is all you can find, that’s fine too! I would recommend whole frozen squid so you can cut it yourself to ensure it’s not rubbery.
- Ensure your oil is completely preheated to 375°F (190°C), then return it to that heat between batches to keep the calamari crisp. I like using a thermometer to ensure the oil remains at the perfect temperature. If the oil is too cool, it will take too long to fry the calamari and will make them rubbery.
🦑 How To Prepare Whole Squid For Calamari
If you’re using whole, fresh squid, you may need to do a little extra prep to turn it into calamari.
- Start by rinsing the whole squid thoroughly, then pat dry and place on a clean plastic cutting board.
- Next, holding the head, pull the tentacles away from it and set it aside. If you see any more of the innards and cartilage inside the head of the squid, pull or squeeze them out of the opening. Set aside.
- Next, cut the tentacles right below the eyes. Then, look underneath the tentacles and squeeze to retract the “beak” or mouth of the squid and gently pull it out. Set the prepared tentacles aside.
- After you’ve separated the tentacles and removed the innards, you can peel off the skin from the head (it should peel fairly easily), rinse well, and pat dry.
- Then, with a sharp knife, slice off the head and cut into strips. You can then slice the head into even, ½ inch rings.
- You’re now ready to soak the prepared tentacles and rings in the buttermilk!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
To store, I recommend arranging the calamari in a single layer in an airtight container. If you need to add more, separate layers with a paper towel or a sheet of parchment paper. It’ll keep this way for up to 3 days!
Freezing
Flash freeze for the best results! Arrange the cooled pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze uncovered for an hour.
When frozen, transfer to a heavy-duty freezer storage bag and remove excess air. Date and label and it will keep for 3 months!
Reheating
In my opinion, the best way to reheat is in the oven or air fryer! This will ensure it returns to all its crispy glory!
Preheat your oven or air fryer to 375°F (190°C) and then lightly oil your pan or air fryer basket and place the calamari in a single, even layer. Bake or air fry for 3 to 6 minutes or until the calamari is sizzling and crispy!
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Calamari is deep fried (so take that into consideration) but it’s a relatively light snack or appetizer! Squid is also rich in protein, as well as vitamins and minerals. It’s high in iron, copper, potassium, and Vitamin B-12!
Calamari is from a particular type of squid known as Gould's squid or sometimes Teuthoidea. Commonly deep fried through the US and the Mediterranean.
Buttermilk is slightly acidic, which helps to tenderize the squid so that it is not rubbery. As an added bonus, it helps the breading to stick to the squid!
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📖 Recipe Card
Breaded Fried Calamari Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lbs squid (cleaned, slice tubes into ½ inch thick rings, leave tentacles whole)
- 1 cup buttermilk (see buttermilk substitutes)
- cooking oil
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt (divided - 2 teaspoons, and ½ teaspoon portions)
- lemon wedges (optional garnish)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Pat your cleaned 1 lbs squid dry using paper towels (especially if it has been thawed) then place in a bowl and pour the 1 cup buttermilk over it, tossing to coat evenly. Cover with plastic cling film wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours at a maximum.
- Heat your deep fryer or a deep skillet or Dutch oven with cooking oil to 375°F (190°C).
- While the oil is heating, prepare the breading. In a shallow dish combine the all-purpose 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup yellow cornmeal, 2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, and the first 2 teaspoon portion of 2 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt.
- Work in batches as needed and use a fork to remove the squid pieces from the bowl of buttermilk. Allow the pieces to drip dry as much as possible, then transfer them into your shallow dish of breading mixture. Lightly dredge each piece of squid, then shake off the excess.
- Gently place breaded squid pieces into the heated oil and fry until a light golden color and crisp; about 45 seconds is all it takes! Use a slotted spoon or metal tongs to remove the fried calamari to a wire cooling rack (with paper towels beneath it to catch the oil).
- When all of the calamari is fried, place the calamari in a large bowl and sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt. Toss to coat, then serve immediately. Garnish with lemon wedges if desired, and serve with marinara.
Notes
- The slightly acidic buttermilk will help to soften the squid before cooking. It also helps the breading to stay in place (rather than using eggs).
- The cornmeal is optional but recommended for the best crunchy results. Yellow or white cornmeal can be used. Process in a food processor to make a finer consistency if desired.
- Make sure that you allow your oil to return to 375°F (190°C) between batches so that your calamari is CRISP.
Sabina says
Thank you for your kindly recipe! I think I could make crispy calamari for your genius tips. This New Year's Day will be a flavorable day!^^