Description
Our fried calamari recipe delivers restaurant-quality, crispy calamari every time. It’s an easy appetizer that’s perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound calamari
- ½ cup buttermilk (or milk)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ea lemon (cut into wedges)
- 4 ounces marinara sauce (for serving)
Instructions
- Rinse and clean the squid under cold water.
- Drain after rinsing and pat dry with paper towels.
- Slice the tubes down into ¾’ to 1’ slices. Place the cut pieces and tentacles in a large bowl.
- Add the buttermilk and let the pieces soak for 20-30 minutes.
- Add the flour, salt, and pepper to a shallow bowl or container.
- Mix the seasonings with the flour to create the flour dredge. Mix to combine the flour dredge.
- After the calamari has soaked, use a strainer or colander to drain off any excess buttermilk.
- Dredge the calamari in the flour mixture.
- Add 1-1.5 inches of cooking oil to a cast-iron pan or deep skillet and heat to 360-375°F.
- Once the oil is hot, add the calamari to the pan. Don’t overcrowd the pan; fry in batches.
- Cook for 60-90 seconds, until golden brown.
- Place the cooked calamari on a paper towel-lined plate or pan. If you have a wire rack, that works well.
- Repeat the frying process until all the calamari is cooked. Loosely tent the cooked calamari with aluminum foil or place it in a 200-degree oven to keep warm.
Notes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 26 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 163
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: Fried Calamari, Appetizer, Seafood