Here’s a great Crispy Fried Calamari Recipe that you can make at home! By using frozen calamari rings and making a light flour coating, you can easily make these. They are tender, crisp and flavoursome. Just serve with fresh lemon wedges for the perfect bite every time.

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Delicious fried calamari at home! If you love Seafood, you need to make these soon. These are just as great as my Beer Battered Shrimp with the Chili Lime Sauce. Often cooking seafood can seem intimidation, but I’m here to show you how you can make these just right every time. Be sure to follow all the handy tips that I have listed in the post below. Enjoy!

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What is This Calamari Dish Like

• Difficulty – This recipe is about medium difficulty. Although, there are few ingredients and the cooking time is only minutes, you have to pay attention to get them just right. I strongly suggest you follow all the recipe tips that will in in the post as well as the recipe card at the end of the post.
• Taste – These calamari rings are delicious. They are not overly fishy at all, they are tender and crispy.
• Serving – This will serve four people as an appetizer. If you are serving it as a main course, just double up the recipe. You can easily do that in the recipe card at the end of the post.

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Ingredients

• Squid rings – I used frozen squid rings.
• Milk – Milk (any kind) is used to soak the squid rings in before cooking. This not only helps tenderise the calamari, but it takes away the fishy taste.
• Salt – A small amount of salt is added to the milk.
• Flours – I used a mix of all purpose flour and cornstarch for the coating of the rings.
• Seasonings – I used cayenne pepper and black pepper to add to the flour to season the rings.
• Oil – I used vegetable oil to fry the calamari
• Lemon wedges – I used lemon wedges to serve with the calamari rings.

NOTE, The full recipe and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

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Instructions

1. Soak squid in milk – In a medium sized bowl combine the milk with the salt and stir to combine. Add the squid rings and make sure they are completely coated in the milk. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.
2. Make flour coating – In a large shallow bowl, combine the all purpose flour, cornstarch, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Whisk to combine.
3. Coat squid rings – Remove the squid rings from the fridge. Have ready a large clean plate. Dredge the squid rings in the flour mixture and make sure they are completely coated.
4. Bring oil up to temperature – Fill a deep sided skillet with the vegetable oil. Fill it to about 3 inches up the sides. Bring the oil up to temperature about 350 degrees f and try not to exceed about 370 degrees f. It should take about 3- 5 minutes to bring the oil up to temperature.
5. Fry the calamari rings – Place one calamari ring in the oil to test it. If it sizzles and bubbles appear around the ring, the oil is ready. Place as many rings in the pan as you can without overlapping them. As they start to fry they will start to turn golden brown, become crisp and float to the top. Remove them as they cook and place on paper towels to drain. Repeat for all calamari rings.
6. Serve – Serve immediately with a little sprinkling of salt and lemon wedges.

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Recipe Tips

• Don’t skip the soaking – Soaking the calamari allows them to tenderise. If you skip this step, you will likely have touch and chewy calamari rings.
• Coat just before frying – It’s best to coat the squid just before frying. If you do it in advance, the flour will become soggy.
• Shake off excess flour – When coating the squid rings be sure to shake off any excess flour. If not this will fall off the calamari when frying.
• Be precise with temperature – The most important thing when frying is to make sure the temperature is right. An ideal temperature is anywhere between 350 degrees f – 370 degrees f. I like to use a frying thermometer when cooking so I can adjust the heat as needed.
• Salt as soon as they are fried – As soon as you drain the calamari on paper towels, sprinkle over the salt. This will ensure that the salt sticks to the calamari.

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Substitutions

• Frozen calamari – I used frozen calamari rings for this recipe. It kept is simple and easy. You can opt for using a fresh squid. If you do this, make sure to cut the rings to about 1/2 inch in thickness. Then just follow the recipe as stated.
• Vegetable oil – I used sunflower oil for frying the calamari rings. You can also use canola oil or peanut oil.

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Serving

I like calamari served with fresh and light side dished because it’s a fried food and a little heavy. Here’s a few Salad options that you will love to serve with this dish! And don’t forget the Homemade Tartar Sauce!

• Bacon Tomato Salad
• Lemon Herb Couscous Salad
• Greek Style Salad in Marinaded Feta
• Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Salad
• Oven Roasted Italian Green Peppers

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!