Best Fried Calamari Recipes

FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Pour enough oil into a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Mix the flour, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Working in small batches, toss the squid into the flour mixture to coat. Carefully add the squid to the oil and fry until crisp and very pale golden, about 1 minute per batch. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
• Place the fried calamari and lemon wedges on a clean plate. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with the marinara sauce.
• In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
• Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Check calamari for breaks and slice into 1/8- to 1/4-inch rings.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place 2 cups flour in a bowl. Whisk milk and eggs together in a separate bowl. Place remaining 4 cups flour, cornstarch, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a third bowl; mix thoroughly.
• Toss calamari rings in the plain flour. Move to the egg mixture and thoroughly coat. Move to the seasoned flour and coat fully. Move back to egg mixture if not thoroughly coated; coat with seasoned flour again.
• Submerge floured calamari in the hot oil until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Lift out with a slotted spoon, letting oil drip off. Drain on paper towels. Place calamari in a small bowl; check seasoning. Add parsley and lemon wedge for garnish.

CRISPY FRIED CALAMARI & AïOLI

Steps:

• Cut the tentacles off the squid and put in a bowl. Slice the squid tubes into roughly 1cm thick rings and add to the bowl. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over a low heat, ensuring it is no more than two-thirds full.
• For the aïoli, mix the mayonnaise, garlic, saffron and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Toss the squid with the flour, cornflour, baking powder, cayenne and ½ tsp salt. When the oil has reached 170C on a thermometer, or when a cube of bread is dropped in and turns golden brown in 30 seconds, deep-fry the squid in batches for 2 mins, or until lightly golden and crisp. Set aside on a tray lined with kitchen paper. Serve the fried squid with the aïoli on the side for dipping.

FRIED CALAMARI WITH TWO DIPPING SAUCES

Steps:

• 1. in a bowl add the buttermilk, sriracha, and calamari and let soak for up to 4 hours in the fridge
• 2. in a bowl combine the flour, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika and mix together.
• 3. In another bowl beat the eggs
• 4. get your deep fryer to 375 or a pan of oil
• 5. remove the calamari from the buttermilk.
• 6. dip the calamari in the egg and then into the flour mixture and shake off extra. Add the coated calamari to the oil and cook until golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel or wire rack
• 7. To make the tomato olive dip. add olive oil to a sauce pan and add the onions and garlic, red pepper flakes and cook for a few minutes.
• 8. add the tomato paste, anchovies, olives, canned tomatoes and capers and let cook about 20 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
• 9. add the parsley and some lemon juice to taste.
• 10. For the old bay aioli dip Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve Super easy! Super delicious!

PAN-FRIED CALAMARI RINGS

Steps:

• Mix together flour, cayenne and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
• Feel free to add other ingredients to the flour mix if you want--any herbs or zests (like lemon) would be great.
• Put 3 eggs in a bowl (cracked, of course!) and beat lightly.
• Place panko on a plate.
• Start heating oil to med-high heat in medium-large pan on stovetop.
• Dip a few thawed calamari rings into the flour.
• Toss till coated.
• Dip flour-coated rings into the egg mixture.
• Toss flour- and egg-coated rings with Panko.
• (An easy way to do this is to have the panko in a plastic ziploc bag--and toss.) Shake off excess panko and put in preheated oil on stovetop.
• Don't crowd the pan!
• Allowing enough space between rings will ensure that they all cook evenly.
• Pan fry till panko is golden and calamari is tender.
• Don't overcook---overcooked calamari tastes like rubber!
• Serve with dipping sauces of your choice; I like Mean's Aioli (#54833).
• Enjoy.
• And then go for a run or take a nap.
• (This makes 4 servings for an appetizer, if you are looking for a substantial appy, or maybe 2-3 servings for a full meal. This is a FILLING dish).

FRIED CALAMARI WITH FRIED LEMONS AND LEMON AIOLI

Steps:

• For calamari: Soak the calamari pieces in the buttermilk in a bowl for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
• For the lemon aioli: Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper to a medium bowl. Stir to combine and adjust the seasoning as needed. Set aside until ready to serve.
• Preheat a deep-fryer or several inches of oil in a Dutch oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the flour seasoning: Add the flour, paprika, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Drain the calamari and put into the flour mixture, making sure each piece gets coated with the flour. Dump all the contents into a colander and shake off any excess flour. Line a dish with paper towels and set aside.
• In batches, add the lemon slices and calamari to the preheated oil and fry, mixing with a slotted spoon to prevent the calamari from clumping together, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Right before you take the calamari and lemon out of the fryer, toss in the parsley leaves carefully; this will cook very fast and can splatter, so stand back. Take all the contents out of the fryer to the lined dish and season with salt.
• Serve with the aioli, garnished with the zest and chopped parsley.

FRIED CALAMARI W/GARLIC MAYONNAISE DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Wash calamari and dry well with paper towels.
• 2. Whisk egg whites, cornstarch, grated garlic, salt and pepper until foamy.
• 3. Dip calamari into mixture, shake off excess and dip and coat with panko bread crumbs. Sit in frig for about 20 minutes.
• 4. Heat oil to 350 degrees in small skillet or use deep fryer. Fry calamari until golden (about 1 minutes), drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a little more salt. Can keep warm in 180 degree oven on a rack with door ajar until ready to add to Toss.
• 5. For Calamari Toss, saute pepper flakes and chopped garlic in a little oil for just a little bit(30 seconds). Don't burn garlic. Add sliced celery and saute about 1 minute. Add lemon (sliced moons) at end and saute for about 20 seconds and remove from heat. Toss with finished calamari.
• 6. For dipping sauce - Combine mayo, grated garlic, Italian parsley and lemon juice. Place on a small bowl to the side of the calamari.
• 7. Finish with a little lemon zest over the top - OPTIONAL.

CRISPY FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Separate calamari rings and place them in a lidded plastic container with enough milk to cover them. Seal the container and allow to soak at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
• Heat the oil in a deep fryer.
• Combine corn flour and gluten-free all-purpose flour in a shallow pan. Transfer about 6 calamari rings from the milk directly into the flour mixture to coat. Place coated calamari into the hot oil without crowding, and cook until just starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining calamari.

PANKO FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Preheat the deep fryer to 375 degrees F.
• Whisk the egg whites and flour together until smooth. Dip the calamari rings into the egg white batter. Toss calamari rings in the panko, 1 piece at a time.
• In a deep fryer set at high temperature, fry the panko-coated calamari until golden, about 2 minutes. Season with kosher salt and serve immediately.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the lotus root for 20 seconds. Refresh in cold water.
• Add lotus root, julienned papaya, orange juice, Thai chile and kosher salt. Mix well.
• Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
• Yield: 2 cups

FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Set a deep fryer to 450 degrees F. Fill with vegetable oil.
• Rinse calamari, then strain.
• Make a wash in a bowl with eggs, milk, salt and pepper. With a whisk, beat all the ingredients until fully combined, about 1 minute. Add the calamari and let it soak in the mixture for a few minutes. Put flour in another separate bowl.
• Scoop out 2 cups calamari with a strainer, then transfer to flour. Toss calamari gently in flour, making sure each piece of calamari is evenly coated. Transfer to a dry strainer and shake off excess flour. Repeat with remaining calamari.
• In small batches, fry the calamari until golden, then drain on a paper towel. Plate the calamari and serve with fresh lemons and marinara sauce.

FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the milk and 2 teaspoons salt. Cut the squid tubes 3/4-inch thick, then add to the milk mixture along with the tentacles. Let sit for 5 minutes or up to 1 hour. (Refrigerate if soaking for more than 15 minutes.)
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and paprika or black pepper (if using). Use your hands to shake excess milk from the squid, then transfer to the flour mixture. Toss until well coated; you may need to open up the tubes to ensure their insides are coated in flour.
• In a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium, heat ½ inch of oil to 375 degrees. Line a plate or sheet pan with paper towels. Add a handful of the squid to the oil and cook until golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Stir only after the coating seems to have set. (Any sooner and the coating could fall off.) Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer to the lined plate. Season with salt.
• Return the oil to 375 degrees, fish out any browned bits, and repeat with the rest of the squid in batches. Eat with a squeeze of lemon and/or dunked in marinara sauce.

FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Add the oil to a wide pan and heat to about 325 degrees F. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Pat the calamari dry with paper towels.
• Combine the flour and cayenne pepper. Working in batches, toss 1/3 of the calamari in the seasoned flour. Transfer the calamari to a mesh strainer and shake off the excess flour.
• Carefully drop the calamari into the hot oil; the oil should bubble gently and the calamari should have plenty of room to swim around and fry gently. Do not crowd the pan or the oil won't come back up to temperature quickly. When done, the calamari should be very pale golden and tender. It should not look like little brown rubber bands. Remove the calamari from the hot oil and drain it on paper towels. Salt it immediately and keep it warm in the oven until all the calamari is done.
• Repeat in 2 more batches with the remaining calamari.
• Serve with lemon wedges.

DEEP FRIED CALAMARI (SIMPLE)

Steps:

• Dredge calamari rings in corn starch and shake off excess.
• The rings may be prepared in advance up to this point, and refrigerated.
• Heat oil to fairly high heat.
• Deep fry rings about 1 minute or until golden.
• Drain on paper towels, and sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Serve with lemon wedges and garlic mayo or marinara sauce for dipping.

SPICY FRIED CALAMARI WITH LEMON AIOLI

Steps:

• For the Calamari place the flour and Cajun spice mix in a large bowl and mix. Add the squid and turn until all the pieces are thoroughly coated. Shake off the excess mixture.
• In a large, heavy pot or deep-fryer over medium heat, heat the oil to 375°F or until almost smoking.
• Fry the squid for 2 to 3 minutes, or until a light golden brown.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Serve immediately with lemon or lime wedges and Lemon Aioli.
• For the Lemon Aioli place the zest, juice, mustard, garlic, egg yolks, pepper, salt, and bread in a blender or food processor and puree to a smooth paste.
• With the machine running, drizzle in the oil. If the aioli appears too thick, add 2 tablespoons of water at a time to adjust the consistency. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• Thoroughly pat the squid dry with paper towels. Slice the bodies into 1/2-inch-thick rings and lay on a paper towel-lined baking sheet along with the tentacles; pat completely dry.
• Fill a large saucepan halfway with vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350˚F. Whisk the flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss the squid in the flour to coat. Transfer the squid to a plate, shaking off any excess flour.
• Working in batches, fry the squid in the hot oil until golden, about 2 minutes. Drain on clean paper towels.
• Serve the squid with warm marinara sauce and lemon wedges.

FRIED CALAMARI WITH SPICY RED SAUCE

Steps:

• Add the olive oil to a medium pot over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and stir until the tomato paste is thoroughly incorporated. Add the crushed tomatoes to a food mill and process the tomatoes directly into the pot. Add the grated carrots and season with kosher salt. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Cover and put aside to keep warm.
• Heat the canola oil in a large Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with paper towels.
• Add the rice flour, semolina flour, pepper and 2 teaspoons kosher salt to a large shallow dish and mix until thoroughly combined. Working in 3 batches, toss the calamari, pickled pepper slices and rosemary sprigs in the seasoned flour, then scoop them out with a pasta spider and shake off the excess; transfer to the oil. Fry for 90 seconds, then remove to the paper towels and season with flaky sea salt. Repeat until all the calamari is cooked.
• Serve with the lemon wedges and spicy marinara on the side.

FRIED CALAMARI

Steps:

• First, coat the calamari rings in corn meal, shaking them out to get rid of any excess.
• Then dip them into a mixture of the eggs and garlic.
• Lastly, dip them into the bread crumbs mixed with salt, coating them well, and shaking off any excess.
• Up to this point may be done in advance, and the calamari rings refrigerated for a couple of hours, until you are ready to fry.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil (the secret to crispy calamari is hot, hot oil, just below the smoking point.) Fry the rings (in batches) about 1 minute, or until they are golden.
• Remove and drain on paper towels.
• If you have a deep fryer it's best, but otherwise, make sure the oil is deep enough to cover the calamari.
• Serve immediately with lemon wedges, garlic mayo, and marinara sauce.

FRIED CALAMARI WITH REMOULADE SAUCE DRIZZLED WITH BALSAMIC SYRUP

Steps:

• Heat balsamic till reduced to a syrup.
• Set aside.
• Combine the flour, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, pepper and salt in a shallow bowl.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet.
• When it is very hot, dredge the calamari in the flour mixture, shake off any excess then dip into egg then flour again and fry in the oil in batches until light-brown and crispy.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Season with salt.
• Place on a platter and drizzle with balsamic syrup.
• Serve with Remoulade Sauce (Recipe #87124).

FRIED CALAMARI SALAD

Steps:

• For dressing:
• Whisk first 7 ingredients in medium bowl until miso dissolves. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup vegetable oil.
• For salad:
• Cook chayote in medium saucepan of boiling salted water just until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain; cool. Combine chayote, endive, radicchio, hearts of palm and mint in large bowl.
• Mix flour and cornstarch in pie dish. Add enough vegetable oil to heavy large pot to reach depth of 3 inches. Heat to 350°F. Sprinkle calamari with salt and pepper. Dredge calamari in flour mixture; shake off excess. Working in batches, add calamari to pot and deep-fry just until crisp and brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer calamari to paper towels and drain.
• Add calamari to bowl with chayote salad; add coconut, cashews and 2/3 cup dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad among 8 plates and serve.
• *Available at Asian markets and some supermarkets nationwide.

LIGHT AND CRISPY CALAMARI WITH FRIED LEMONS

Steps:

• To make the calamari, clean the squid. To clean a whole squid, separate the head and tentacles from the body. With a paring knife, cut between the eyes and the tentacles, discarding the eye portion. In the center of the tentacles, push out a little round bead with the hard beak and discard it; reserve the tentacles. For the body section, peel off the flaps and the dark-colored membrane. Remove the quill, the plastic-like bone. Squeeze out the innards like squeezing out toothpaste. Rinse the tentacles and body sections and dry well. Cut the body sections into nice rings. Leave the legs intact.
• Whisk the heavy cream and eggs together in a medium-size bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the squid, onion and lemon and refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• To make the dredge mix, combine the flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, paprika, salt and pepper in a separate bowl.
• Pour the oil into a heavy 5-quart (4.5 L) Dutch oven or any heavy-bottomed pot at least twice as deep as the oil and heat to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C) on a frying thermometer. Keep the lid nearby in case of emergency.
• Drain the squid, onion and lemon, leaving some cream stuck to them, then immediately place in the bowl of flour. Roll everything around so the flour mix sticks to the cream like a heavy dredge. Knock off any excess. Fry in small batches until crispy and golden brown, about 1 minutes. Drain well on paper towels or a rack and season again with a little salt and pepper.
• Garnish with the chopped parsley and lemon zest, and serve with the marinara.