My Fried Calamari (or Calamari Fritti) is a light, crisp seafood dish made with tender squid rings, a simple coating, and a quick fry that gives it a delicate golden finish. The squid stays soft inside while the outside turns gently crisp. It is lightly seasoned, just enough to bring everything together without overpowering the natural flavour.
Fried Calamari comes together in just 20 minutes and doesn’t need much preparation, yet still feels like something you’d order at a good restaurant. Served fresh with a squeeze of lemon and a simple dip on the side, it’s perfect for sharing and always disappears fast.
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Although it is usually served as an appetizer in restaurants, this popular Mediterranean squid recipe is very easy to make at home. It pairs perfectly with Orzo Pasta Salad and homemade Tartar Sauce with Capers.
Fried Calamari is very popular all over the world and is known by different names. This delicious seafood dish is also known as Kalamar Tava in Turkey, and Kalamarakia Tiganita in Greece.
I learned how to make this authentic Calamari Fritti dish at home many years ago, before becoming a professional chef. It is less complicated than it appears.
The secret to a light and crispy Calamari Fritti is to tenderize the squid rings, coat them in seasoned flour, and then deep fry them for no longer than a couple of minutes.
How to Tenderise Calamari?
There are a few ways to tenderize calamari before frying to achieve light and crispy squid rings each time.
The method I use is to rub the calamari rings with some salt, sugar, and bicarbonate of soda for a few minutes before soaking them in soda water or milk. I let the rings marinate for a minimum of an hour, ideally overnight if I have time, before frying them.
This method will help tenderize the squid and keep it from getting too chewy when you bite into it later. However, the cooking timally the most important factor in making a tender squid dish. Unfortunately, tenderizing the squid won't be able to save overcooked calamari.
Why This Recipe Works?
- My fried calamari recipe is extremely easy to make with just a handful of ingredients.
- Just like Smoked Salmon Pate, it is a quick and easy appetizer that’s even better than what you’d get at a restaurant!
- It is the perfect seafood dish to impress your dinner guests with a minimum of preparation.
- The leftovers would keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days. No need to reheat them! Just have them as a snack or turn them into a sandwich with some delicious homemade tartar sauce or cocktail sauce.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Squid - I like buying whole fresh squid. The fishmonger is usually happy to clean and cut it into rings. Alternatively, you can buy frozen rings which are easy to work with and still delicious.
- Salt, sugar, and bicarbonate of soda - They help to tenderize the squid as well as add flavor.
- Soda water - I buy them in small bottles from Turkish shops. They are also widely available in supermarkets. You can substitute it with an equal amount of milk or buttermilk.
- Flour - I use plain (all-purpose) flour but you can use chickpea flour for a gluten-free option.
- Oil - Ideally you want to use an oil with a high smoke point such as rapeseed, vegetable, sunflower, or canola oil.
How to Make Crispy Fried Calamari
Tenderize the Squid Rings
Start by preparing the squid unless you already bought calamari rings. Cut the cleaned tubes into 2 cm (¾ ") thick rings.
Place them in a bowl along with the tentacles, and sprinkle on the salt, sugar, and bicarbonate of soda. Rub them all for a few minutes, until they start softening and forming bubbles.
Pour the soda water (or milk) on the calamari rings and tentacles, making sure they all are covered nicely. Cover the bowl with cling film or a lid and marinate for a minimum of an hour, ideally overnight refrigerated.
Coat the Calamari Rings With Flour
Mix the flour, salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a bowl and then set it aside. Place the tenderized calamari rings on a colander to drain the excess liquid.
Toss a few calamari rings in the flour mixture until they are all nicely covered, and then transfer them to a colander. Repeat until all the calamari is coated in the flour mixture.
Fry the Calamari and Serve
Fill a small saucepan or a medium-sized frying pan with vegetable oil, rapeseed oil, or sunflower oil, and then heat it to 180° C (350° F). You can use a cooking thermometer or test it by dropping one calamari ring.
To test, drop just one calamari ring in the oil; lots of gentle bubbles should form around it immediately, and the calamari and bubbles begin to float to the top. Fry the prepared calamari in batches (about eight at a time, depending on the size of your pan) for two minutes or until slightly golden brown. To remove excess oil, prepare a tray, place a wire rack on it, and then cover the rack with paper towels.
As the calamari cook, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the prepared wire rack. You can use the preheated oven to 100 °C (212 °F) to keep the rings warm while the rest is frying. Repeat until you are finished with all the rings.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges, chopped chilies (optional), and a dipping sauce such as Haydari (Turkish Yoghurt Dip), or Skordalia - Greek Potato Dip
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Start with fresh calamari that looks good and and has a mild ocean scent. Avoid any that smell strange.
- Make sure the calamari is completely dry before coating it. Wet calamari can cause splattering and mess up the crunchiness.
- Don't cut the calamari rings too thin. Slicing the squid tubes into thicker rings extends the cooking time long enough for the light coating to brown and crisp up nicely, while the calamari is still tender on the inside without getting rubbery.
- Maintain the oil temperature between 350 (180°C) for frying. This helps the calamari cook quickly and stay tender and crispy.
- Fry the calamari in batches to prevent overcrowding in the oil. Too many at once can lower the oil temperature and lead to soggy results.
- Calamari cooks fast, usually in 1-2 minutes per batch. Keep an eye on them and take them out as soon as they're golden brown.
- Season lightly after frying while still warm.
What to Serve with Fried Calamari (Calamari Fritti)
You can serve this Italian fried calamari alongside other fried vegetables like Zucchini Fries, onion rings, or Extra Crispy Halloumi Fries for a delicious meal.
A light salad such as Rocket and Parmesan Salad, Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad, or Greek Lettuce Salad (Maroulosalata) can balance the richness of the fried calamari with freshness. Creamy tartar sauce provides a cool and tangy complement to the crispy fried calamari.
If you like a bit of heat, cocktail sauce is a great option to serve with fried calamari. It has a nice balance of spice and tang, and the sauce used in this Classic Prawn Cocktail recipe works really well here, too.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage
If you use fresh calamari, you can refrigerate the leftovers for up to two days in an airtight container. To keep them longer, you can freeze the leftovers and keep them for up to a month.
If you used frozen calamari, you can refrigerate the leftovers for up to 48 hours. Do not freeze them if you use frozen squid rings!
Reheating
You can reheat leftover calamari fritti by deep-frying them for a minute in hot oil. Alternatively, if you have an air fryer, you can use the "extra crispy" function for two minutes to reheat the leftover calamari rings.
I don't recommend microwaving them as they would get soggy and rubbery. I personally eat them cold from the fridge or at room temperature as a snack or in a sandwich.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Overcooking is the main reason calamari turns tough. Keeping the frying time short is essential for a tender result.
Not drying the squid properly before coating can lead to a soggy finish, as excess moisture prevents the coating from crisping.
Using oil that isn’t hot enough can cause the calamari to absorb oil rather than fry quickly, which affects both texture and flavour.
Recipe FAQs
There are 288 kcal in a portion of calamari rings as an appetizer when following my recipe.
Common dipping sauces include marinara sauce, garlic aioli, Toum - Lebanese Garlic Sauce, tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, and a squeeze of lemon.
Fried calamari is often served as an appetizer in restaurants, but it can also be enjoyed as a main course when accompanied by side dishes or salads.
Related Recipes
For more delicious recipes seafood appetizers why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious seafood dish Crispy Fried Calamari (Calamari Fritti) as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Fried Calamari (Calamari Fritti)
Ingredients
- 1 lbs squid (450 grams)
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ¾ cup soda water
- 1 cup plain white flour / all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt (to season the flour)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (to season the flour)
- ½ cup vegetable, rapeseed or sunflower oil for frying
- lemon wedges (to serve with)
- sliced red chilli (optional)
Instructions
Tenderise the Squid Rings
- Start with preparing the squid unless you already bought calamari rings. Cut the cleaned tubes into 2 cm (¾ ") thick rings.
- Place them in a bowl along with the tentacles, and sprinkle on the salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda. Rub the rings for a few minutes, until they start softening and form bubbles.
- Pour the soda water (or milk) on the calamari rings and tentacles, making sure they all are covered nicely.
- Cover the bowl with cling film or a lid and marinate for a minimum of an hour, ideally overnight refrigerated.
Coat the Calamari Rings With Flour
- Mix the flour, salt and freshly ground pepper in a bowl and set it aside.
- Place the tenderised calamari rings on a colander to drain the excess liquid.
- Toss a few calamari rings in the flour mixture until they are all nicely covered, and then transfer them to a colander. Repeat until all the calamari is coated in the flour mixture.
Fry and Serve
- Fill a small saucepan or a medium-size frying pan with vegetable, rapeseed or sunflower oil and heat it to 180° C (350° F). You can use a cooking thermometer or test it by dropping one calamari ring. To test, drop just one calamari ring in the oil, lots of gentle bubbles should form around it immediately and the calamari and bubbles begin to float to the top.
- Fry the squid rings in batches (about eight at a time) for two minutes or until slightly golden brown.
- To remove excess oil, prepare a tray, place a wire rack on it, and then cover the rack with a paper towel. As the calamari cook, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the prepared wire rack. You can use the preheated oven to 100 °C (212 °F) to keep the rings warm while the rest is frying.
- Repeat until you are finished with all the rings and serve immediately with lemon wedges and a dipping sauce of your choice.
Video
Notes
- Start with fresh calamari that looks good and and has a mild ocean scent. Avoid any that smell strange.
- Make sure the calamari is completely dry before coating it. Wet calamari can cause splattering and mess up the crunchiness.
- Don't cut the calamari rings too thin. Slicing the squid tubes into thicker rings extends the cooking time long enough for the coating to brown and crisp up nicely, while the calamari is still tender on the inside without getting rubbery.
- If you used fresh calamari, you can refrigerate the leftovers for up to two days in an airtight container. If you want to keep them longer, you can freeze them and keep them for up to a month.
- If you used frozen calamari, you can refrigerate the leftovers for up to 48 hours. Do not freeze them if you used frozen squid rings!
- You can use the preheated oven to 100 °C (212 °F) to keep the rings warm while the rest is frying.
Paul says
Great recipe and the trick of tenderising the calamari with soda water worked so well. Tasty crispy calamari that’s super tender. Thanks for a great recipe!