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You are here: Home / Recipes / Main Dishes / Seafood / Calamari

Calamari

August 4, 2015 by Mahy, Updated September 10, 2021 Leave a Comment

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pin image for calamari

My Fried Calamari with tartar sauce is an essential one to have on hand—it’s an all-time favorite, comes together in a flash and it’s loaded with seafood goodness. I love zesting up the classic calamari recipe with plenty of lemon zest, herbs, pinch red pepper flakes and I serve it with a light as air sour cream dill tartar sauce for a refreshing feel. VIDEO included!

deep-fried calamari on a plate, pictured on a cutting board with dipping sauces.

This is one of my must-have recipes again, it’s a snack that you can’t get enough of and it’s super tasty.

Mind you, I used to hate calamari when I was young, I just hated that oily feel in my mouth and the gummy rubbery feel of fried squid. The minute I made this recipe, I fell in love with crunchy tasty fried calamari!

A whole plate of fried calamari served over a board with tartar sauce, lemon slices, extra chilli flakes and dill to sprinkle

WHAT IS CALAMARI?

Calamari refers to battered and deep-fried squid served as an appetizer in many U.S. seafood restaurants, and common in many Mediterranean cuisines. The word comes from the Italian word for squid, which is a descendent of the Latin word for ink pot.

cleaned calamari rings in a bowl

Is calamari octopus?

Calamari is made from squid, which has a milder and more sweet flavor than octopus. It is white in appearance when fresh, and has a firm texture.

How to buy squid?

These days you can find squid in the frozen section of most grocery stores. If you cannot locate it in the frozen section, you might be able to purchase fresh squid from the fish counter. The easiest thing to do is purchase calamari tubes or calamari rings which have already been cleaned and prepared for cooking. Look for wild-caught squid for a more intense flavor.

What part of squid is calamari?

Calamari can be made from the tentacles of the squid or the actual body/head cut across it’s width into rings.

HOW TO COOK CALAMARI

Squid rings in a buttermilk or milk mixture soaking to tenderize before coating and frying

This beautifully fried calamari is first soaked to soften and tenderize the meat while also taking the edge off of the strong flavor. More on tenderizing and soaking calamari below.

the seasoned flour in a bowl fro dredging the calamari

A mixture of seasoned flour is made in a separate bowl.

breaded calamari in the flour mixture.

After soaking, the calamari is dipped in flour and allowed to settle in the flour before frying. Then the calamari is deep-fried in small batches for a scant two minutes for each batch for the perfect bite every time.

How to Flavor Calamari?

I use a secret tip like no other! I’ve seen this trick at one of my favorite Italian restaurants so I recreated it at home. Basically, a mixture of seasoning, lemon zest and herbs are mixed in a small bowl.

A bowl with the flavoring of calamari including lemon zest, chilli flakes, salt, pepper and herbs

You’ll need to set this mixture aside until the fried calamari is frying. Once fried and right out of the oil, and still hot, you’ll be sprinkling the flavor mix over the fried calamari.

A hand sprinkling the flavoring over hot calamari right out of the oven

It’s crucial and important to flavor the calamari over right when it;s out of the oven and STILL very hot. The flavors absorb so well at that point. 

A hand dipping the fried calamari in tartar sauce

How do you tenderize calamari before frying?

Prior to frying, the calamari is soaked for 10 minutes in a milk-garlic-herb bowl. The garlic sauce I use here is my all time favorite condiment. You’ll find the recipe and video in this Garlic Sauce.

This is to soften them and remove any strong squid taste. Other methods of tenderizing the calamari include soaking in salted milk or lemon juice.

After soaking, they are coated with one layer of flour so the coating isn’t too thick. This allows the taste of the squid to shine through.

This Fried Calamari is the perfect bite because they’re really fried for a couple of minutes only, and so they’re light in color as opposed to the deep golden brown ones (over fried or fried in oil that’s been overused).

Note: I do not recommend attempting to make this recipe in an air fryer. I would love to make a calamari recipe for my air fryer but I haven’t developed that recipe yet.

A hand holding a calamari dipped already in tartar sauce showing the sauce and calamari

TIPS FOR PERFECTLY FRIED CALAMARI

  • Tenderize the Squid. Soaking is so important! Read more on the soaking section above.
  • Coat in Flavored Flour. Seasoning the flour makes a difference! Make sure to coat the squid very well before frying.
  • Careful on the oil. So the trick is to fry them in small batches and not let them drink so much vegetable oil. In fact, frying them for just 2 minutes is quite enough—more than that they will become oily, and even worse—they will become rubbery.
  • It’s the same concept with shrimps, the more you cook them the gummier they become. And to fix that, you’ll need to overcook them with plenty of fluids for a while so they soften up a bit. But no matter how they soften up, they never have the same texture as the perfectly 2 minute cooked ones.
  • Don’t overcook or undercook your calamari. Keep your oil temperature steady between 350º and 365º to avoid overcooking or undercooking the calamari. If you have an oil thermometer, use that to determine when to dump it into the fryer.
  • Test oil without a thermometer by dropping a piece of the battered calamari into the oil. If it starts sizzling and bubbling right away your oil is good to go.
  • How to maximize flavor. The trick to infusing so much flavor into this zesty calamari is to actually sprinkle the herbs and spices on them after they’re fried and while still hot. This way they absorb so much flavor and taste lighter and fresher than if they were just fried.
  • My favorite way to zest them up is with a mixture of lemon zest, herbs, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. This tiny final step really makes your calamari stand out. So by all means don’t skip it, and by all means, feel free to use your favorite spice/herb combo!

    How to get crispy fried calamari?

     Before frying, let your floured rings sit for just a couple of minutes in a strainer or colander. This gives the calamari and flour time to mesh with each other. Otherwise, you will lose the coating in the fryer.

    close up of the fried calamari showing the crispy calamari texture with the herb topping and some lemon wedges

DIPPING SAUCE

A dipping sauce is a perfect accompaniment to calamari. I love serving it with my light dill tartar sauce because it’s made with sour cream and is loaded with bright flavors from the dill, capers, parsley, and mustard. These herbs add an extra fresh feeling to the dish. You could also serve it with chili sauce or marinara sauce.

tartar sauce in a dipping cup.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS CALAMARI RECIPE

You may want to have an appetizer night or a variety of dishes to serve with your fried calamari recipe. Besides the tartar sauce, which is essential, here are a few options we love.

Fig Blue Cheese Honey Crostini

Mussels Marinara

Pizza Bites

Mussels with Garlic and Lemon Sauce

Fried Eggplant Salad

Hot Pepper Sauce

Pan Fried Potatoes

Tuna Salad Recipe with Olive Oil Dressing

Best Feta Cucumber Salad Bites 

Garlic Sauce

Sockeye Salmon With Lemon Butter Sauce

calamari dipped in tartar sauce, close-up view.
A dipped fried calamari in tartar sauce with a piece of dill
3.2 from 5 votes
Print

Calamari

Calamari is a crowd pleaser! This easy fried calamari recipe with video will show you how to make calamari perfect every single time. Zested up with a secret way to up the flavors!

Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean
Keyword calamari, calamari recipe, calamari with tartar sauce, how to make calamari, what is calamari
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 1666 kcal
Author Mahy

Ingredients

Calamari

  • 1 qt oil , for crying (canola or peanut oil)
  • 2 lb squid , cut into rings (fresh or frozen)
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 1 teaspoon garlic sauce https://www.twopurplefigs.com/garlic-sauce/
  • 1 tablespoon of minced herbs (your choice)

Flavoring

  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 1 lemon , zested
  • 2 Tbsp parsley and dill , minced
  • 1 large pinch crushed red pepper flakes (+/- depending on spice level)

Sauce

  • Tartar Sauce

Instructions

  1. Pat dry the squid.

    A hand holding a plate of sliced squid rings showing what is calamari
  2. Place the milk, garlic and herbs in a bowl. Soak the squid in the milk bowl to tenderize.

    Squid rings in a buttermilk or milk mixture soaking to tenderize before coating and frying
  3. And place the flour with a pinch of salt and pepper in another bowl.

    the seasoned flour in a bowl fro dredging the calamari
  4. Take the squid rings out of the milk mixture and dredge into the flour mixture making sure to coat it really well.

    breaded calamari in the flour mixture.
  5. Remove the rings and fry them for 2-3 minutes or until cooked.
  6. In a small bowl mix all flavoring ingredients together.

    A bowl with the flavoring of calamari including lemon zest, chilli flakes, salt, pepper and herbs
  7. Immediately sprinkle some flavoring over the fried and still hot calamari

    A hand sprinkling the flavoring over hot calamari right out of the oven
  8. Serve with tartar sauce

    A hand dipping the fried calamari in tartar sauce

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

TIPS FOR PERFECTLY FRIED CALAMARI

  • Tenderize the Squid. Soaking is so important! Read more on the soaking section above.
  • Coat in Flavored Flour. Seasoning the flour makes a difference! Make sure to coat the squid very well before frying.
  • Careful on the oil. So the trick is to fry them in small batches and not let them drink so much vegetable oil. In fact, frying them for just 2 minutes is quite enough—more than that they will become oily, and even worse—they will become rubbery.
  • It’s the same concept with shrimps, the more you cook them the gummier they become. And to fix that, you’ll need to overcook them with plenty of fluids for a while so they soften up a bit. But no matter how they soften up, they never have the same texture as the perfectly 2 minute cooked ones.
  • Don't overcook or undercook your calamari. Keep your oil temperature steady between 350º and 365º to avoid overcooking or undercooking the calamari. If you have an oil thermometer, use that to determine when to dump it into the fryer.
  • Test oil without a thermometer by dropping a piece of the battered calamari into the oil. If it starts sizzling and bubbling right away your oil is good to go.
  • How to maximize flavor. The trick to infusing so much flavor into this zesty calamari is to actually sprinkle the herbs and spices on them after they’re fried and while still hot. This way they absorb so much flavor and taste lighter and fresher than if they were just fried.
  • My favorite way to zest them up is with a mixture of lemon zest, herbs, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. This tiny final step really makes your calamari stand out. So by all means don’t skip it, and by all means, feel free to use your favorite spice/herb combo!
  • How to get crispy fried calamari. Before frying, let your floured rings sit for just a couple of minutes in a strainer or colander. This gives the calamari and flour time to mesh with each other. Otherwise, you will lose the coating in the fryer.
Nutrition Facts
Calamari
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1666 Calories from Fat 1449
% Daily Value*
Fat 161g248%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 45g
Monounsaturated Fat 100g
Cholesterol 354mg118%
Sodium 174mg8%
Potassium 469mg13%
Carbohydrates 31g10%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 28g56%
Vitamin A 222IU4%
Vitamin C 19mg23%
Calcium 85mg9%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Filed Under: American Recipes, Appetizer Recipes, Parties, Recipes, Seafood, Side Dishes, Tailgate, Videos Tagged With: best calamari, calamari, crunchy calamri, entertaining, fried, fried calamari, herb calamri, herbs, juicy calamari, lemon calamri, lemon zest, light calamari, seafood, snacks, tender calamari, ultimate calamri, zesty calamari, zesty calamari with tartar sauce

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Mahy PicHi, I'm Mahy, a recipe developer, food stylist, culinary instructor, photographer, wife and busy mom! Welcome to my blog!...Read More

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