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Top view of a plate of crispy fried calamari next to a small bowl of marinara sauce.
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5 — Votes 2 votes

How to Make Crispy Calamari

This calamari is perfectly tender with a crisp coating, and only requires 4 ingredients!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 Servings
Author: Cassy Garcia

Ingredients

  • Avocado oil or other neutral oil of choice*
  • 1 pound calamari rings tentacles, or a combination of the two
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour*
  • Fresh chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
  • Lemon wedges for serving
  • Marinara sauce for serving

Instructions

Stovetop

  • Whisk together the sea salt and flour in a large bowl, then add the calamari to the bowl and toss to coat.
  • Add the oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Let the oil heat up for about 3-5 minutes. You can test to make sure it's hot enough by adding a piece of calamari to the pan - once it sizzles it's ready.
  • Add the calamari to the skillet, working in 2-3 batches to make sure it doesn't overlap. Cook for 2-4 minutes, until the calamari stiffens, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. If your oil begins to splatter, turn down the heat slightly.
  • Transfer the calamari to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess grease, then garnish with the parsley and serve with the lemon wedges and marinara sauce.

Air Fryer

  • Whisk together the sea salt and flour in a large bowl, then add the calamari to the bowl and toss to coat.
  • Add the calamari to the air fryer, working in batches so that they don't overlap. Spray or brush the calamari with avocado oil.
  • Cook at 400°F for 20 minutes, shaking the basket after 10 minutes and then again at 15 minutes.

Notes

  • You'll need the oil to be 1/2 inch deep for this recipe, I used 750 ml for a 12-inch skillet. If you'd like to use less oil, use a smaller skillet and fry in multiple batches.
  • We used King Arthur measure-for-measure flour to make this recipe gluten-free

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 18.7g | Fat: 5.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.8g | Cholesterol: 264.7mg | Sodium: 345.7mg | Fiber: 1g