Published April 3, 2025. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This quick and easy calamari recipe makes crispy calamari at home. With simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, this fried-seafood favorite is ready to serve as an appetizer, snack, or seafood platter in just 30 minutes.
Chances are you’ve seen fried calamari on the menu at any seafood or Mediterranean restaurant. It’s one of my favorite appetizers to order, but I also get a kick out of making it from scratch occasionally. With tender and chewy calamari inside and a light, crispy coating on the outside, it’s an irresistible side dish that pairs perfectly with Spanish paella and surf and turf.
What is Calamari?
Calamari is an appetizer or side dish always made from squid (typically the Loligo species), not octopus. When it comes to telling the difference between calamari vs. squid, calamari only refers to the edible portion of the squid, including its body (the “tube”), tentacles, and sometimes the fins. The body is sliced into rings, tossed in breading, and fried until you’re left with crispy, golden rings to dip in marinara sauce.
This calamari rings recipe walks you through making your restaurant-quality deep-fried calamari using fresh or frozen calamari and a well-seasoned flour breading. I also included air fryer instructions if you’re trying to avoid the excess grease. The breading won’t be as golden, but every bite will still be crunchy and satisfying.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Calamari – I like to use pre-cleaned frozen calamari because it’s a convenient option that’s usually easy to find at seafood markets and grocery stores. Fresh calamari will also work, but it must be cleaned first (though some stores sell it pre-cleaned). If using frozen, thaw it in the fridge overnight and pat it dry before soaking.
- Buttermilk – Soaking the calamari in buttermilk makes it more tender and gives the flour coating something to cling to. You can use store-bought or homemade buttermilk.
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour for the coating, but a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend should also work.
- Cornstarch — Combining the flour with cornstarch keeps the breading nice and light. Potato starch may work as a substitute.
- Seasonings — I used a simple yet flavorful blend of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, and coarse salt to give the breading balanced and complementary flavors. If you want to switch up the flavor, swap these seasonings for 2 to 3 tablespoons of seafood seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or Old Bay instead.
- Oil — I prefer to use vegetable oil for my deep-fried recipes, whether I’m making homemade calamari or having a fish fry extravaganza. Canola, peanut, and sunflower oil are also great for frying.
How to Make Fried Calamari
Clean: First, I rinse the squid under cold water to remove leftover grit. I also remove the fins (also called wings) or beak if they’re still attached.
Slice: I slice the tubes into rings and gently pull off the two longer tentacles. The removed fins and tentacles fry up beautifully alongside the calamari rings, so I don’t discard them.
Soak: I combine the calamari, buttermilk, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl, cover it, and refrigerate it for 20 minutes.
Heat: While waiting, I heat enough oil for deep frying in a medium-sized pot over low-medium heat until it reaches 350°F.
Whisk: I whisk the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, and the remaining tablespoon of salt in a large bowl.
Coat: Before frying, I toss half of the marinated calamari into the dry coating. I move the pieces around until each one is well coated. Then, I transfer them to a fine mesh strainer and shake off any excess breading.
Fry: I carefully drop the calamari into the hot oil, spreading them out so the pieces don’t stick together. I gently move them around with a hand strainer for 2 to 3 minutes until they turn golden brown and crispy.
Drain and fry the rest: Once done, I transfer the fried calamari to a paper towel-lined plate to drain while I fry the remaining batch. If I need to cook more than two batches, I keep the fried calamari warm on a wire rack placed on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven.
Serve: I pile the crispy calamari onto a plate, sprinkle minced parsley over the top, and include a few lemon wedges on the side.
Air fryer instructions
To air-fry calamari, start by preheating your air fryer to 400°F. Spray the basket with cooking spray and place a single layer of breaded calamari on the bottom. Spray the tops with more cooking spray and air-fry for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. Once finished, transfer the calamari to a plate and repeat with the remaining batch.
Chef Tips + Notes
If you want your calamari to have that signature restaurant-quality crunch, ensure you’re heating your oil to a steady 350°F. A candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer makes it easy to keep track of the temperature. No thermometer? Just drop in a pinch of flour. If the oil sizzles immediately, you’ll know it’s properly heated.
- Cleaning squid correctly: If you’re making this with a fresh whole squid, you must remove the tiny fin-like wings, the beak (hard cartilage in the center of the tentacles), and the outer membrane for the best texture.
- Slice the calamari into thick rings: Aim to cut the cleaned squid tubes into 3/4-inch to 1-inch-thick rings. This ensures that they’ll be nice and tender and will fry evenly.
- Tenderizing the calamari: I typically soak the rings, tentacles, and sometimes the wings in the buttermilk mixture for 20 minutes, but feel free to extend the soak to up to an hour for an extra tender and flavorful bite.
- Always fry in two batches: This will prevent your oil from dropping in temperature, which can cause the calamari to absorb the oil and become soggy.
Serving Suggestions
Since fried calamari is the ultimate crispy finger food, it needs a great dipping sauce. Marinara sauce is a classic and one of my favorites, but a lemony tartar sauce or homemade garlic aioli is excellent if you want something creamy. Love a little heat? Dip the calamari in a Cajun remoulade or bang bang sauce instead.
If you’re serving it as part of a meal, I recommend pairing it with a bowl of New England clam chowder and these homemade hush puppies.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can bread and freeze the calamari for 2 to 3 months before frying the batch. When it’s time to eat, fry the calamari straight from frozen and add an extra minute to the frying time.
How to Store: Calamari is best enjoyed fresh from the fryer, but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days.
How to Reheat: Place the leftover calamari on a wire rack and reheat it in a 350°F oven or air fryer for 5 to 7 minutes or until it’s heated through and crispy again.
More Fried Seafood Recipes
- Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe
- Fried Shrimp Recipe
- Fish Sandwich Recipe
- Coconut Shrimp Recipe
- Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe
Calamari Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound calamari, tubes and tentacles
- 1 cup cultured buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- oil for frying
- lemon wedges and minced parsley for garnish
- Marinara sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Clean the calamari by rinsing it under cold water, then remove the fins (wings) if attached. You may also need to remove the beak.
- Slice the tubes into ¾” to 1” thick slices. Remove the two longer tentacles by pulling or slicing them off.
- Add them to a bowl with the buttermilk and ½ teaspoons of salt and thoroughly mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, add enough oil to fill a medium-sized pot and heat over low-medium until it reaches 350°. Once it reaches that temperature, adjust the temperature so that it stays there.
- Next, in a large bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Add half of the squid and drain off as much liquid as possible. Then, add it right to the batter. Using your hands, move the squid around for 45 seconds to 1 minute to ensure they are completely coated.
- Add the coated calamari into a single or wide mesh strainer and shake off excess.
- Place the calamari in different spots in the oil so that they don’t clump up in a specific area. Cook them for a maximum of 3 minutes while occasionally moving things around with a hand strainer.
- Drain on paper towels and repeat the process with the remaining half of the squid.
- Serve with lemon wedges, optional marinara sauce, and minced parsley.
Flash Fried Calamari Recipe