- 1 lb cleaned calamari tubes cut into rings, and tentacles left whole
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or milk
- vegetable or canola oil for deep frying
- marinara sauce, lemon wedges, or aioli, for serving, optional
For me, Fried Calamari was always one of those must-order dishes. I don’t eat fried food too often, but fried calamari is one of my favorites.
Rings of squid coated in a super crispy, crunchy shell, dipped in a little marinara or aioli…the BEST!
Fried Calamari is a lot easier to make at home than you might think! This recipe has a crispy batter that fries perfectly to a golden brown crunch.
The most important thing when frying is to make sure the temperature is right. If you don’t have a thermometer, please consider getting one! It is one of the most essential tools for the kitchen.
To get started with the calamari, cut the squid into tubes, then soak in lemon juice for 30 minutes
Next, mix flour with cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt;
Split this between two bowls, then add buttermilk or milk to a third bowl;
Remove the squid from the lemon juice, then dredge in the flour;
Then into the buttermilk or milk;
Then into the second duplicate bowl of flour;
Then deep fry the calamari in batches, for 2-3 minutes;
The calamari should be golden brown and crispy! Drain on a paper towel, and immediately salt the calamari ;
Serve plain, with marinara sauce, lemon wedges, or aioli.
Enjoy!