Calamares, also known as Fried Calamari, is a delicious appetizer of tender squid cut into rings or strips, lightly battered, and deep-fried until golden brown and crispy. One trick to keeping calamari tender is to fry it briefly over high heat.
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What is Calamari?
The Italian word "calamari" is the culinary term for squid. A squid is a seafood with a mild, slightly sweet taste and pleasant chewy texture.
Calamari requires careful cooking: either flash-fry it to keep it tender or simmer it long enough for a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Anything in between can make it rubbery.
In the Philippines, calamares-a name derived from the Spanish word for squid-refers to a popular appetizer or pulutan (a snack enjoyed with alcoholic beverages). This crispy fried calamari recipe is breaded and deep-fried, typically served with a vinegar dipping sauce or sweet chili sauce.
Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Squid: Go for small to medium-sized squid since they're usually sweeter and more tender. Cut them into thick rings so the coating gets nicely browned and crunchy without overcooking the squid.
- Milk: You can use whole milk or other milk products like buttermilk or yogurt diluted with water. They help tenderize the squid, cut any fishy smell, and make sure the coating sticks.
- Flour: A combination of all-purpose flour and rice flour makes the crunchiest, golden-brown coating without being too heavy. If you don't have rice flour, potato starch or cornstarch are good substitutes.
- Baking powder: This is the secret to a light and airy coating. It adds little bubbles that make all the difference, so don't skip it.
How to make this recipe
If you bought whole fresh squid, your first step is to clean the squid. If it's frozen, thaw it in the fridge or quickly under cold running water if you're short on time.
Step 1: Slice the squid tubes into ¾-inch thick rings. For larger squid bodies, slice them open and score the inside in a criss-cross pattern. Then, cut them into uniform sizes for even cooking.
Step 2: Combine about 1 cup of milk (or 1 cup buttermilk) and 1 teaspoon kosher salt (use half for table salt) in a bowl, then soak the squid in the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
Step 3: Combine ⅔ cup all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup rice flour, and 2 teaspoons baking powder in a separate bowl. Feel free to add black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, or other spices.
Drain the squid and coat them evenly in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. Allow the flour to fully hydrate as you heat the oil; this helps the coating stick better and get super crunchy when fried.
Step 4: Set your pot over high heat, then add about an inch of oil. Dip a wooden spoon handle or chopstick to check when it's hot and ready-it should steadily bubble around it. If using a thermometer, aim for 375 degrees F (190° C).
PRO TIP: Use a small, wide-mouthed pot or saucepan instead of a frying pan or deep-fryer. Its high sides prevent oil splashes, and you won't need as much oil either. Make sure the oil is very hot before adding the squid to brown and crisp it quickly without overcooking.
Step 5: Fry the calamari in batches until they're golden brown, which should take about 2-3 minutes. Gently stir them to keep them from sticking together. Make sure to let the oil heat back up to a high temperature between batches for even cooking.
PRO TIP: Don't overcrowd the calamari when frying to avoid a temperature drop which can make them greasy and soggy.
Step 6: Use a skimmer, slotted spoon, or strainer to quickly scoop out the calamari from the oil once they're done.
Step 7: Lay them out on paper towels to soak up any extra oil. Sprinkle a bit more salt on them while they're still hot.
Squeeze some lemon juice over your Calamares and pair them with dipping sauces like sweet chili sauce or spiced vinegar. Marinara sauce and aioli are also popular choices that complement the dish well.
Recipe FAQs
Squid has a firm texture and mild flavor on its own. Smaller sizes tend to be more tender, less chewy, and slightly sweeter. Because it has a neutral taste, it really picks up the flavors of any marinades or sauces you cook it with.
Yes! Calamari is just the fancy Italian term for squid. It's basically squid that's been cooked up in a special way. Some people think squid and calamari come from different types of cephalopods, with calamari being smaller and more tender.
Squid and octopus (along with cuttlefish) are cephalopods with similar characteristics but are not the same.
An octopus is a lot bigger with 8 tentacles. It has thicker flesh and tastes a lot like squid with a very mild seafood flavor. They both have a firm, chewy texture and can be rubbery unless properly cooked.
Smaller squid tends to be more tender and sweeter than larger ones. The key is to cook them briefly over high heat. Marinating can also reduce their chewiness.
You can soak them in milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, or water with baking soda; the acidity helps tenderize and reduce their fishy smell.
A combination of all-purpose flour, rice flour, and baking powder will produce a light, golden-brown crust that stays crisp.
Deep-fry the calamari briefly at high temperature. Avoid crowding the pan to prevent the temperature from dropping, making them soggy and greasy.
Yes. Frying calamari in an air fryer is an option, but keep in mind that it might not come out as crispy as deep-frying. However, it can still be flavorful and healthier since it requires less oil. Adjust the cooking time and temperature based on your air fryer's settings.
More Filipino fried dishes
- Lumpia: Fried spring rolls with meat or shrimp wrapped in lumpia wrappers.
- Lumpiang Gulay: Fried vegetable spring rolls with julienned vegetables like cabbage, carrots, sweet potatoes, jicama, green beans, and bean sprouts.
- Lechon Kawali: Deep-fried pork belly; its air-fried version is a healthier alternative with the same crispy texture.
- Ukoy: Shrimp and vegetable fritters with small shrimps coated in a rice flour batter, then deep-fried until crispy.
- Crispy Fried Whole Fish: Whole fish seasoned and fried until the skin is crispy and the inside is tender and flaky.
- Camaron Rebosado: Battered and deep-fried shrimp, served with a sweet and sour sauce.
Other seafood recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Calamares Recipe
Equipment
- Small, wide-mouthed pot or saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 pound small or medium-sized squid (bodies and tentacles) cleaned and cut into ¾-inch thick rings (see note)
- 1 cup milk (see note)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (use less for table salt) more to taste
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup rice flour (see note)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (see note)
- Neutral oil with a high smoke point (peanut, avocado, or other vegetable oils)
- Sweet chili sauce for dipping (optional)
Instructions
- Combine milk and 1 teaspoon kosher salt (use hald for table salt) in a bowl, the soak the squid rings in the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
- Combine all-purpose flour, rice flour, and baking powder in a separate bowl.
- Drain the squid and transfer them to the flour mixture. Coat them evenly and shake off any excess flour.
- Set a small, wide-mouthed pot over high heat, then add an inch of oil. Dip a wooden spoon handle or chopstick to check when it's hot and ready-it should steadily bubble around it. If using a thermometer, aim for 375° F (190° C).PRO TIP: The oil needs to be very hot before dropping in the squid. This high temperature browns and crisps the squid quickly without overcooking.
- Fry the calamari in batches until they're golden brown, which should take about 2-3 minutes. Gently stir them to keep them from sticking together. Make sure to let the oil heat back up to a high temperature between batches for even cooking. Don't overcrowd the calamari when frying to avoid a temperature drop which can make them greasy and soggy.
- Use a spider or slotted spoon to quickly remove the batch from the oil.
- Lay them out on paper towels to soak up any extra oil. Sprinkle a bit more salt on them while they're still hot.
- Serve with lemon wedges and pair them with dipping sauces like sweet chili sauce or spiced vinegar. Marinara sauce and aioli are also popular choices.
Video
Notes
- Squid: Go for small to medium-sized squid since they're usually sweeter and more tender. Cut them into thick rings so the coating gets nicely browned and crunchy without overcooking the squid.
- Milk: You can use whole milk or other milk products like buttermilk or yogurt diluted with water. They help tenderize the squid, cut any fishy smell, and make sure the coating sticks.
- Flour: A combination of all-purpose flour and rice flour makes the crunchiest, golden-brown coating without being too heavy. If you don't have rice flour, potato starch or cornstarch are good substitutes.
- Baking powder: This is the secret to a light and airy coating. It adds little bubbles that make all the difference, so don't skip it.
Andrew says
Love this recipe!
Nora Reyes says
Thank you so much, Andrew!
Justin says
I love, love, love fried calamari!!! This is the recipe i’ve been looking for. Thank you so much! It was the best!
Nora Rey says
Hi Justin,
That's so awesome to hear! I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the fried calamari recipe and found it to be exactly what you were looking for. Now I'm craving some fried calamari myself! Let me know if you have any other recipe requests or if there's anything else I can help you with. Cheers!
jomelyn says
This looks crispy and delicious! I will try this recipe soon.