Fried Calamari Recipe – Pan-fried Squid Rings
Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, this pan-fried calamari recipe is a delicious seafood favorite that's easy to make at home. Lightly coated in seasoned flour and quickly fried to golden perfection, these squid rings are packed with flavor and have the perfect crunch. Serve them with fresh lemon wedges and your favorite dipping sauce for a simple yet irresistible appetizer or snack.
Servings 3 servings
Calories 180kcal
Ingredients
- 500 g squid
- oil (of your choice for frying)
- 100 ml water
- 1 tbsp potato starch
- 1 tsp olive oil
- juice, squeezed out of ½ lemon
- ½ tsp baking soda or baking powder
- 70 g all-purpose flour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
Instructions
- Defrost squid if necessary (better use fridge for the purpose or running cold water). Clean it and wash thoroughly before using it in the recipe.
- Using a knife cut squid into 1 cm wide slices so that you will get rings similar to the ones in the photo. Leave them aside on the paper towels, to get rid of all the excess liquid.
- Now, let’s see how you can make an easy coating for fried squid. In a deep bowl combine all-purpose flour and baking powder/soda with water. Then, pour oil and add potato starch. Squeeze half of a lemon into the bowl, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Nicely whisk all the ingredients together, making sure that the mixture becomes smooth.
- Dip calamari rings in batter. Try not to ski any side so that the whole surface will be covered in the coating.
- Heat oil in a skillet. You can always check whether the oil is hot enough by sprinkling some flour in it (the oil should start bubbling). There should be enough oil in the frying pan. My main advice would be not to overcrowd it, too. If you have too many calamari rings in the skillet at the same time, it will result in releasing of excess liquid that can lead to cooking squid not in a proper way. Rings can become saggy and not crispy at all.
- Fry squid rings for 2 minutes on each side until its sides become golden brown.
- Let fried squid rings sit for some time on the paper towels to get rid of all the excess oil before serving. Enjoy with your favorite type of sauce!
Notes
*calories per 100 g