Crispy Fried Calamari
Lightly flavored crispy fried calamari with light coating. A must try Mediterranean calamari recipe.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Diet: Halal
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 163.7kcal
- 1 pound Calamari rings.
- 2 Tablespoon white vinegar.
- For the marinade:
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice.
- 1 large garlic clove.
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste.
- ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder.
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil.
- Coating mix:
- ½ cup flour
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder.
- ½ teaspoon salt.
- ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Oil for frying
In a deep bowl add calamari rings , vinegar and mix well. Set aside for 20-30 minutes. Then rinse with cold water and pat dry. Note1
Add the marinade ingredients to the calamari and toss well. Let it marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the fridge.
In a deep frying pot, heat your frying oil.
While the oil is heating up, add the coating ingredients in a deep bowl and mix well.
Add the calamari one by one and toss to cover with the flour mixture.
Fry in batches for about 3 minute or until lightly brown.
- Soaking calamari rings in vinegar helps tenderize them which makes them less chewy. Also it gets rid of any unpleasant smell.
- After this I like to marinade the calamari in a special spice mix with olive oil. I use garlic, lemon juice, salt, black pepper and cumin. This combination pairs very well with calamari and it will still taste like calamari, nothing overpowering here.
- Making a thick batter, the one that is like pancakes, is not something my mom used to make. I'm more used to a simple dusting with lightly seasoned flour and that's it.
- Some people add semolina or cornflour for a more crispy coating.
- Squid rings are slightly chewy when quickly fried at about 130F. When they reach 140F the connective tissues shrink making the calamari tough.
Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.
Calories: 163.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.9g | Protein: 16.7g | Fat: 5.9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.5g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 202.2mg | Potassium: 34.4mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 1.6mg | Calcium: 2.3mg | Iron: 5mg