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Start your meal with a plate of buttermilk fried calamari with lemon aioli for a delicious seafood appetizer. This restaurant-quality dish is surprisingly easy to prepare, making it ideal for any occasion!
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What makes this dish special
Go to any American bar or restaurant, and 9 times out of 10, you will see calamari on the appetizer menu. Fried battered calamari is an easy-to-prepare snack that will please almost anyone. This version is a little different, marinating the calamari in buttermilk and frying them in seasoned flour. Instead of marinara sauce or tartar sauce, this buttermilk fried calamari is served with lemon aioli, a tart, creamy sauce for this appetizer. Are you planning a girls' night, BBQ, or just a casual dinner at home? Whip these up in no time, and they're sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
You really can't go wrong with this simple recipe for buttermilk fried calamari. Simply marinate, coat in seasoned flour, and fry!
For a different twist, check out my fried calamari picatta!
Ingredients
- Squid: Use baby squid for the calamari, specifically the body and tentacles. You can also use pre-sliced rings if you prefer.
- Buttermilk: The dairy helps tenderize the squid while also helping the flour mixture adhere to the seafood. You must use buttermilk and not milk, which does not have the acid that buttermilk has, and thus, will not have the same effect.
- Cornstarch: Makes the flour coating crispier because it absorbs moisture from the squid and the frying oil.
- Oil: You can use any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point for frying calamari, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil.
- Mayonnaise: The base for the lemon aioli sauce, adding body and creamy texture to the sauce.
- Lemon: To balance the fried calamari, add lemon to brighten the aioli sauce. You can also serve the calamari with lemon wedges for a burst of brightness.
Substitutions and variations
- Protein: You can experiment with another seafood, such as shrimp or baby scallops.
- Non-Spicy: For a milder version, decrease the amount of cayenne or omit it completely.
Recipe
Buttermilk Fried Calamari with Lemon Aioli
Ingredients
Lemon aioli
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- zest and juice of ½ lemon
- dash of tabasco
- salt and pepper
Calamari
- 1 pound baby squid bodies sliced into ½ inch rings, tentacles left whole
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- oil for frying
- chopped parsley for garnish
- lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
- Prepare lemon aioli by whisking together mayonnaise with lemon zest, lemon juice, and tabasco Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine calamari with buttermilk, stirring to combine. Let sit in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Drain calamari.
- Preheat frying oil to 375 degrees F.
- Combine flour with cornstarch, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne in a large bowl. Dredge calamari in seasoned flour, tossing evenly to coat and shaking excess.
- Carefully drop a handful of the calamari into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining calamari.
- Transfer calamari to serving platter and sprinkle parsley on top. Serve with lemon wedges and lemon aioli.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Marinate squid
Let's start by preparing the squid. Squid is sold in many different forms. You can buy it whole or pre-sliced, frozen or thawed. I've yet to see fresh squid, only frozen. However, if I ever come across the chance to use fresh, I would immediately jump on it!
When purchasing frozen squid, you can choose squid tubes, which are the bodies, cut rings, and tentacles. Although the tentacles are edible and often included on a plate of fried calamari, the body is the prime section of meat.
I enjoy the tentacles and bodies, so I've included them both in this recipe. However, you can exclude the tentacles and only use the rings.
Before frying the squid, we're going to first soak it in buttermilk. Why use buttermilk? The acidity in the buttermilk helps keep the calamari tender, preventing it from becoming tough. If you prepared roasted buttermilk chicken, the idea is the same.
Buttermilk also acts as the wet stage in the breading station, helping the flour adhere to the seafood.
Step 2: Batter and fry
While the squid is bathing in the buttermilk, prepare the flour mixture. Mix all-purpose flour with cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne until well combined.
Remove the squid from the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour, making sure to thoroughly coat the seafood. Then, carefully drop the squid in the preheated frying oil, working in batches.
There are a couple of tips for achieving perfectly crispy calamari. First, make sure the oil is hot enough, using a thermometer to check the temperature. If the frying oil is not hot enough, the calamari will absorb more oil before it has a chance to properly cook, resulting in a greasy and soggy calamari.
On the other hand, if the temperature is too high, the exterior of the calamari will cook too quickly before the interior cooks.
Second, make sure to fry only a handful at a time. Overcrowding the fryer will result in clumpy, greasy calamari - no one wants that!
Third, let the frying oil come back to the correct temperature after each batch. If you're using an actual fryer, it will help maintain the correct temperature. However, if you're using the stovetop like me, wait between batches, allowing the oil to reach 375 degrees F.
Remove the calamari with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil. Transfer the seafood to a serving platter and garnish with fresh parsley, a squeeze of lemon, and a side of lemon aioli.
If you're looking for an easy appetizer that's sure to please, this buttermilk fried calamari is exactly what you need. Easy, delicious, and a crowd-pleaser - what else can you ask for?
For another easy seafood appetizer check out these Asian sesame shrimp meatballs and smoked salmon rangoons!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: Fried foods wait for no one, and that includes this recipe. The calamari is best served immediately because it will get soggy as it sits; however, I have reheated it in the air fryer, and although it's not as good as fresh, it reheats better than the microwave.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 2 days.
Frequently asked questions
Calamari is a culinary term used to refer to cooked squid, particularly when prepared as food. Squid is the marine animal from which calamari is derived. So essentially, calamari is squid that has been prepared and cooked for consumption.
Yes, if using frozen calamari, it's recommended to thaw the seafood before cooking. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or according to the package instructions.
Use a deep-fry thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil. It should reach 375 degrees Fahrenheit before adding the calamari. Alternatively, you can test the oil by dropping a small piece of bread into it. If it sizzles and browns within 60 seconds, the oil is ready.
More Italian appetizer recipes
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Diane says
Would it be possible to do this in an air fryer?
Cherry on My Sundae says
I never actually tried so I can't say for sure but I think you can!
Suie A says
yes that's how I do mine, shake off any residual batter, just don't overload the air fryer (same as deep fryer) and keep giving them a shake, they come out crispy and lush although not used the above batter recipe so hope this helps 🙂
Steph says
This was so easy to make and tasted delicious! I like the extra spices in the batter.
Christine Ma says
I agree, I like that subtle spicy kick from the cayenne! Thanks for giving my recipe a try!
Kathy says
is it garlic powder or onion powder? ingredients says garlic but directions says onion.
Christine Ma says
Sorry about that, I fixed the recipe to correct the error. It should be garlic powder. Let me know if you have any other questions!