How Long Do You Cook Calamari In An Air Fryer

Air Fryer Calamari

If you are looking for a healthier way to make fried calamari, you'll love this recipe! This air fryer calamari is so crispy and it's made with a small amount of oil. You will save a ton of calories without sacrificing the taste. It's the perfect no-guilt appetizer that will keep people raving about it and asking when you'll make it again.

Fried calamari is one of the most popular appetizers on many restaurant menus, especially during happy hour. It's usually garnished with lemon, parsley, and served with marinara sauce or garlic aioli dipping sauce.

Calamari cooks quickly and can turn tough and chewy if overcooked. In order to cook calamari to perfection, you can either cook it quickly over high heat or slow over low heat.

About this Air Fryer Calamari:

Today, you will learn how to cook crispy calamari in an Air fryer.

This air fryer calamari recipe is made of calamari that includes tubes and tentacles.

These calamari rings are soaked in a buttermilk mixture. They are lightly battered with flour, breadcrumbs, and egg mixture then fried in the air fryer. So delicious, crispy but not greasy!

It's the perfect seafood appetizer to enjoy while you're watching your favorite shows such as the Squid game or SuperBowl!

Why You'll Love this Air Fryer Calamari Recipe:

1. No oil splatter - less mess

It's the best way to fry food without getting oil splatters everywhere.

2. Lower calories

Cooking with oil does make food taste better, but it also adds extra fat and calories when using it.

This fried calamari is ultra-crispy, yet requires a very little amount of oil.

3. Cheaper

Frying food requires at least 1 cup of oil. That means you would expect to pay $1.70 or more on oil per recipe. After deep frying, you also need to drain excess oil with paper towels that will cause your total cost per recipe to add up.

Of course, eating calamari out at a restaurant would be many times more expensive than cooking it at home.

Calamari vs Squid

If you read five different articles on Calamari versus Squid you might get five very different answers.

Some believe that they're the same and that calamari is just the Italian word for squid. Others say there are biological differences, while even others say the comparison is solely from a cooking perspective, with calamari being more expensive, tender, and have longer fins than squid.

One great thing about calamari or squid is that they can be prepared in so many ways from frying, sauteing, grilling, boiling, or braising.

Whether in Asian, European, or another regional cuisine, calamari almost always makes for a memorable dish. If I see it on a menu I almost always order it as I know my family will enjoy it and I want to see how different chefs approach calamari.

How to Tenderize Calamari before Frying

Marinating the calamari in buttermilk for 30 minutes to an hour will add flavor, and create a light and crisp batter.

Buttermilk is a common ingredient used in fried food. The buttermilk contains enzymes that help tenderize the meat.

Air Fryer Calamari Ingredients and Variations

To make these crispy calamari strips, you will need buttermilk, flour, egg, panko breadcrumb, milk, paprika, old bay seasoning, and a small amount of salt and black pepper to taste.

Calamari: You can use fresh or frozen calamari tubes and tentacles. Calamari is available at any seafood market or from Amazon fresh for $9.99 per pound.

Panko breadcrumb: It's my favorite type of breadcrumb to use on any fried recipe. This Japanese breadcrumb has a light and airy texture that helps it crisp as it cooks. As a result, you will get crispier and crunchier food.

You can find panko breadcrumb at any grocery market or Amazon.com for around $1.88 - $2.49 per 8 oz box. If you can't find it in your area, feel free to substitute panko with traditional breadcrumb.

Old Bay Seasoning: This seasoning mix includes celery salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and paprika. It's commonly used as a seasoning for seafood.

You can find Old Bay Seasoning at any grocery market for around $2.50 per 2 oz container. If you can't find it in your area, substitute Old Bay Seasoning with paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt.

How to Cook Crispy Calamari in an Air Fryer

Step 1. Soak the Calamari in Buttermilk

First, cut the calamari into ⅓ - ½ inch thick rings.

In a large bowl, combine calamari strips and buttermilk. Marinade in the refrigerator 30 minutes to an hour.

Step 2. Prepare the Breading

Set up three dishes and put them in the right order.
In a first bowl, add about ½ cup of all-purpose flour.
In another bowl, beat an egg with milk.

In the last bowl, combine Panko breadcrumbs, oil, paprika, Old Bay seasoning, and a pinch of black pepper.

Step 4. Bread the Calamari Rings

Remove the calamari from the buttermilk marinade. Allow the excess to drip off.
Coat the calamari strips in the flour; shake off excess flour.

Coat the calamari strips in the flour; shake off excess flour.

Dip the calamari rings in the egg and milk mixture, allow the excess to drip off.

Dip the calamari rings in the egg and milk mixture, allow the excess to drip off.

Toss the calamari rings into the breadcrumb mixture; gently pressing to coat.

Toss the calamari rings into the breadcrumb mixture; gently pressing to coat.

Step 5. Cook the Calamari in an Air Fryer

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Lightly grease the air fryer basket with oil. Place the calamari rings in a basket, in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan, work in multiple batches if needed.

Cook the calamari for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Please note, air fryer basket tends to cook foods a little faster than the air fryer oven. In this recipe, I cooked the calamari in my Gourmia 8Qt Air Fryer

FAQ and Cooking Tips

How to Double this Air Fryer Calamari Recipe

If you are planning to double this recipe, it is best to prepare the recipe one batch at a time to prevent wet and soggy breadcrumb.

Do I Need to Thaw Frozen Calamari Before Air Frying?

Yes, you do. Thawing the frozen calamari will preserve the quality of the product, cut down the cooking time, and ensure it cooks properly and evenly.

How to Defrost Frozen Calamari

You can defrost the calamari overnight in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can keep the calamari in the original packaging or place in an airtight plastic bag then thaw under cold running water for about 30 minutes per pound of calamari.

How to Store Leftover Cooked Calamari

First, let the calamari strips cool down at room temperature. Transfer the leftover to an airtight container. Properly stored, it can last 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer.

How to Reheat Frozen Fried Calamari

To reheat frozen fried calamari in an Air Fryer: Cook in the preheated air fryer at 400°F for about 8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
To reheat in the oven: Preheat oven to 450°F. Place frozen calamari rings and tentacles on the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Check Out More Air Fryer Recipes:

Air Fryer Fish Sticks
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How to cook perfectly crispy bacon in an air fryer
How to air fry frozen fries
Air fryer brussels sprouts
Air fryer whole chicken
How to cook bacon asparagus in an air fryer
Air fried okra
How to cook crispy zucchini fries in an air fryer
Air fryer chicken thighs

Air Fryer Calamari

If you are looking for a healthier way to make fried calamari, you'll love this recipe! This air fryer calamari is so crispy and it's made with very little oil.

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 8 mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American, world

Servings 3

Calories 351 kcal

▢ 8 oz calamari tubes and tentacles, (cut the calamari into ⅓ - ½ inch thick rings, pat dry with paper towels)
▢ ½ cup buttermilk
▢ ½ cup all-purpose flour
▢ 1 large egg
▢ 1 tbsp regular milk
▢ 1 cup panko breadcrumb
▢ ½ tsp ground paprika
▢ 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
▢ 3 tbsp avocado, vegetable, or canola oil
▢ black pepper , (to taste)

Put the panko breadcrumb in a large ziplock. Use a rolling pin to crush the breadcrumb until finely ground.
In a large bowl, combine calamari strips and buttermilk. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.
Set up three dishes and put them in the right order.

1st bowl: add all-purpose flour

2nd bowl: beat an egg with milk.

3rd bowl: combine panko breadcrumbs, oil, paprika, Old Bay seasoning, and a pinch of black pepper.
Remove the calamari from the buttermilk marinade. Allow the excess to drip off. Coat the calamari strips in the flour; shake off excess flour.
Dip the calamari rings in the egg and milk mixture, allow the excess to drip off. Toss the calamari rings into the breadcrumb mixture; gently pressing to coat.
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Lightly grease the air fryer basket and crisper tray with oil.
Place the calamari rings in a basket, in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan, work in multiple batches if needed. Cook the calamari for 8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F, flipping halfway through.

Please note that cooking time will vary depending on a variety of other factors, including types of air fryers and air fryer quality.

Air fryer basket tends to cook foods a little faster than the air fryer oven. In this recipe, I used my Gourmia 8Qt Air Fryer

Calories: 351 kcal Carbohydrates: 25 g Protein: 19 g Fat: 19 g Saturated Fat: 3 g Trans Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 236 mg Sodium: 245 mg Potassium: 326 mg Fiber: 1 g Sugar: 4 g Vitamin A: 360 IU Vitamin C: 4 mg Calcium: 129 mg Iron: 2 mg

Keyword air fried calamari, air fryer calamari, how to cook calamari in an air fryer

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