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Air Fryer Calamari Recipe

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Why Make Air Fryer Calamari?

Air fryer calamari is a Mediterranean snack that you can enjoy on its own with a cold beer or a glass of white wine, and it is also a lovely appetizer before a heartier meal. Calamari is Italian for squid, and yes, the crispy snack is indeed squid. Still, we’ve associated the Italian term with a particular way of cooking squid — fried until crisp.

There are two types of calamari. Calamari tubes, made by slicing the squid, and calamari tentacles; both end up nice and crispy. You can use either in the recipe below.

Air Fryer Calamari-2

What Goes into Making Calamari?

To make calamari, you need squid, and if it’s fresh, even better. If using frozen squid, thaw and drain it before use.

We need a batter too. There are several recipes for calamari batter, but we like the texture and thinness of a mix of equal parts all-purpose flour and milk with egg and baking powder. You’ll also need to flavor the batter, in this case, with onion powder and paprika. Try garlic powder as well!

As the last step, we add a breadcrumb layer to our calamari since we are air frying it and don’t want to make a mess. Wet and saucy food is not precisely compatible with the air fryer.

What Goes with Calamari?

People traditionally serve calamari with a couple of lemon wedges and possibly mayo. Still, tomato-based sauces, such as marinara, are also lovely dips for such a crispy, sea-scented dish. Experiment with yogurt-based sauces, too, such as tzatziki or something tangy like tartar sauce, and don’t forget to try calamari with hot sauce — it’s life-changing.

Serve calamari with rice or pasta or tossed salad to contrast the seafood’s salty personality. Calamari is delicious on its own, so make a batch, and you’ll figure out the rest of your menu as you dig in.

How to Make It

  • Prep Time10 min
  • Cook Time10 min
  • Total Time20 min
  • Serving Size2
  • Energy669 cal

Ingredients

Directions

1

In a mixing bowl, combine the egg, milk, flour, baking powder, paprika and onion powder.

2

Preheat the air-fryer to 400°F

3

Dip the calamari tubes in the egg mixture and coat them with breadcrumbs.

4

Spray the calamari tubes with cooking oil and arrange them in the air fryer basket.

5

Air fry for 8-10 minutes until golden and crispy.

6

Serve with a creamy dip or marinara sauce. Alternatively, garnish with dried rosemary and serve with lemon wheels.

  • Nutrition Facts

  • Serving Size2
  • Amount per serving
  • Calories669
  • % Daily Value*Standard DV
  • Total Fat21.6 g78 g27.69%
  • Saturated Fat4 g20 g20%
  • Cholesterol87 mg300 mg29%
  • Sodium967 mg2300 mg42.04%
  • Total Carbohydrate84.7 g275 g30.8%
  • Dietary Fiber4.7 g28 g16.79%
  • Total Sugars6.5 g
  • Protein31.4 g50 g62.8%
  • Calcium298 mg1300 mg22.92%
  • Iron5 mg18 mg27.78%
  • Potassium481 mg4700 mg10.23%

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