Crispy Calamari with Marinara (Printable)
Lightly breaded calamari fried to golden crisp, served alongside vibrant marinara sauce.
# What You'll Need:
→ Calamari
01 - 1.1 lb fresh calamari, cleaned and cut into 0.4 inch rings
02 - ½ cup buttermilk
03 - 1 tsp salt
04 - ½ tsp black pepper
→ Breading
05 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
06 - ½ cup cornmeal
07 - 1 tsp paprika
08 - ½ tsp garlic powder
09 - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
→ Frying
10 - 3 cups vegetable oil, for frying
→ Marinara Sauce
11 - 1 tbsp olive oil
12 - 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
13 - 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
14 - 1 tsp dried oregano
15 - ½ tsp dried basil
16 - ½ tsp sugar
17 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
18 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
19 - Lemon wedges, to serve
# How to Make It:
01 - In a bowl, combine calamari rings with buttermilk, salt, and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
02 - In a shallow dish, mix together flour, cornmeal, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.
03 - Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet or heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F.
04 - In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning to taste.
05 - Remove calamari from buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off. Thoroughly dredge each piece in the flour mixture.
06 - Fry calamari in batches without overcrowding for 1½ to 2 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
07 - Serve the crispy calamari immediately alongside warm marinara sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges, if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- Crispy outside, impossibly tender inside—the buttermilk soak is the secret nobody tells you about.
- The marinara comes together while the oil heats, so you're eating in under 40 minutes.
- It tastes expensive and impressive but costs less than takeout and takes about the same time.
02 -
- Don't skip the buttermilk soak—I learned this the hard way when I tried to rush and ended up with rubber. The acid really does transform the texture.
- Overcrowding the pan drops the oil temperature and makes everything greasy; I now fry in two batches and it's transformed the result completely.
- Serve immediately after frying—calamari waits for no one, and it's only perfect in those first few minutes.
03 -
- Pat calamari dry with paper towels before breading—moisture is the enemy of crispiness.
- Keep your breading mixture at room temperature so it doesn't cool your oil when you dredge.
- Make the marinara ahead if you want—it's actually better after a few hours and reheats beautifully.