Frozen Calamari in Air Fryer

Searching for an easy seafood snack or appetizer? Frozen calamari in air fryer is one for you. Air fryer frozen calamari rings are crunchy, tender, and packed with flavor.

I love seafood snacks, especially for any house party, I’m throwing. Frozen calamari in air fryer is super easy to make and get’s ready in no time. This kind of snack saves a lot of time so, I can focus on the other dishes.

Frozen calamari is easy to make however, you can make them from fresh ones as well. No food is better than freshly made at home with love and passion.

I’ll be sharing both frozen and fresh calamari recipes with you. You can pick either one that’s suitable for you.

How to cook frozen calamari in air fryer?

Cooking frozen calamari in air fryer is super easy and quick. You don’t need to go through all the preparation processes. Just remove the packaging put it into the air fryer and serve. Let’s see the process for cooking calamari.

Ingredients for frozen calamari in air fryer:
1 package of frozen calamari (any brand)

Instructions for frozen calamari in air fryer:

1. Preheat your air fryer at 200C/400F for 2 minutes.
2. Place the frozen calamari into the basket in a single layer, do not overcrowd the basket.
3. Now cook at 200C/400F for 8 minutes. Flip or toss them halfway through the cooking process.
4. Remove them and serve you hot and crispy calamari with your favorite dipping sauce.

You can find the frozen calamari recipe in the printable card below.

Note: I’m also sharing the fresh calamari recipe for those who don’t prefer frozen food. Or for those who want to make this recipe from scratch. You can choose either of the recipes according to your preference.

Homemade calamari in air fryer:

You can easily make this homemade calamari in air fryer. Crispy homemade calamari is healthy and delicious.

Ingredients for homemade calamari in air fryer:

• 1 pound calamari rings (cleaned)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Non-stick spray

Instructions for homemade calamari in air fryer:

1. Place the calamari rings in a bowl and keep them aside.
2. Place all-purpose flour and garlic powder in a bowl. Mix them to combine well. Crack the eggs pour the milk and whisk together in a separate bowl. Then take another bowl to combine the breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper.
3. Now let’s start the coating. First coat the calamari rings in flour, then in the egg batter, and finally in the breadcrumbs.
4. Preheat your air fryer at 200C/400F for 2 minutes.
5. Spray the non-stick spray on the basket and place the coated calamari ring in a single layer without overlapping. Be careful don’t burn yourself. Spray the tops with non-stick spray.
6. Cook at 180C/360F for 10 minutes. Flip or toss the calamari rings halfway through the cooking process.
7. Remove the calamari from the air fryer basket. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy.

Best frozen calamari brand:

You can choose your favorite brand for this recipe. But if your cook for the first time and don’t know much about the best brands. Here are some of the brand suggestions you can pick from:

1. SeaPak Calamari Rings
2. SeaPak Beer Battered Calamari
3. Young’s Gastro Battered Calamari
4. Young’s Gastro Golden Battered Calamari
5. Great Value Breaded Calamari Rings
6. Cape Point Frozen Calamari Rings
7. I&J Classic Calamari

Frozen Calamari in Air Fryer Recipe Tips:

1. Preheat your air fryer before cooking for the best result.
2. No need to defrost the calamari, cook directly from the frozen to avoid sogginess.
3. You don’t need any spray unless your air fryer is non-stick. However, the breaded frozen calamari already has some oil in it.
4. The frozen calamari is cooked when the internal temperature hits 165F.
5. Don’t overcook them because the texture turns out to be rubbery and no one likes that kind of texture.

Serving ideas for frozen calamari:

Crispy air-fried calamari is best when served with your favorite dipping sauce. Here are some of the dipping ideas;

• Ketchup
• Hot and Sweet Sauce
• Bang Bang sauce
• Ranch
• Mayonnaise
• Homemade BBQ sauce

Find more air fryer seafood recipes:

• Frozen Salmon in Air Fryer

How to store air fryer calamari?

Usually, there are no leftovers at my house whenever I cook the frozen calamari in air fryer. Because they are so crispy and delicious when served hot. However, if there are any leftovers you can store them in an air-tight container. Place it in the refrigerator and it’s good for 3-4 days.
Before storing the leftover calamari make sure they are completely cooled.

Here are some of the frequently asked questions:

Are calamari and squid the same?

No, they are two different beasts. Calamari is more tender and expensive, whereas squid is cheaper and tough. You can differentiate these two by their fins. Calamari’s fins are extended all the way down the hood whereas squid’s fins are arrow-shaped on the end of the hood.

Can you cook calamari from frozen?

Of course, you can. Cooking frozen calamari in the air fryer is super easy and quick. I’ve explained the whole process of cooking in this blog. You can print the recipe from the printable card below.

How to tenderize calamari before frying?

There are different ways to tenderize calamari if you’re cooking them from scratch. I have two ways to tenderize the calamari. Hope this will help you to tenderize calamari.

1. You can marinate the calamari in buttermilk for 30 minutes to an hour. This will also add some flavor to the calamari,
2. You can also marinate the calamari in lemon juice for 30 minutes to an hour.
   Choose either of the methods for your recipe.

How long do I cook frozen calamari in air fryer?

Cook your frozen breaded calamari in air fryer for 4 minutes on each side. The total cooking time is 8 minutes.

Why is my frozen calamari in air fryer tough?

The reason behind tough calamari is overcooking. You can avoid this situation simply by reducing the cooking time. Or check them in between the cooking process.

If you’re cooking raw calamari and ended up making them tough. You can follow the tenderizing process given above.

How to reheat frozen calamari in air fryer?

1. To reheat the leftovers calamari place them in the air fryer basket. Spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Air fry at 200C/400F for 4-5 minutes or until warm through.

 

If you like frozen calamari in air fryer, look what else you can air fry:

• Air fryer chicken lollipops

If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
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