Air fryer calamari

Calamari

Light, crunchy rings that stay tender instead of turning to elastic bands.

Squid is either quick or slow, never in between. Eight minutes is the window; go past it and no amount of lemon will save the texture.

Total time23 min
DifficultyMedium

Ingredients

Serves 4 · tap to check off

  • 400g squid rings, patted dry
  • 80g semolina or fine polenta
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp paprika and salt
  • Oil spray, lemon and aioli

Method

  1. Dry. Pat the rings very dry, which is what stops the coating sliding off.
  2. Coat. Dip in egg, then toss in the seasoned semolina.
  3. Spray. Mist all over with oil.
  4. Air fry. Cook at 400°F for 8 minutes only, shaking once.
Test-kitchen tip

Semolina beats flour here. It gives a sandy, crunchy shell that holds up instead of going soft.

Chefman TurboFry Touch Dual 9 QT Air Fryer
MADE WITH
Chefman TurboFry Touch Dual 9 QT Air Fryer
Our #38 rated oven · 7.7 / 10
5.0
★★★★★
2 ratings

Made it? Rate this recipe

Tap the stars and leave a note for other cooks.

★★★★★The tip is the difference

That test-kitchen note is doing the heavy lifting. Big improvement.

Priya S. · Jul 2026
★★★★★Better than the oven

Faster and crispier. Not sure why I would go back.

Tom H. · Jul 2026

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