Air Fryer Recipe
Battered Calamari Rings
A lighter take on classic battered calamari rings, made in the air fryer for a crisp finish with less oil.
Ingredients
- 500g fresh squid rings
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of cornmeal
- 2 large eggs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Lemon wedges
- Tartar sauce
- Cooking spray
Method
- If using frozen squid rings, thaw them first, then pat them dry well.
- Season the squid with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- In a shallow dish, mix together the flour, cornmeal, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Beat the eggs in a separate bowl.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C (390°F).
- Dip the squid rings into the eggs, then coat them in the flour mixture.
- Arrange the rings in a single layer in the air fryer basket and spray with cooking spray.
- Air fry for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Serve straight away with lemon wedges and tartar sauce.
Why this works in an air fryer
Squid cooks in minutes, so the dry surface and thin coating matter: convection drives off surface moisture, cornmeal creates a rough crisp shell, and cooking spray supplies the small amount of fat needed for browning. High heat crisps the batter before the rings over-tighten and turn rubbery.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4–5 litre basket holding about half the rings in one uncrowded layer. In a single-drawer air fryer, cook in batches and avoid stacking; in a dual-zone model, split the rings evenly between drawers and check 1–2 minutes early, as smaller loads brown faster but crowded drawers need extra time.
Common pitfalls
- Coating looks floury and pale after 6 minutes? The spray has missed dry patches; mist lightly with oil and continue until the surface turns golden rather than dusty.
- Rings are steaming and the coating is sliding off? They were too wet or touching; pat the next batch drier and leave gaps so convection can evaporate moisture.
- Calamari is chewy with a tight, bouncy bite? It has gone past the short tender window; pull at the first golden crispness and reduce the next batch by 1–2 minutes.
- Bottoms are soggy while tops brown? Airflow is blocked by parchment or overcrowding; remove any solid liner, flip firmly halfway, and cook in a thinner layer.
Variations & substitutions
- Swap cornmeal for fine semolina for a similarly gritty crust that browns slightly more evenly and feels less coarse.
- Use rice flour in place of plain flour for a lighter, crisper coating with less gluten toughness; it may brown a little paler.
- Add cayenne or Cajun seasoning to the dry mix for heat; sugars in some blends can darken faster, so check from minute 7.
- Replace paprika with smoked paprika for a deeper savoury flavour; it makes the coating look darker, so judge doneness by crispness as well as colour.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooked calamari refrigerated for up to 24 hours, then reheat in a single layer in the air fryer at 180°C for 3–4 minutes until hot and re-crisped.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
