Fried Squid

Name: Fried Squid
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 2 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: Neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, as needed; 1 1/2 pounds cleaned squid, sliced into rings, tentacles cut in half lengthwise if large; Salt; ground black pepper; All-purpose flour as needed; 3 or 4 jalapeños, cut into rings, optional; Lemon wedges for serving

By Mark Bittman

Updated May 2, 2024

Fried Squid — Evan Sung for The New York Times

Total Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Rating: 4(126)
Notes: Read community notes

While cooking squid I tried innumerable coatings. I have two conclusions to report: If you like cakey batter, make what amounts to a thick pancake batter. If you just want a little bit of crust (this is my preference), dredge lightly in flour; it doesn’t get any simpler or better.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

Neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, as needed
1½pounds cleaned squid, sliced into rings, tentacles cut in half lengthwise if large
Salt
ground black pepper
All-purpose flour as needed
3 or 4jalapeños, cut into rings, optional
Lemon wedges for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Put 1½ to 2 inches of oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, spread about ¼ of the squid at a time on several layers of paper towels and put another couple of layers of towels on top, blotting squid to rid it of as much moisture as possible. Season squid with salt and pepper; put flour in a bowl.
Step 2
When oil is hot, put about ¼ of the squid in flour, then move it to a sieve over the bowl and shake to remove any excess. Add squid to oil along with some jalapeños if you like, adjusting heat as necessary so temperature remains nearly constant. Fry until squid is lightly browned and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Start next batch while you eat the first with lemon wedges.

Ratings

4 out of 5

126 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Misha6 years ago

I like to soak the squid in milk for 20-30 minutes first. The enzymes seem to make the squid even more tender.

Kathy6 years ago

I used half corn meal and half flour. I also used Chinese white pepper. My friends that I cooked for said it was the best calamari they had ever had. For my gluten-free friend, I made a batch with only corn meal. She loved it.

JimF6 years ago

Bittman is right; flour is much less messy and tastes better.

Dynoking6 years ago

Two minutes? Really Mark?

Kat5 years ago

Med-high was perfect. Used avocado oil instead & dreged lightly in pancake mix because I was out of flour. Also added a little lemon and garnished with cilantro.

Dean5 years ago

Would anyone who has cooked this please suggest oil temperature? Thanks!

James Caruso3 years ago

My family has cooked squid and shrimp using the same recipe adding only a touch of paprika and fresh lemon. Both the squid and shrimp need to be moisture free to get the crisp but light texture. We definitely will start adding the jalapenos .

LuckyNate3 years ago

Soaking the squid in milk, cream, or buttermilk first is essential to avoid rubbery squid. Lactic acid in the dairy products is what tenderizes the squid.

Cindy3 years ago

I use white rice flour instead. It gives me a much more even and lighter coating that fries evenly.