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Fish, European

Andalusian fried calamari with tomato salad

Andalusian fried calamari is calamari rings coated in flour and fried, served with a tomato and red onion salad. For 4 people, it takes 30 minutes, the difficulty is easy, and it costs about €3.10 per person. The key to success is drying the calamari well before flouring and frying it for no more than two minutes.

Tonight it's family tapas night with Andalusian fried calamari, light and crispy, alongside a tomato and onion salad.

Andalusian fried calamari with tomato salad
Total time
30 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.10
Calories per person
630 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

Andalusian fried calamari plays on a simple contrast, a thin crispy coating around tender calamari that still has a bit of bite. The light flour coating lets the briny flavor of the calamari come through instead of hiding it, and a squeeze of lemon right before serving wakes everything up. This is a finger food dish, best eaten hot, in a tapas kind of mood rather than a sit down dinner.

The tomato salad with red onion isn't just a side, it brings the acidity and freshness that balance out the frying. It's a spring and summer recipe, great for a weeknight when tomatoes actually taste like something, or for a casual dinner with friends. Kids tend to love the crispy rings, just keep an eye on little ones around the hot oil.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Cleaned calamari 700 g

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 100 g
  • Frying oiloften in the pantry 30 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Wine vinegaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 2 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Tomatoes 5
  • Red onion 1
  • Lemon 2
  • Parsley 1 bunch

Allergens Gluten, Mollusks

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and slice the red onion thinly, then season with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

    Let the salad sit for ten minutes, the tomatoes release their juice and it flavors everything.

  2. Cut the calamari into rings and dry them well with paper towels.

    Dry rings don't splatter the oil and brown better.

  3. Coat the rings in salted flour, then shake off the excess in a strainer.

    Finely sifted flour gives a lighter crust.

  4. Fry in small batches in hot oil, just one to two minutes. 8 min

    Any longer than two minutes and the calamari turns rubbery.

  5. Drain on paper towels, salt, and serve with lemon and the salad.

    Serve right away, warm fried calamari stays crispy, once cold it softens.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick medium sized calamari, the really big ones turn tough when cooked and the tiny ones dry out fast in the oil.
  • Test the oil temperature with a small piece of bread, it should turn golden in a few seconds, otherwise the rings soak up too much oil.
  • Make the tomato salad before you start frying so you can serve the calamari the moment it comes out of the oil.

The variations

  • Swap the calamari for sliced eggplant or zucchini coated the same way for a fish free version.
  • Add a pinch of smoked paprika to the flour for a slightly spicier touch, closer to some Andalusian versions.
  • For kids in a hurry, shape the rings into small bites and serve with a simple lemony mayonnaise instead of the salad.

What to serve it with

  • Crusty bread to soak up the oil and lemon
  • A glass of cold dry white wine
  • Other cold tapas to round out the meal

Storage

Fried calamari is best eaten right away, it loses its crispness as it cools. If you have leftovers, keep them in a sealed container in the fridge for one day and reheat in a hot oven rather than the microwave. The tomato salad keeps for one day in the fridge, stored separately.

Questions about this dish

Can you prep the calamari ahead of time?

You can clean and slice the calamari into rings a few hours ahead, then keep them well dried in the fridge. Flouring and frying should still happen at the last minute to keep the crispness.

Can you freeze fried calamari?

Fried food doesn't freeze well, the coating turns soggy once thawed. It's better to freeze the raw calamari rings and fry them fresh the day you plan to eat them.

What oil should you use for frying?

A neutral, high heat oil like sunflower or peanut oil works well here. Skip olive oil for frying, it smokes and changes flavor at high temperatures.

How do you keep the calamari from turning rubbery?

Cooking time is the key, one to two minutes in hot oil is plenty. Any longer and the flesh tightens up and turns tough, so it's better to pull the rings out a bit early than too late.

How long does it take to make Andalusian fried calamari with a tomato salad?

Count 30 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in Andalusian fried calamari with a tomato salad?

About 630 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does Andalusian fried calamari with a tomato salad cost?

About €3.10 per serving, or €12.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, mollusks. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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