Fried calamari is easily one of the restaurant appetizers that we miss the most since going gluten free. Whether served up with warm marinara or sprinkled lightly with sea salt and peppercorns, we ordered fried calamari whenever we could.
That’s why this recipe was a MUST.
Even though our calamari is made in the air fryer, it’s tender and flavorful on the inside, while being light and crispy on the outside. It’s definitely our nod to PF Chang’s style salt and pepper calamari — but kicked up a notch with Station 1923 Tamari Ginger All-Purpose Seasoning.
Not to mention, you’ll feel better that it’s not deep fried!
Ingredients
- 3 calamari steaks (or 1lb calamari rings not breaded)
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoon Station 1923 Tamari Ginger All-Purpose Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- Scallion and red chili to garnish (optional)
Things You’ll Need
- Air fryer
- Cooking spray
- Mixing bowl
- Paper towels
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Ziploc bag
- Measuring utensils
- Small baking tray or dish
- Silicone spoon or spatula
Ready to make your own restaurant style air fried calamari at home? Let’s go.
P.S. It’s easier than you think!
Step 1: Clean, Prep, Cut
Gently rinse your calamari steaks and pat them dry. Place on your cutting board and slice into strips, a little more than 1/4 of an inch thick. Add them to your mixing bowl and season with 1 teaspoon of your Station 1923 Tamari Ginger All-Purpose Seasoning and the coarse black pepper. Reserve the remaining Tamari Ginger Seasoning for the coating.
Also, preheat your air fryer on 400F for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Coat
With your strips of calamari seasoned, crack one egg into the bowl of calamari, and mix until fully incorporated.You can also beat the egg in a small bowl separately, then pour over the calamari and mix. Either way, it’s faster than dipping each individual piece into egg.
Next, take your Ziploc bag and add the cornstarch, remaining Station 1923 Tamari Ginger Seasoning, and your Himalayan pink salt. Seal and shake the bag to fully incorporate seasoning.
Now it’s time to drop those calamari strips in. Add them to the seasoned coating one by one. Once they’re all in, seal and shake the bag vigorously until they’re all coated.
Remove them from the Ziploc bag, tapping them gently against the bag to shake loose excess cornstarch. Place on the cutting board until the air fryer is ready.
Step 3: Air Fry
Once your air fryer is warmed up, lightly coat the bottom of the tray with cooking spray to ensure your calamari doesn’t stick. Then, add calamari to the air fryer, leaving enough room between pieces for air to circulate. They don’t have to be super far apart, just not sticking together.
If you have to fry in batches, do that. With air frying, it’s always better to work in small batches than crowd the tray.
Once all the calamari are in, go over them with a coating of cooking spray.
Air fry on 400 for 3-4 minutes, then open the air fryer tray and shake vigorously. Hit any “ashy” coating spots with a bit more cooking spray. Return to air fryer and cook for another 3-4 minutes until light golden brown.
Step 4: Remove + Serve
Once they’ve reached a light golden brown color, remove the calamari gently from the air fryer and transfer to a small baking tray covered in paper towels. If needed, place them in a warm oven while other batches cook.
Once all the calamari is out of the air fryer, sprinkle with scallion and red chili to garnish and then serve.
With a small ramekin of Thai sweet chili sauce, this air fryer calamari doesn’t miss!
Shop Station 1923 Tamari Ginger All-Purpose Seasoning
If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to tag us on Instagram @station1923!