This crispy fried calamari is the one you order at every Greek taverna: tender rings of squid in a light, crackly coating, piled on a plate with lemon wedges and eaten while it’s hot. In Greece it’s called kalamarakia tiganita, and it’s one of the easiest meze you can make at home.

The secret is the coating. A mix of all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and semolina, seasoned with smoked paprika, mustard powder, and a little lemon zest, fries up golden and crunchy with no batter and no buttermilk soak. The squid only needs about 3 minutes in hot oil, which is exactly what keeps it tender instead of rubbery.

Crispy fried calamari, Greek Kalamarakia, on a plate with lemon wedges and parsley, with a bowl of fries and bread on the side

Overview

What is calamari?

Calamari is the culinary name for squid (not octopus). It’s loved all over the Mediterranean, and in Greece it’s most often fried and served as a meze with lemon wedges, tzatziki, and other small plates. Greeks also cook squid in tomato sauce, in wine, or baked with orzo.

Squid is at its best from October to May. Fresh squid is pale white to yellowish with dense reddish-gray spots. To check freshness, peel back a little of the thin skin with your fingernail: if the flesh underneath is white, it’s fresh; if it’s pink, it’s 2 to 3 days old; if it’s red, skip it.

Why you will love crispy fried calamari

Three flours, three jobs. All-purpose flour helps the coating cling, cornstarch keeps it light and crisp, and semolina adds a fine, sandy crunch.
No batter, no soak. A dry coating on well-dried squid fries up crisp and stays crisp longer on the plate.
A short, hot fry. About 3 minutes at 350 to 365°F cooks the squid through while it’s still tender. Squid toughens fast after that.
Big flavor in the coating. Smoked paprika, mustard powder, and lemon zest season every bite, so all you need at the table is lemon.

Kalamarakia tiganita, Greek fried calamari, on a plate with lemon wedges and parsley

In Greece, fresh calamari means dinner. See more taverna favorites in my Mediterranean diet dinner ideas.

Here is what you need

A bowl with squid, and bowls with flour, corn flour, semolina, sea salt a container of smoked paprika and two lemons on a table, overhead shot.

Calamari. Cleaned, sliced squid rings and tentacles, fresh or frozen. Most US grocery stores carry frozen cleaned calamari, and many fish counters sell it fresh. If you buy whole squid, ask your fishmonger to clean it and slice the tubes into rings.
All-purpose flour, cornstarch, and semolina. Use fine semolina (the kind for pasta or halva). Note: Greeks call cornstarch “corn flour.” In the US, look for cornstarch, not corn flour, which is ground cornmeal.
Mustard powder and smoked paprika.
Lemons. A little zest goes in the coating, and the rest is cut into wedges for serving.
Oil for frying. I use sunflower oil. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point, like canola or peanut, works too.

How to buy and prep calamari

Frozen calamari is the easiest option. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, or seal it in a zip-top bag and submerge it in cold water for about 30 minutes.

Dry it really well. This step makes or breaks crispy calamari. Drain the squid in a colander, then pat it completely dry with paper towels. Wet squid makes the coating gummy and makes the oil spatter.

Slicing. Cut tubes into rings about ½ inch wide. Leave the tentacles whole.

Freezing fresh squid. Clean it, pat it dry, and freeze it flat in zip-top freezer bags. Kept solidly frozen, it’s good for several months.

How to make kalamarakia tiganita

Cleaned squid rings draining in a colander

Prep the squid. Drain the calamari in a colander and pat it completely dry with paper towels.
Make the coating. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, semolina, mustard powder, smoked paprika, lemon zest, and sea salt.

Squid rings tossed in a seasoned three-flour coating

Coat the calamari. Add the calamari to the bowl and toss until every piece is well coated.
Heat the oil. Pour the oil into a deep, heavy skillet or Dutch oven to a depth of 1½ to 2 inches (no more than halfway up the sides). Heat over medium-high until it reaches 350 to 365°F (175 to 185°C) on a thermometer.

Calamari frying in hot sunflower oil until golden

Fry in batches. Shake a handful of calamari to knock off the extra coating, then carefully lower it into the oil without crowding the pan. Fry until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes. Don’t go longer, or the calamari will turn hard and chewy.
Drain and repeat. Lift the calamari onto a wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate. Let the oil come back to 350°F before frying the next batch.
Serve right away with lemon wedges on the side.

Greek fried calamari served with lemon wedges, fries, and bread, overhead view

INSIDER TIP. Serve the lemon wedges on the side, and don’t squeeze lemon over the whole platter. Lemon is perfect with calamari, but it softens the coating. Let everyone squeeze their own once it’s on their plate.

Tips for tender, not rubbery, calamari

Watch the clock. Calamari is either cooked fast (2 to 3 minutes) or slowly braised for a long time. Anything in between turns it rubbery.
Fry in batches. Too much calamari at once drops the oil temperature, and the coating soaks up oil instead of crisping.
Use a thermometer. Below 350°F the calamari turns greasy; well above 365°F the coating browns before the squid is cooked.
Optional: coat as you go. If you’re frying a big batch, you can coat the calamari a handful at a time, right before it goes into the oil. The coating on calamari that sits can get damp, so this keeps the last batch as crisp as the first.

How to serve kalamarakia tiganita

At a Greek taverna, kalamarakia come to the table with the other meze and everyone digs in. I first had taverna fries at a fish taverna on Hydra, served right next to the calamari, octopus, langoustines, and armyra, a salad of sea greens. That’s still how I love to eat them.

Serve your calamari with Greek fries (patates tiganites), tzatziki, a village salad, fried eggplant and zucchini, fava dip and shrimp saganaki. For a full spread, add horta, skordalia, taramosalata, cod fish cakes, or Greek roasted feta dip. Planning a bigger meze table? See 8 Greek dips that belong on every table.

Storage and leftovers

Fried calamari is best eaten right away. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. To re-crisp, spread them on a baking sheet and reheat in a 400°F oven for 4 to 5 minutes. Avoid the microwave, which makes them soggy and tough.

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If you tried this recipe, I’d love to know how you liked it — drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram @thegreekfoodie__.

FAQ

Calamari is squid. Octopus (htapodi in Greek) is a different animal, usually grilled or braised rather than fried.

Many American recipes do, to tenderize the squid. You don’t need to here. In Greece, calamari goes straight into the coating, and the short, hot fry is what keeps it tender.

A dry flour coating fries crisper than a wet batter. This recipe uses all-purpose flour for grip, cornstarch for lightness, and semolina for crunch.

Yes. Thaw it completely and pat it very dry before coating.

It was fried too long. Pull it at about 3 minutes, as soon as the coating is golden.

A neutral oil with a high smoke point, like sunflower, canola, or peanut oil.