Ingredients
Air Fryer Calamari
- 1 lb frozen calamari rings and tents
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour or a gluten-free alternative
- 1 tsp Old Bay or paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup cold milk
- 1 large egg
- olive oil cooking spray
- Prepared Creamy Chipotle sauce for dipping
Spicy Chipotle Mayo
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp chipotle powder or 2 tablespoons chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Air Fryer Calamari
- Pat dry the thawed calamari rings and tentacles with a paper towel. Place all the calamari into medium mixing bowl and toss with lemon juice, until well coated.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray; return basket to air fryer and preheat air fryer to 400 F.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray; return basket to air fryer and preheat air fryer to 400 F.
- In a third mixing bowl, whisk milk and egg until well combined.
- Dredge calamari (individual rings and tentacles) first in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, and finally in the flour mixture again, until well coated.
- Place one layer of coated calamari in air fryer basket. (Do not overlap calamari. If extra pieces remain, cook calamari in batches.) Coat calamari with cooking spray.
- Cook at 400 F for 8 minutes, or until calamari is cooked through. Serve immediately with bowl of chipotle sauce, for dipping.
Spicy Chipotle Dipping Sauce
- Add the mayonnaise, chipotle powder OR chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, garlic, lemon juice and pinch of salt to a bowl and blend until combined. If using chipotle pepper, blend it in a food processor or with a stick blender to incorporate.
- Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Pro-tip: Thaw calamari overnight in refrigerator. Or for a quick thaw, put frozen calamari in a large baggie, seal baggie well and place it under cool running water for about 20-30 minutes.