How to Make Crispy Fried Squid and Breaded Squid Perfectly Like the Restaurant

Crispy fried squid is a familiar dish featuring a golden, super-crispy outer coating and tender, sweet squid meat inside. However, to ensure the squid is just cooked through, not chewy, and the batter stays crunchy for a long time, everything from selecting and preparing the squid to controlling the oil temperature must be done correctly. In the article below, Ola Squid will guide you through how to make crispy fried squid and breaded fried squid simply at home, along with useful tips to make the finished dish look appealing and taste as delicious as restaurant-quality.

Distinguishing crispy fried squid and breaded fried squid

Both crispy fried squid and breaded fried squid feature a golden, fragrant coating, but they differ in the type of flour, thickness, and outer texture.

How to choose fresh, delicious squid and the right type for frying

A delicious fried squid dish depends not only on the battering method but also starts with the quality of ingredients. The fresher the squid, the sweeter, firmer, and less chewy the meat will be after frying. When purchasing, you should check the following signs:

• Color: Choose fresh squid with glossy skin, opaque white or natural light pink body, uniform color, and no dullness.
• Elasticity: Firm squid meat that springs back well when pressed gently without leaving a lasting dent.
• Squid Eyes: Clear, bright eyes with visible pupils; avoid those with cloudy, dim, or discharging eyes.
• Tentacles and Feelers: Tentacles firmly attached to the head, fully intact and firm, not mushy or easily detached.
• Smell: Fresh squid only has a characteristic mild ocean fishy scent, with no foul, sour, or strange odors.

Which type of squid should you choose for frying?

Depending on your preference for tenderness, crispiness, or richness, you can choose the appropriate type of squid:

• Tube squid: Elongated body, tender, sweet meat, and easy to cut into rings, making it ideal for crispy fried or breaded fried squid.
• Cuttlefish: Thick, firm meat with a crunchy texture, suitable if you prefer a more pronounced crunch in the squid meat.
• Roe squid: Small in size, containing rich and savory roe inside, suitable for frying whole to keep the roe intact.

If fresh squid is unavailable, one-sun-dried squid is also a suitable alternative. Thanks to being sun-dried once, the squid has firm meat with less water, making it easy to achieve a chewy and crispy texture without becoming mushy when fried.

Ingredients preparation for crispy fried squid

To make crispy fried and breaded fried squid with an evenly golden, super-crispy crust while the inner meat remains tender and sweet, you should fully prepare the ingredients before starting. For a serving of about 3-4 people, the ingredients include:

How to make crispy fried squid at home

To have a plate of crispy fried squid that is golden brown, super crispy on the outside yet tender and sweet on the inside, you need to pay attention from the preparation stage to coating methods and oil temperature control.

Cleaning the squid properly

Wash the purchased squid, gently pull the head away from the body, then remove the ink sac, internal organs, eyes, and squid teeth. Cut the squid body into bite-sized rings, and the tentacles can be left whole or cut shorter as preferred.

To remove the fishy smell, gently rub the squid with a little salt and crushed ginger or ginger wine, then rinse quickly with clean water. Finally, use paper towels to pat it thoroughly dry so that the squid doesn’t retain too much water, helping the flour adhere better when frying.

See more: How to quickly and simply prepare clean squid for authentic flavorful dishes

Steps to make long-lasting crispy and beautiful breaded fried squid

The golden, crispy coating is the most attractive part of breaded fried squid. To ensure the batter adheres evenly, does not peel off, and does not burn before the squid is cooked, follow these steps:

Step 1 – Preparing the flour: Crack the eggs into a bowl, beat well, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Put the crispy frying flour and breadcrumbs onto two separate plates.

Step 2 – Breading: Roll each piece of squid in crispy frying flour, dip it into the eggs, and then cover it evenly with breadcrumbs on the outside. Press gently so that the breadcrumbs adhere firmly to the squid surface.

Step 3 – Frying the squid: Heat the oil to about 170-180°C, then put the squid in to fry with enough oil to submerge it. Fry for about 2 – 4 minutes until the crust turns golden and crispy, then take it out and place it on a wire rack or paper towels.

Quick tip: The squid needs to be patted thoroughly dry before breading and should be fried immediately after coating. During frying, limit stirring or turning the squid frequently so the crust doesn’t peel off. Do not use too high heat because breadcrumbs easily burn on the outside before the squid is cooked.

Suggested dipping sauces to serve with crispy fried squid

A suitable dipping sauce will help balance the richness of the batter and highlight the sweetness of the squid. Depending on your taste, you can choose one of the following methods:

• Chili sauce mixed with mayonnaise: Mild spicy flavor combined with creamy mayonnaise, very suitable for breaded fried squid.
• Salt, pepper and lime: Salty, spicy, and slightly sour flavors help make the squid dish less greasy and more flavorful.
• Sweet and sour fish sauce: Mix fish sauce with sugar, lime, garlic, and chili to create a harmonious salty-sweet taste, ideal for serving with fried squid and hot rice.

Tips to keep crispy fried squid crunchy for long without getting soggy

To keep fried squid maintaining its golden crispy crust while the inner meat remains tender and sweet, you need to pay attention to both the oil temperature and post-frying handling. A few small mistakes during processing can also cause the squid to become chewy, the batter to peel off, or soften quickly.

• Squid is chewy or undercooked: Usually happens when the oil is not hot enough, causing the squid to fry for too long. You should maintain the temperature at about 170-180°C and fry for just the right amount of time so the squid is cooked through without losing moisture.
• The batter peels off: Squid that is still wet when breaded will make it difficult for the outer coating to adhere firmly. Therefore, after preparation, use paper towels to pat it completely dry before starting to coat.
• The batter softens and gets soggy quickly: After removing the squid, place it on a wire rack or paper towels to drain excess oil. Do not cover or stack the squid while it is hot because steam will make the crust lose its crunchiness quickly.
• Want the squid to stay crispy longer: You should fry in small batches, avoiding putting too much squid in the pan at once because the oil temperature drops easily, causing the batter to absorb a lot of oil and soften quickly.

Some other fried squid dishes worth trying

If you are already familiar with traditional crispy fried squid, you can transform this ingredient into many attractive dishes with bolder flavors. Each preparation method brings its own nuance, from savory-sweet rice-complementing dishes to buttery, mildly spicy ones.

Squid fried with fish sauce

Squid fried with fish sauce features a golden crispy exterior, tender and sweet interior, blended with a rich savory-sweet sauce. After frying, the squid is tossed quickly with fish sauce, sugar, minced garlic, and chili until the sauce coats every piece of squid evenly. This dish tastes even more appealing when served with hot rice.

Squid fried with garlic butter

Squid fried with garlic butter stands out with the rich, buttery aroma blending with the mild pungent scent of sautéed garlic. The squid is fried golden first, then tossed quickly with butter and garlic so that the sauce coats evenly while still maintaining its crispiness. You can add a little pepper or chili to make the dish more flavorful.

Squid fried with lolot pepper leaves

Squid fried with lolot pepper leaves is an interesting combination of the sweetness of squid and the characteristic aroma of lolot leaves. The squid is battered and fried golden, then can be fried together with shredded lolot leaves to create extra aroma and an eye-catching color. The dish is suitable to be served hot with chili sauce or salt, pepper and lime.

Hopefully, through the above sharing, you have grasped how to make crispy fried squid that is golden brown, ultra-crispy on the outside yet tender and sweet on the inside to easily prepare at home. If you want to change your palate with dishes made from dried squid, you can check out dried squid Ola Squid – flavorful products in various sizes, perfect for grilling, simmering, or processing into many appealing dishes.