Try this simple oven-baked salt and pepper squid as a light lunch or as an appetiser when entertaining. This baked calamari means no deep-frying, making it a healthier option for you to enjoy.
OVEN BAKED SALT & PEPPER SQUID
Salt and Pepper squid rings, or calamari, is a popular light lunch or entree choice when dining out.
Especially when accompanied with a delicious dipping sauce, such as aioli or tartare sauce.
It can also make a great sharing plate too, so it only seemed natural to want to make our very own crumbed salt and pepper squid dish at home.
For another great option, try my salt and pepper air fryer calamari recipe. So good!
Check out these recipes too:
Air fryer pizza rolls
Air fryer sweet potato fries with yoghurt dip
Garlic chicken balls
Lunchbox quiche
Lemon garlic prawns
Coconut air fryer prawns
Oven-Baked Vs Deep Fried Calamari
I am not a big fan of deep-fried food and tend not to eat it often.
The exception is definitely those occasional fish and chips by the beach family days, which often includes salt and pepper calamari!
In fact, despite having this conversation many times over the years with my husband, I actually refuse to own a deep fryer at all!
So instead I set about making a healthy oven baked squid alternative, that not only tastes great, but is actually really easy as well!
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Oven Baked Squid
This is a really simple healthy salt and pepper squid recipe alternative, simply because you do not require them to be cooked in oil.
They may not be as crispy as deep fried calamari, however, they taste lighter and with more of the salt and pepper flavours this way, I think.
If you are finding you are having trouble getting your crumb mixture to stick to your squid rings, you can first dip them in a mixture of the beaten egg before rolling in the crumbs, however as they are usually fairly moist, I usually skip this step.
It is important to avoid overcooking your oven baked calamari though, or they will taste quite rubbery so take care to keep a close eye on them.
Will They Be Crunchy?
Oven-baked salt and pepper squid will not be as crunchy and crispy as a deep-fried version.
If you do prefer a crunchier texture, you can still shallow fry them using the same steps to salt and pepper your squid rings, up until placing them in the oven.
Instead, heat some oil in a frying pan and fry until crispy.
Another healthier calamari alternative would be to use an air fryer. I haven’t tried this yet but I think it would work great.
You can do this same crumb coating with other seafood too. Try it with prawns or fish for a yummy salt and pepper crumb coating.
I hope you enjoy my oven-bakedsalt and pepper squid recipe for a lighter option to enjoy seafood at home. This baked calamari recipe is a delicious summer dish!
For more recipe ideas check out these easy air fryer recipes and healthy lunch recipe ideas.
Oven Baked Salt & Pepper Squid
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Enjoy a lighter alternative to a favourite with this salt and pepper oven baked squid recipe.
Ingredients
500 g squid rings
1/2 cup plain flour
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp cracked pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Line trays with baking paper.
Mix flour, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl.
Coat squid ring in crumb mixture and place on a baking tray, ensuring squid rings are well spaced out on the tray and not piled on top of each other.
Cook in oven for approximately 16-20 minutes, turning half way.
Serve with dipping sauce such as tartare sauce or aioli, or squeeze lemon juice over calamari.
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Cook squid briefly (for a few seconds) or braise it long enough for it to toughen and then become tender again. A popular method for quick cooking is to cut the bodies into rounds, coat in breading and deep-fry. Stir-frying and sautéing also work well. The bodies may also be left whole, stuffed and braised in the oven.
A squid cooked for 4-5 minutes on the other hand, maintains its softness as well as its texture, making each recipe the best it can be. Even if prepared in the oven you should leave them no more than 15 minutes, just until they are covered with a golden crust on the surface yet maintaining a tender center.
To avoid a rubbery texture, squid benefits from being cooked either very fast (as in our Fried Calamari) or very slow (as in a stew or pasta sauce). That's because squid swim fast thanks to supple, flexible bodies loaded with collagen—which dramatically affects their texture when cooked.
To tenderise the meat and remove some of the chewiness, soak the squid in either lemon juice or kiwi fruit juice for half an hour before cooking. The acidity helps to break down the texture. Alternatively, tenderise by soaking the squid in milk overnight, covered and refrigerated.
Squid must be cooked for either a very short time or a very long time. Anything in between turns it very rubbery. Two minutes over high heat is plenty. Beyond that will require at least 30 minutes to an hour to re-tenderize it.
Squid only needs to cook for 30-45 seconds, and it's tender, mild flavor works with a variety of spices. Start with cleaned tentacles and the body of the squid flattened and cut into 1-2" squares. Heat up 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium-high heat. You want the oil to be hot so that the squid cooks quickly.
As Harold McGee explains in On Food and Cooking, octopus and squid meat are very rich in collagen: They are chewy when lightly cooked, tough when cooked to the denaturing temperatures of their collagen, around 120 - 130 F / 50 - 55 C, and become tender with long, slow cooking.
Very quickly, the squid will turn an opaque, brilliant white which means that it is cooked. As squid is prized for its distinctive texture and delicate taste, chefs have started sneaking it in more and more recipes.
The most common (and accepted) explanation is that calamari (which means "squid" in Italian) is simply the culinary name of dishes containing squid. "That's exactly right," says Blair Halpern of Fortune Fish & Gourmet. "It's no more complicated than that."
What's the Best Oil to Fry Calamari In? Any high-smoke-point oil — like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil — will work for frying calamari. I recommend an oil with a very mild flavor so that the delicate calamari flavor shines through.
Squid is known to be a seafood rich in potassium. Potassium is a mineral involved in supporting heart rhythm balance. Squid also comes with another heart-healthy agent, vitamin E. Vitamin E helps protect the heart because it strengthens the protection of cells and makes them less susceptible to damage.
You can fry any of them, if you cut the bigger ones into smaller pieces. Battered and deep fried squid rings are served as Calamari, all over the world. You can also simmer any of them. I would suggest that you avoid boiling too much, as it will make the meat tough.
There's no need to boil the calamari before frying, this will make it tough. Set up a dredging station with the whisked eggs in one shallow bowl, and the whisked flour mixture in another. Cover the squid rings in the whisked eggs, then cover with flour. Fry in oil over medium heat until golden and cooked through.
I also soak my calamari in a water, baking soda, and salt bath for 15 minutes before frying to help ensure a more tender texture. Some people prefer to soak in milk as the lactic acid helps to tenderize the calamari. If you choose to do this, use enough milk to cover the calamari. This will also yield a thicker batter.
Tenderizing calamari in a mixture of milk and salt is a common recommendation for fried calamari. This is not needed in this calamari saute recipe. The calamari will be tender, as long as you don't overcook it. Calamari should be cooked for 2 minutes or one hour – anything in between will produce tough results.
Introduction: My name is Rueben Jacobs, I am a cooperative, beautiful, kind, comfortable, glamorous, open, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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