14 Best Squid Recipes

Squid is the most common seafood in any ocean worldwide, and the cheapest one. It is popular in most cuisines and often served as a starter, street food, or bar snack.

There are so many delicious squid recipes you can try at home for dinner lunch or appetizers.

Cooking squid dishes is easy and quick. You can choose to buy it portioned or as a whole.

Whether you love your squid food fried, barbecued, or braised, our top 14 recipes will help you get the most from this unique seafood.

1. Parsley and Garlic Seared Baby Squid

Are you craving a classic French calamari dish? Enjoy the beautiful and delicious parsley and garlic-seared baby squid.

This recipe requires a few ingredients like fresh squid, garlic, and parsley. The secret ingredient is fleur de sel to finish.

It is quick to make this recipe, and you only require a few additions to make it flavorful.

Serve the squids on their own or serve on a salad with a few crusty bread slices.

2. Stuffed Squid Sicilian-Style

You can roast, grill, fry, or braise squid the way you like it. The Sicilian-style stuffed squid is easy to make and undeniably delicious.

In this recipe, whole squids are stuffed before roasting. They include bread crump filling with ingredients like chard, pine nuts, fennel, pecorino, and anchovy.

The combination of these ingredients makes the stuffed squids so delicious.

I don’t think I have ever taken squid with this kind of heavenly flavor!

3. Salt and Pepper Squid

Try the salt and pepper squid recipe, and I’m sure it will be one of your favorite appetizers.

It looks like fried calamari but tossed in a mixture of ginger, hot pepper, and crunchy stir-fried garlic.

It is crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the addition of garlic and ginger makes it flavorful. Serve it just like fried calamari.

4. Grilled Squid (Calamari)

Achieve flavorful grilled squid in this simple recipe. Flavour the squid with olive oil, and lemon juice, and then grill it quickly to your ideal perfection.

This classic Mediterranean dish is easy to cook without a mess. The secret to achieving the best results is exposing the squid to high heat enough to brown it without overcooking.

You can as well slow cook your squid to get the right tenderness. Anything between these two will end up with a rubbery mess.

5. Easy Fried Calamari

Fried calamari is one of my favorite appetizers. It is simple to prepare and it tastes absolutely delicious. Try this fried calamari recipe, and you will love it.

Coat the squid in batter and deep fry it quickly until golden brown. Serve hot with a splash of citrus and your favorite dips.

To achieve a light, tender, and golden brown crust, do not cut too thin rings. Also, soak the rings in salted milk for about 30 minutes and refrigerate before cooking.

Coat your rings with a mixture of baking powder, cornstarch, and flour for crispy fried calamari.

6. Spicy stir-fried squid

If you are a seafood lover, spicy stir-fried squid is one of the best squid recipes you can make at home.

You can serve this delicious and healthy recipe as a side dish or main dish.

The recipe is not only easy to make but also delicious. After making it once, you will probably try making it several times.

Depending on how spicy you like it, use more or just a few hot pepper flakes. Serve it over rice for a delicious and colorful dinner.

7. Spicy Thai Basil Squid

Do you need easy squid recipes for busy weeknight dinners? The spicy Thai basil squid is a must-try. It is easy to make and ready in half an hour.

The combination of garlic, shallots, Thai chilli peppers, fish sauce, brown sugar, and Thai basil leaves provides delicious flavors.

The secret to this recipe is to avoid overcooking any of the ingredients. brown everything in the skillet, cook for a short time and serve over white rice.

8. Simmered squid

Enjoy succulent squid simmered in tomatoes, red wine, fennel, and rosemary. The dish is enhanced with herbs that give it a nice flavor.

The key to this simmered dish is to avoid overcooking because the squid can get rubbery or hard. You can serve the dish as a tapa or take it with rice or potatoes.

9. Spanish Calamari Rice

Are you looking for simple squid recipes for a side dish or first course? The Spanish calamari rice is worth trying, and it might become your family’s favorite.

The calamari recipe is easy to prepare especially if you love seafood and Spanish cuisines. The combination of rice and squid gives the dish a nice seafood flavor you find in many Spanish foods.

Serve this dish if you need a lighter main course dinner. It pairs well with any type of rice even black rice.

10. Squid and Potato Stew

Having versatile recipes at hand is great, and this recipe is not an exception. The delicious squid and potatoes stew comes in handy for hearty Spanish lunch. This is a classic Spanish dish worth trying!

At first, I was skeptical about making this recipe because I didn’t find it comforting, but I fell in love after preparing the recipe many times.

The combination of ingredients in this recipe gives it bold flavors. I like to serve it with toasted bread, and everyone in our family loves it.

11. Sri Lankan Style Squid Curry

If you have not tried Sri Lankan-style squid curry, this is delicious seafood, you wouldn’t want to miss! It is easy to make at home with only a few ingredients.

The recipe includes squid cooked in coconut milk and curry powders that give the seafood a lovely flavor.

You don’t need a side dish because the one-pot seafood meal is complete on its own.

Many people in Sri Lanka make this spicy cuttlefish recipe for lunch, but I love it for dinner too. If you are fond of curry squid dishes, give this recipe a try.

12. Salt and Pepper Squid

The salt and pepper squid is a classic Cantonese delicacy anyone can enjoy. Tender squids are coated with perfectly seasoned batter and fried until crunchy and golden brown.

They are then tossed with spices and aromatics, making them one of the most delightful squid dishes you can take.

You can serve it over steamed rice for either lunch or dinner. It also makes a nice party appetizer for your guests.

13. Calamari on Pasta

Pamper your seafood craving with this delicious calamari on pasta. The low-fat pasta dish makes a perfect first course for quick weeknight dinners.

This classic Italian dish is not only is it tasty but also colorful. Additionally, you don’t need any accompaniment to this dish.

You can prepare this simple dish in less time at home and let your family enjoy mouthwatering delicacies.

14. Calamari Stewed with Tomatoes

Calamari Stewed with Tomatoes recipes are a must-try if you love Southern Italian dishes.

Calamari is stewed with tomatoes and slow-cooked with red wine, garlic, fennel, tomato sauce, and parsley.

The combination of these ingredients makes it aromatic, and your family will be craving this seafood over and over.

The recipe is easy to make, and you can season it to your liking.

It is delicious enough as a main dish or an appetizer. I love serving it with crusty bread but you can also serve it with short kinds of pasta like bowties, penne, and fusilli.