Crispy Calamari Tacos

These Squid tacos are crispy crunchy with a slightly salty, peppery and lime notes.
It’s a seafood taco with tangy creamy slaw wrapped in a lightly charred mini
soft taco

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Servings mini tacos

Calories 310kcal

Author Kim

Ingredients

1 pound (½ kilfresh or frozen calamari or squid tubes
½ cup All purpose flour
½ cup Cornflour or Cornstarch
2 tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon Garlic salt or sea salt
1 teaspoon Black pepper
1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
2 eggs

Slaw

1 cup shredded Wombok Cabbage
1 medium Red Capsicum/Pepper chopped into thin matchsticks
1 medium Green Capsicum/Pepper chopped into thin matchsticks
½ Red/Spanish onion thinly sliced

Dressing

⅓ cup Whole Egg Mayonaise
1 tablespoon Srirarcha for mild (1 ½ tablespoons for medium)
1 tablespoon Lime juice
½ teaspoon Finely grated ginger
1 Crushed garlic glove

Other

½ cup Coconut oil
10 Small Soft Tacos
Corriander/cilantro

Instructions

Make the Slaw First: chop all 4 ingredients and place into a mixing bowl
Make the Dressing next: Add the dressing ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk together until combined. Add one tablespoon of dressing to the slaw and mix in.
Heat the Oil: Place a medium sized pan with sides onto the stove. Add the oil and set to medium high heat.
Prepare the Calamari: Cut the calamari tubes into 1cm strips so that you end up with rounds.
In a new mixing bowl, place the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, dried parsley and panko breadcrumbs. Mix together with a spoon.
Crack the 2 eggs into another bowl and whisk with a fork until mixed together and runny.
Add the squid tubes to the egg wash, then take out one by one and place into the flour/crumb mix. Shake off excess and set aside on a plate. Repeat until all calamari have been dipped into egg wash first and then flour/crumb mix.
Shallow fry the calamari in batches for approx. 2 mins each or until golden. It will cook very quickly, and if overcooked it will become rubbery and tough.
Drain calamari on absorbent towel to remove any excess oil.
1Prepare Soft Tacos: Heat a new (cleapan on the stove top on high heat. Add the soft tacos one by one to heat and get a little colour on. (Alternatively if you have a grill pan that works great too). Repeat until all tacos are done. Wrap in a tea towel or foil until needed.
1Assemble Taco: Place taco in one hand and spoon a little sauce on bottom, followed by slaw, calamari, more sauce , a drizzle of lime and coriander/cilantro.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 taco.
Make sure the oil is hot before adding the calamari. How to check? Add a little piece of panko and see if the oil sizzles. If it does, then it’s ready. If the calamari is added to oil that has not yet heated it will absorb much more of the oil during the cooking process and will not crisp up as well.
Before putting the tacos together, dry fry them before hand so they’re not rubbery. I like to use a griddle pan (no oil) to get a little char on them. Alternatively you could just heat a pan on high and heat each taco one at a time until a little bit of colour appears.
I would avoid microwaving the soft tacos as it tends to make them softer and kind of squishy. Dry frying them is the way to go.
How to know if the calamari is cooked? The best way is to test a piece of calamari that has been cooked as part of your first batch. Let it cool for a few minutes and then cut a piece off and look at the white flesh.
- It should be bright white with no sign of translucency.
- It should be soft but not squishy between your fingers
- The crumbs should be golden
- If it looks or feels rubbery, it’s overcooked

Nutrition