Air Fryer Calamari

3.75 from 16 votes

The best Air Fryer Calamari with a crispy, crunchy, seasoned batter and tender, perfectly cooked squid inside!

Prep Time10

Cook Time16

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Air Fryer Calamari

Servings:

Calories: 277kcal

Author: Kelly Anthony

2 large eggs
⅓ cup buttermilk
2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoon paprika
¾ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon onion powder
1 pound squid, sliced into ¼" rings and tentacles cut into bite-sized pieces
Nonstick cooking spray (Avocado, canola, or vegetable oil preferably in an aerosol can), about 2 tablespoons

Preheat the air fryer to 400° for 5-10 minutes.
In a medium-sized bowl, deep-dish pie plate, or baking dish, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk and set aside.
In a large gallon-sized, ziptop bag, add the all-purpose flour, salt, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, and onion powder. Seal and shake until well-combined.
Add the rings and tentacles to the egg mixture and toss until evenly coated. Shake off any excess and transfer half of the calamari to the ziptop bag with flour. Shake and until coated in the flour mixture, and before removing, shake any excess flour off and back into the bag. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet or a large work surface.
Spray generously with cooking oil, turn, and spray again. Make sure not to leave any "dry spots" on the flour coating. You want the calamari to be somewhat wet-looking.
Transfer to the preheated air fryer basket and cook for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket every 3 minutes or so.
Turn out cooked calamari on a serving platter and repeat once more with the remaining squid.