If you have some tasty, crunchy fried calamari sitting in the fridge, the last thing you want to do is let it go to waste! But how do you reheat it? Can you even reheat it? Well, we have the answers below!
Luckily, it’s simple and quick to reheat fried calamari, and there are quite a few ways you can do this. But first, let’s ask a couple of pressing questions.
Is It Possible To Reheat Calamari?
Yes, you can definitely reheat fried calamari, although it is recommended to be eaten hot and fresh. However, if you’ve cooked/ordered too much calamari and have some leftovers, you can certainly reheat them the following day.
Is It Okay To Eat Cold Calamari?
Yes, it is! There is no reason why you can’t just grab calamari and eat it cold, straight from the fridge. However, to get the best flavor, it is recommended to reheat calamari, as this is how you enjoyed it in the first place!
Fried calamari is safe to eat cold the next day, but if you leave it in the fridge for more than two days then you will need to throw it out. Like other seafood, calamari can contain bacteria and toxins that can make you seriously ill if you wait too long to eat the leftovers.
Air Fryer
For those who have an air fryer, we definitely recommend using it to reheat your fried calamari! However, because putting fried calamari in the air fryer means cooking it a second time you need to be extra careful and mindful to make sure the calamari doesn’t burn or become overcooked.
Step 1: Preheat the fryer to 350 degrees.
Step 2: Evenly place the calamari in the basket.
Step 3: Cook the calamari for 3–5 minutes, making sure to occasionally check.
Step 4: Take out of the fryer and serve straight away.
Microwave
The microwave is a tried and true option for reheating food, although it is the option we recommend the least. It’s hard to keep the texture and taste of fried calamari when you reheat it in the microwave, but it’s a suitable solution if you need to reheat fried calamari quickly.
Step 1: Put the calamari in a microwave-safe container or on a microwave-safe plate.
Step 2: Cover the container or plate with a damp paper towel, ensuring the texture doesn’t change drastically.
Step 3: Turn your microwave to medium power.
Step 4: Heat the calamari every 20 seconds until heated all the way through.
Oven
This is one of the best ways to reheat fried calamari, and also one of the simplest. It’s easy, quick, and also one of the most accessible methods. It won’t make a drastic change to the texture of the calamari, but you may find that the calamari is slightly chewier.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Step 2: Put your calamari on a baking sheet.
Step 3: Cook the calamari for 7 minutes, and turn them halfway through.
Step 4: Take them out of the oven and serve straight away.
Skillet
Reheating fried calamari on a skillet is a quick method with minimal prep. You just need some oil or butter. This method also gives you total control of how much the calamari gets reheated. Make sure to carefully monitor the temperature, and turn them halfway through.
Step 1: Use a heavier skillet such as a cast iron one.
Step 2: Heat the skillet on high until it’s totally hot.
Step 3: Lower the heat to medium.
Step 4: Add oil to the skillet and wait for it to heat up.
Step 5: Fry the calamari in oil until it’s heated all the way through, turning over once or twice.
Step 6: Take the skillet off the heat and serve the calamari straight away.
How To Make Sure Calamari Stays Crispy?
To make sure your fried calamari stays as crispy as possible when reheating, we recommend avoiding reheating in the microwave.
Just like other foods, reheating calamari in the microwave will make it taste stale and the texture soggy. For the best results, we recommend reheating fried calamari in an oven or air fryer.
How To Properly Store Calamari?
Before you put calamari in the freezer or fridge, make sure it is at room temperature, this will reduce the chances of it spoiling. If you want to reheat your calamari later, put it in the fridge in an appropriate container with a lid.
However, you can safely reheat and eat fried calamari over the next two days with no problems. If you would like to freeze calamari, lightly toss it in some olive oil and put the calamari in a zip lock bag or appropriate container.
To reheat frozen calamari, ensure it’s defrosted overnight in the fridge.
Final Thoughts
While all the methods we mentioned have their benefits, we believe the best method of reheating fried calamari is in the oven, as this is the best way to maintain the calamari’s texture and taste.
We hope our article has given you all the information you need on how to store and reheat leftover fried calamari so nothing is left to waste!
Have you ever made something so delicious that you wished you could savor it forever?
Only to find that the recipe has now mysteriously vanished from your phone and the entirety of the internet. Yep, there’s not much more painful than that.
Hi, my name is Mark Williams and I have been infatuated with cooking since I was young. I would beg my mother to pull a chair up to the counter so I could watch what she was doing.
