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    Home » Recipes » Dinners

    Oven Baked Calamari Rings

    Published: Feb 5, 2016 · Updated: May 10, 2018 by Natalie · 27 Comments

    Crispy Oven Baked Calamari Rings prepared without added fat. Easy, simple and healthy meal for the whole family.

    Oven crispy baked calamari squid rings

    Lately, I'm super crazy about frying food in the oven. Few months ago I didn't think that's possible, and I just found out you can actually fry fish in the oven. Well, imagine my surprise when I manage to fry calamari rings that tastes absolutely delicious - like real fried ones, but without excess grease. Heureka!! 

    Well, my husband was even more surprised when I served him this healthy crispy calamari rings. While I love all kinds of seafood, that's not the case with my husband. He loves only a few types of fish - to be more precisely, he loves ONLY trout, hake and fried calamari. When we switched to eating healthy food, his favorite fried calamari was kinda forbidden food, due to high unhealthy fat content. I often caught him watching with melancholy in his eyes that big superstore freezer, looking at calamari and recalling in his mind the taste of that greasy rings. Now you can imagine his excitement when I told him that I have found the way to prepare him a healthy fried calamari rings. And I surprised him real good, yes I did. Pleasantly I must add. 

    To be honest, I work for quite some time on this Oven Baked Calamari Rings. I tried out few baking combination and I experimented a lot with different spices in frying mixture. In the end, I drop all that and decide to publish this quite simple recipe because this is the point of fried calamari dish - it supposed to be quick and easy. Right? And today we are adding one more attribute - a HEALTHY too!

    Oven Baked Calamari Rings-4518-2

    If you didn't know, calamari (Italian for squid) are an excellent source of easily digestible protein (32% of RDA per 100 g), and contain a significant amounts of vitamins and minerals: vitamin B12, riboflavin, niacin, selenium, phosphorus, zinc. Thanks to its low-fat content and a relatively high protein content, calamari is very nutritious food that will satisfy your hunger without excess calories. That is of course if you do not fry calamari in oil. Then it's turned into a fatty calorie bomb. 

    Oven Baked Calamari Rings-4504-2

    For the frying mixture - although today we are not going to fry anything, I used whole wheat breadcrumbs in which I added a bit of dry polenta (corn grits or stone-ground cornmeal). Polenta gave calamari a really special crispness, and mild sweet flavour. You can also add other spices like garlic powder, sweet paprika, onion powder if you desire. Before I threw cleaned and thoroughly washed calamari rings into a mixture, I sprinkled them with extra virgin olive oil. Then I placed coated calamari rings on a baking sheet and put in the oven. In less than a 20 minutes, perfectly crunchy and healthy Oven Baked Calamari Rings were ready for serving. There were no splashes of oil around the stove (I hated that!!!), no burned fingers, there was no unpleasant fishy smell all over the kitchen. While I prepared a salad and set the dining table, calamari rings were baked. Just perfect, isn't ?! 

    I served Oven Baked Calamari Rings with potatoes, but honestly, I think calamari is best served only with some greens and a drop or two of fresh lemon juice. That's how we eat fish here in Mediterranean country - Croatia ;)

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    Crispy oven baked calamari rings prepared without added fat. Easy, simple and super healthy meal for the whole family. CLICK to read more, or PIN for later!

    Crispy oven baked calamari rings prepared without added fat. Easy, simple and super healthy meal for the whole family. CLICK to read more, or PIN for later!

    Oven baked calamari rings

    By Natalie
    Crispy and delicious oven baked calamari rings prepared without added fat. Easy, simple and healthy meal for the whole family.
    3.7 from 99 votes
    Print Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Lunch
    Servings 2

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 lbs (400g) calamari rings
    • ½ cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
    • ½ cup polenta (corn grits or stone-ground cornmeal)
    • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • pinch of salt
    • garlic powder (to taste, if desired)

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
    • Wash calamari rings thoroughly and dry excess liquid. Transfer in a large bowl and add olive oil. Stir well.
    • In a separate bowl, mix breadcrumbs and polenta. Add garlic powder if desired.
    • Dip the calamari rings into the mix. Place on the baking tray covered with parchment paper.
    • Bake for 15-20 minutes, until nicely golden.
    • Serve straight away with few drops of lemon juice.
    Tried this recipe?Don’t forget to rate it and leave the comment. I would love to hear what you think.
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but I have endeavored to be as accurate as possible.

    So, how do you like the idea of healthy fried calamari?  Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

    Love,

    NH-signature

    Did you like this recipe? Are you interested in a healthy lifestyle? Then subscribe to my list and get new blog posts delivered straight to your inbox. 

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    Crispy Oven Baked Calamari Rings prepared without added fat. Easy, simple and healthy seafood meal for the whole family. CLICK to read the recipe or PIN for later! #seafood #holiday #healthy #easy

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    About Natalie

    Natalie Knezic is a writer, recipe developer, and creator of Natalie's Health. She's also a certified nutrition coach and weight loss specialist. She actively coaches, creates recipes and writes about a healthy lifestyle. Her recipes and articles have been featured in many popular media outlets, like Shape, Greatist, Pure Wow, Mashed, The Huffington Post, ELLE Magazine, and many more.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. j zimrin says

      March 24, 2020 at 3:14 am

      delicious, great idea

      Reply
    2. claire says

      October 14, 2019 at 4:25 am

      Have you tried half the oil- did it work ok or is this the better amount for good results?
      Also have you done it with just bread crumbs and no polenta? is it ok?

      Reply
      • Natalie says

        October 14, 2019 at 7:53 pm

        You can definitely use only bread crumbs. That will work perfect too.

    3. Lisa says

      December 22, 2018 at 8:23 pm

      My question is do the break crumbs/polenta mix stick well to the calamari with only olive oil as a coating? Before breading the calamari, it helps to dip or coat the calamari in an egg wash (a simple scrambled egg or two depending on how many calamari is being prepared with a dap a water).

      Reply
      • Natalie says

        December 23, 2018 at 12:58 pm

        Yes, the mixture will stick to the calamari rings if you only coat them with a little oil. You can use egg wash, no problem. Then the crumb coating will be thicker and more crunchy after the baking. It's equally delicious both ways. I use oil because it's just easier - less mess ;)

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    Hi, I’m Natalie, a writer, recipe developer, and certified nutrition coach. I love creating recipes that taste delicious using wholesome ingredients that contribute to our health. On my blog, you'll find many such recipes and tips on how to live a healthier, happier life. I'm so glad you are here! Find out more about me.

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