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    Crumb-Snatched » Appetizers

    Published: Mar 24, 2021 · Modified: Nov 4, 2022 by Crystal DaCruz This post may contain affiliate links.

    Portuguese Style Fried Calamari Recipe – Lulas Fritas

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    ‘Lulas fritas’ (Portuguese for ‘fried calamari’) are deliciously seasoned, perfectly crispy, and served with banana peppers, sliced black olives, fresh lemon and cilantro. The dipping sauce is a combination of butter and hot sauce, and adds the perfect kick to this delicious fried calamari recipe.

    Portuguese style fried calamari (lulas fritas) on a white plate, garnished with fresh lemon, cilantro, banana peppers, olives and hot sauce

    This fried calamari recipe is inspired by the ‘Lulas Fritas’ recipe at Riviera Restaurant in East Providence, Rhode Island. This Portuguese style fried calamari is a little bit of a departure from the typical Italian-style of fried calamari that Rhode Island is famous for. What I love about Riviera’s lulas fritas is the crispy, non-greasy texture and the seasoned coating. The olives and banana peppers also add a nice touch!

    What kind of squid should I use?

    For this fried calamari recipe, I keep it very simple and buy frozen squid rings. They’re conveniently located in the frozen seafood section at my local supermarket. Yes I live in New England, but have absolutely zero qualms about using frozen squid rings.

    By all means, please don’t let my pursuit of convenience stop you from cleaning and slicing a fresh squid! If that’s what you want to do then go for it! A quick search on Youtube will show you how to properly get the job done.

    close up photo of cleaned squid rings with cornstarch container and bowl of flour in the background

    Should I tenderize the squid rings?

    Some people swear by tenderizing squid. My belief is that you shouldn’t have to. I’ve tried 2 methods of tenderizing squid: 1. soaking it in buttermilk and 2. coating it baking powder. I didn’t care for either method. The baking soda left a metallic taste and the flour coating didn’t stick well when I used buttermilk.

    You have to realize that calamari is chewy, it just is. When I hear people complain about the texture, it makes me wonder if perhaps calamari just isn’t their thing. With that said there is a difference between rubbery and chewy.

    Rubberiness is often caused by over-cooking. Calamari should not be fried for more than a minute or two. As long as you don’t overcook it, you should have no issues with texture.

    Recipe ingredients – Portuguese style fried calamari

    • 1 pound of frozen calamari rings, defrosted
    • ¾ cups of all-purpose flour
    • ¾ cups of cornstarch
    • 4 teaspoons of paprika
    • 2 teaspoons of kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoons of onion powder
    • 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
    • 1 packet of sazón con azafran (sazón is optional, but if you opt to use it get the one with saffron – yellow box)
    • 2 eggs
    • 5 cups of canola or peanut oil
    overhead photo of ingredients for Portuguese fried calamari (lulas fritas)

    Sauce ingredients and garnishes:

    • 2 tablespoons of salted or unsalted butter
    • ⅔ cup of louisiana-style hot sauce
    • 2 tablespoons of vinho verde (Portuguese white wine), or any non-sweet white wine
    • a few drops of fresh lemon juice
    • banana peppers, sliced black olives, cilantro and a few lemon wedges for garnishing
    overhead photo of ingredients used to make hot dipping sauce for Portuguese fried calamari (lulas fritas)

    Tips and tricks for the crispiest fried calamari:

    • Use high-quality frying oil with a high smoke point – canola and peanut oil are great choices.
    • Make sure the oil is HOT and keep it hot! Heat the oil to 425°F and use a thermometer to measure the temperature. If you guess on the temperature, you’ll probably end up with soggy calamari. Keep the flame high throughout the entire process and make sure that the temperature doesn’t drop below 400°F.
    • Fry the calamari in small batches. This is important because the more calamari you add to the pan, the more the temperature will drop. If you notice that the temperature drops, bring it back up again before adding your next batch of calamari.
    • Use a metal cooling rack to drain the calamari. I find that placing the calamari right directly on paper towels creates sogginess.
    • Work quickly! Not to stress you out, but the longer the calamari sits before serving, the soggier it will become. Make sure to serve the calamari right away.
    • Using a deep-fryer yields the best results because you can cook more at once and maintain a steady temperature.
    • You can always stick the calamari in a hot oven right before serving, to crisp them up. 400 degrees should do the trick.

    To be quite clear, I have zero insight into how Riviera Restaurant breads or seasons their calamari. This adapted fried calamari recipe relies completely on my tastebuds, intuition and a lot of trial and error! In fact, I almost ditched this effort completely because of how soggy my first few attempts were! The tips and tricks above work!

    Step-by-step directions

    Step 1: Make the sauce ahead of time

    Melt the butter in a very small saucepan and slowly add the white wine and a few drops of fresh-squeezed lemon. Let the alcohol cook off for about 1-2 minutes and then whisk in the hot sauce. As soon as the hot sauce starts to simmer, turn the flame off from under the pan.

    Set the hot sauce aside until the calamari is ready to be served. You can re-heat the sauce slightly before serving, but don’t overcook it or the ingredients will separate.

    Step 2: Rinse and drain the squid rings

    Rinse the squid rings, drain, and set them aside until you’re ready to use them. There’s no need to pat dry if you drain the rings properly.

    Step 3: Pre-heat the oil

    Preheat the oil to 425°F in a deep pan or dutch oven. Make sure to use a kitchen thermometer to get the oil to the correct temperature. This step takes a while so you can proceed to the next steps while the oil comes to temperature.

    Steps 4 and 5: Prepare the coating and egg wash

    In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and sazón. Set the seasoned flour mixture aside.

    In a separate small bowl, create an egg wash by beating the eggs.

    Overhead photo of squid rings, egg wash and dredging flour

    Step 6: Bread the calamari

    One by one, dip each of the squid rings into the egg wash, and then into the seasoned flour. Set the dredged squid rings on a plate (space them apart and don’t set them on top of each other). You may need to use 2 plates so you have enough room.

    Plate of calamari rings dredged in flour

    Step 7: Fry the calamari in small batches

    Once the oil reaches 425°F you’ll want to work in batches of about 5-6 rings at at a time.  Give the squid rings another coating of flour (don’t dip them in egg again!) Shake them off gently and drop them in oil for about 1 minute or until golden in color.

    Make sure to keep the flame on high at all times and monitor the oil so it doesn’t drop below 400°F. Maintaining a hot oil temperature is what keeps the calamari from getting greasy and soggy.

    Step 8: Drain the calamari

    Transfer the fried calamari to a metal cooling rack to drain the oil. Make sure to drain the calamari in a single layer. Don’t pile the rings on top of each other, as this will cause them to get soggy. If you want to keep the calamari in a warm oven while you finish the other batches, that’ll help prevent it from getting cold.

    A cooling rack is highly recommended to keep the breading crispy. Placing the calamari directly on paper towels may cause it to become soggy.

    Fried calamari rings (lulas fritas) on a metal cooling rack

    Step 9: Garnish and serve!

    Arrange the fried calamari rings on a plate or serving platter. Garnish with fresh cilantro, and a few lemon wedges. Serve the hot sauce, banana peppers and sliced olives on the side.

    Portuguese style fried calamari (lulas fritas) on a white plate, garnished with fresh lemon, cilantro, banana peppers, olives and hot sauce

    Check out my other seafood recipes!

    Easy Baltimore Style Crab Cakes Recipe

    Bacalhau e Grão de Bico (Cape Verdean Salted Cod with Chickpeas)

    Cape Verdean Rice with Tuna (Arroz de Atum)

    Portuguese style fried calamari (lulas fritas) on a white plate, garnished with fresh lemon, cilantro, banana peppers, olives and hot sauce

    Portuguese Style Fried Calamari Recipe - Lulas Fritas

    Crystal DaCruz
    These 'lulas fritas' (Portuguese-style fried calamari) are deliciously seasoned, perfectly crispy, and served with banana peppers, sliced black olives, fresh lemon and cilantro. The dipping sauce is a combination of butter and hot sauce, and adds the perfect kick to this delicious fried calamari recipe.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 55 mins
    Course Appetizers and sides
    Cuisine Portuguese
    Servings 2 servings

    Ingredients
      

    Calamari:

    • 1 pound frozen calamari rings defrosted
    • ¾ cups all-purpose flour
    • ¾ cups cornstarch
    • 4 teaspoons paprika
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoons onion powder
    • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 packet sazon con azafran optional
    • 2 eggs
    • 5 cups canola or peanut oil

    Sauce:

    • 2 tablespoons salted butter
    • ⅔ cup hot sauce
    • 2 tablespoons vinho verde or any non-sweet white wine
    • a few drops of fresh lemon juice

    Instructions
     

    • Make the sauce by melting the butter in a very small saucepan and slowly adding the white wine and a few drops of lemon juice. Let the alcohol from the wine cook off for about 1-2 minutes and then whisk in the hot sauce. As soon as the hot sauce starts to simmer, turn the flame off from under the pan.
    • Rinse the squid rings and drain them. Set aside until you're ready to use them. No need to pat dry. 
    • In a deep skillet or dutch oven, heat the oil over a high flame. You'll want the oil to reach 425°F, which will take a while, so proceed to the next step while the oil is heating.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and sazon.
    • In a separate small bowl, create an egg wash by beating the eggs. Set them aside.
    • One by one, dip each of the squid rings into the egg wash, and then into the flour. Set the dredged squid rings on a plate (space them apart and don't set them on top of each other). You may need to use 2 large plates to fit them all.
    • Once the oil reaches 425°F, you'll want to work in small batches of about 5-6 rings at at a time.  Give the squid rings another coating of flour (don't dip them in egg again!) Shake them off gently, drop them in the oil and fry them for 1 minute or until they turn golden-orange in color.
    • Transfer the fried calamari to a metal cooling rack to drain the oil. Make sure to drain the calamari in a single layer.  aDon't pile the rings on top of each other!
    • Once you've fried all of the calamari, arrange them on a plate or serving platter and garnish with fresh cilantro, lemon wedges, sliced olives and banana peppers. Serve the sauce on the side.
    Tried this Recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Recipe Rating
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    415 shares

    About Crystal DaCruz

    Crystal DaCruz is the recipe developer, writer and food photographer behind Crumb-Snatched. Since 2019 she's been sharing recipes from Cape Verde and other cultures with a shared Portuguese language or similar cuisines.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tamara says

      April 01, 2021 at 12:50 am

      5 stars
      We love ordering fried calamari when we eat out. This recipe was ten times better than anything we’ve ever had! It was simple to follow, and super delicious.

       
      Reply
      • Robin says

        April 05, 2021 at 2:43 am

        5 stars
        I love learning about the native Cape Verdean food! Your butter and hot sauce mixture is now a household favorite!

         
        Reply
        • Crystal says

          April 05, 2021 at 9:55 am

          Hey Robin, funny enough this is a Portuguese dish from one of my favorite restaurants in the US. I’m curious to think of how my grandmother would like this non CV-dish. I’ll have to make her some now!

           
          Reply
      • Crystal says

        April 05, 2021 at 9:52 am

        Hi Tamara, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment!

         
        Reply
    2. Marta says

      April 01, 2021 at 11:55 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for addressing the nature of calamari. I get so annoyed when people complain about calamari being chewy. These lulas fritas were everything a great calamari should be!

       
      Reply
      • Crystal says

        April 05, 2021 at 9:56 am

        Why thank you Marta!

         
        Reply
    3. Jessica Lawson says

      April 05, 2021 at 11:29 am

      5 stars
      The breading on these came out so light and crispy! I also love the combination of banana peppers and olives with the spicy, buttery sauce. So many flavors and textures going on here. The cook time on the calamari was perfect. Not tough and rubbery.

       
      Reply
      • Kaluhi says

        April 07, 2021 at 9:09 am

        5 stars
        The calamari was perfect bouncy and delicious! The coating added huuuuuge flavor and this recipe was a perfect walk through! Shared the recipe with my sisters for them to try but when next we can gather, I’ll make this again!

         
        Reply
    4. Capri says

      April 06, 2021 at 12:59 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve always wanted to make calamari at home! I am so happy I found this recipe! Thanks to your recipe, my calamari turned out better than even the best restaurants!

       
      Reply
    5. Calysta Watson says

      April 06, 2021 at 11:43 pm

      5 stars
      This has to be some of the BEST fried calmari I’ve ever had— and to think I got to make it at home and did not get it from a restaurant! Win-win!

       
      Reply
    6. Chenée says

      April 07, 2021 at 12:39 am

      5 stars
      So glad I found this recipe! I’ve always wanted to try fried calamari at home. They came out perfectly, and the sauce on the side was amazing!

       
      Reply
    7. Jazz says

      April 07, 2021 at 10:24 am

      5 stars
      Followed your recipe to the letter and the calamari texture came out perfect. The sauce was the best I’ve had with calamari and I wish I could find it in restaurants, too. All the more reason for me to keep making it at home with your method!

       
      Reply

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    Hello, I'm Crystal!

    I’m bringing Cape Verdean comfort food to the table! This is where I share easy-to-follow recipes from Cape Verde and cultures with similar cuisines!

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