How To Reheat Fried Calamari – The 4 Best Ways

Fried calamari is a really popular restaurant item, and ending up with leftovers is a really common scenario, but many people throw them out because they don’t know which is the best way to reheat them.

What’s the best way to reheat fried calamari? The best way to reheat fried calamari is to use the oven, otherwise, if you want to be sure to preserve the flavors and crispiness your best bet is to use an air-frier.

There’s a common trick for all these methods: you need to reheat your fried calamari just long enough for it to feel fresh and crispy on the outside and nice and warm on the inside!

The Best Ways To Reheat Fried Calamari

The first thing to keep in mind is that it’s always better to eat fried food fresh, in fact, even the best methods won’t give you the exact same flavor as freshly fried goods.

If you want to reheat fried calamari leftovers, you need to make sure they retain as much as possible their fried texture and particular flavor, to avoid ending up with rubbery, stale, or soggy calamari.

It’s also imperative to keep in mind that shellfish and fish, in general, are delicate ingredients that can harbor many pathogens or toxins that could make you sick. It’s always better to consume leftovers that include seafood within 3 days.

To make sure you’re keeping foods out of the danger zone, be sure to refrigerate or freeze your fried calamari leftovers within 2 or 3 hours.

Keep in mind that certain kinds of seafood are more susceptible to be overcooked than others, and that calamari is one of them. This means you’ll have to be super careful when reheating because heating them even a minute or two longer means you’ll end up eating a rubbery dish.

The problem is that fried calamari has already been cooked to perfection, and cooking it a second time will do nothing good. The best thing to do is to just warm them up.

Another thing you could do is to re-deep-fry your calamari so that you won’t lose the original crispy texture. But you need to have a bit of time on hand, and you also have to be extra careful avoiding unwanted heat.

There are a few different methods you can use to reheat deep-fried calamari, and choosing the best one depends mostly on what kitchen appliances you have on hand. All the methods we’ve listed work pretty well, so the final decision is completely up to you.

We have prepared a handy guide to help you choose the best method to get the perfect consistency and texture when you reheat your leftover fried calamari.

How to reheat fried calamari in the oven

One of the easiest and simplest methods to reheat fried calamari is using the oven: it’s fast and easy, you just have to preheat your oven, spread your calamari on a baking pan and bake them for a few minutes.

Keep in mind that they might end up being a little chewier than the first time, but they’ll still be good enough and definitely worth eating.

Once you’ve reheated your fried calamari in the oven, make sure you’re eating them within the next two hours or they will end up becoming soggy. Seafood is best served right after cooking, especially when it’s fried, so don’t leave it out to cool down at room temperature.

When using an oven you two options when it comes to reheating: you can reheat at a higher temperature (375° Fahrenheit) for around 7 minutes, or at a lower temperature (around 350° Fahrenheit) for around 10 minutes. 

A really useful tip is to flip over your calamari halfway through reheating, to make sure they’re warm-up evenly on both sides.

You could also use a meat thermometer to check the temperature and ensure they are evenly reheated.

Here are the steps to reheat fried calamari in an oven:

1. Preheat your oven at 375° Fahrenheit or at 350° Fahrenheit.
2. Lay your fried calamari leftovers on a baking pan or baking sheet, making sure they’re not overlapping.
3. Place the pan inside the oven and reheat them.
4. Pull the pan out of the oven when you’re halfway through reheating.
5. Turn over the fried calamari.
6. Optional: use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.
7. Leave them in the oven until evenly reheated.

How to reheat fried calamari in a skillet

Another quick method you can use is reheating fried calamari in a skillet: you simply will need to use a bit of oil, but the best part of this option is that you’ll be in control over how much you’re reheating your dish.

Keep an eye on the temperature and remember to keep the heat on low, otherwise, you’ll end up cooking your fried calamari a second time.

Here are the steps to reheat fried calamari in a skillet:

1. Pick a heavy skillet, preferably one made from cast iron, and put a small amount of oil in the pan.
2. Make sure that the skillet is hot, which can take about 4-5 minutes, before putting your fried calamari in.
3. Put the fried calamari in the heated oil and fry them on both sides until they are evenly heated.

How to reheat fried calamari in a microwave

Choosing to reheat fried calamari in a microwave probably isn’t the safest choice: fried foods reheated in the microwave tend to become a bit soggy and lose their flavor.

But it’s obvious that reheating fried calamari in the microwave saves a lot of time and trouble, and is one of the easiest and quickest methods.

So, if you really want to reheat fried calamari in the microwave, keep in mind that the texture will probably change a bit, but that there are a few tips you can use to avoid this.

Here are the steps to reheat fried calamari in a microwave:

1. Place a damp paper towel over your fried calamari (this will help your food maintaining its original texture.)
2. Microwave on medium power.
3. Heat your fried calamari at short intervals and regularly check the temperature.
4. Check often the level of moisture so that you won’t end up with a soggy texture.

How to reheat fried calamari in an air fryer

A slightly different method is to reheat fried calamari in an air fryer: air fryers are great at keeping fried foods crispy even when you’ve reheated them, and this is definitely something you want to obtain.

This method is slightly different from the others already mentioned because you’re cooking your fried calamari for a second time, not just reheating them, but it can definitely work.

The best part is that, provided that you own an air fryer, this is a really quick and simple method!

Here are the steps to reheat fried calamari in an air fryer:

1. Turn your air fryer to 350 degrees F.
2. Put your leftover calamari in and reheat them for 3 to 4 minutes.

Can you reheat fried calamari?

The answer to this question is yes, you don’t have to throw them away and you can definitely enjoy your leftovers for the next few days.

There are a few things you need to keep in mind in order to reheat them correctly and end up with crispy and tasty fried calamari, as good as fresh ones.

First of all, you need to store them correctly, and for the right amount of time: place them in the fridge or in the freezer and be sure to reheat them in the next few days. You don’t want to leave them in the fridge for more than three days.

You also shouldn’t reheat them more than once, otherwise, you’ll definitely end up with rubbery and soggy fried calamari.

Keep in mind that calamari, like many other kinds of seafood, are more susceptible to be overcooked: you only need to reheat fried calamari for as long as it takes for them to be edible again.

You can choose your preferred method between the ones we’ve listed above: each one works for different needs and based on the availability of your kitchen appliances.

The safest way to reheat fried calamari is the oven: it’s easy, simple, and it doesn’t take much time. Just make sure to flip them over halfway through reheating, to make sure they’re reheating evenly.

Reheating fried calamari in an air fryer is another incredibly simple method, you can also use a skillet: this is another really quick method, but you have to be careful not to overcook them.

You could also reheat fried calamari in a microwave, even if this isn’t the first method we would suggest.

Whichever method you choose, remember to follow our step-by-step guide to make sure you’re getting the best results!