Air Fryer Calamari No Batter (Keto)
Learn how to make keto calamari! This air fryer calamari no batter recipe uses coconut flour to keep things low carb. Only 5g net carbs!
Ingredients
- 10 ounces small frozen calamari rings, thawed, drained well (283 grams)
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- salt and pepper, to taste
- cooking oil spray
- dipping sauce and fresh lemon wedges (optional, for serving)
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Instructions
- Frozen calamari should be thawed in the fridge overnight, or follow the package directions for thawing.
- Lay the thawed calamari out on paper towels, and pat dry with more paper towels. They need to be very dry for this recipe.
- Put the coconut flour, salt, and pepper in a gallon-size Ziplock bag. Put the dry calamari in the bag, close the bag, and shake well. The squid rings should be lightly and evenly dusted with coconut flour.
- Spray an air fryer basket or air fryer tray with cooking oil spray. Put half of the keto calamari on the tray in a single layer. Mist the calamari with more nonstick cooking spray. (You will be cooking the squid in two batches.)
- Air fry each batch for 5-6 minutes at 400°F (200°C). (Use the top rack position if you have an air fryer oven.) You don't even need to flip them!
- Serve with your favorite calamari dipping sauce and lemon wedges, if desired.
Notes
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). Calamari is a lean and low calorie protein that is a good choice for weight loss. The coconut flour used in this recipe only adds 30 calories per serving.
Shellfish (think squid, shrimp, scallops, and clams) are actually some of the leanest sources of high-quality protein around. What often happens though, is we bread or batter them, and then we fry them. (Or perhaps we make them into a lovely chowder with a cream-based broth.)
Flour provides 110 calories per ¼ cup, oil provides 120 calories per tablespoon, and cream provides 50 calories per tablespoon. These additions take a serving of calamari (that would otherwise be about 100 calories) and turn it into a high calorie entrée. And that’s without the dipping sauce, which is typically high in added sugar or fat.
When we choose air fryer calamari without batter, we’re skipping all the oil from frying, and the white flour batter. This leaves us with a low-calorie, healthy calamari that may help support a goal to lose weight. It also makes our entrée low carb, which may help diabetics trying to better control their blood sugar.
If you want a higher energy meal, serve the calamari with a high fat dip (garlic aioli is a yummy choice). You can also add some energy-dense side dishes, such as bread or rice, if you’re not on keto.
Nutrition information is for one serving without dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 157kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 22.5gFat: 3.5gSaturated Fat: 1gFiber: 2.6gCalcium: 6.3% DVIron: 10.1% DV