氣炸鍋椒鹽魷魚 Chinese Salt and Pepper Squid Air Fryer is an addictive and delicious dish in Cantonese cuisine. Light, airy and non-greasy crispy calamari make this a perfect keto snack in Chinese restaurants. Make this air fryer appetizer at home in just 15 minutes!
After perfecting the recipe for Salt and Pepper Shrimp, Salt and Pepper Pork and Salt and Pepper Tofu in the air fryer, making the Chinese salt and pepper squid recipe was on my mind!
> In This Post: Everything You'll Need For Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Squid
Jump to:
What are Salt and Pepper Seasoning?
Salt and Pepper mixture (椒鹽) in Chinese recipes is an explosive spice blend commonly used for deep fry crispy dishes.
The main characteristic of Chinese "salt and pepper" is its garlicky, spicy and salty profile.
This seasoning mix is later used to flavour the deep-fried protein.
If you love salt and pepper spices, why not try these salt and pepper squid tentacles coated and air-fried golden brown!
Squid is an excellent keto snack recipe that is low in net carbs and is made with a few simple ingredients!
Check out this quick story summary of our recipe!
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Whole Squid or Squid Tentacles
- Corn Starch, Rice Flour or Potato Flour
- Garlic cloves minced
- Ground White Pepper
- Green Peppers or Red Bell Peppers
- Jalapeno Peppers or Red Chili
- Shallots or Yellow Onion
- Fresh Chilli Peppers Flakes
- Sea Salt Flakes
- Green Spring Onions for garnish
- Fresh Cilantro for garnish
- Vegetable Oil or Cooking Spray for air frying
- Shaoxing Cooking Wine
- Sesame oil
Cooking tender squid coated with delicious crispy salt and pepper seasoning at home may seem intimidating but follow this salt and pepper squid recipe, and you will nail it on your first try!
Have you considered making salt and pepper calamari with baby squid? These baby squid tossed in aromatic spices and batter make them extra adorable and impresses guests!
What Is The Secret To A Crispy Coating?
The key ingredient to crispy pieces of fried calamari is potato starch!
Coating your Asian fried squid with potato starch makes all the difference in making the crispiest fried pieces of squid!
It is night and day compared to plain old all-purpose flour for deep frying!
Potato starch has a bit more grit and, when deep-fried, creates little balls of crunchiness. It is lighter yet crispier and crunchier!
Follow this easy tip, and I guarantee it is the best recipe for a crunchy crust!
Instructions
If using frozen squid, defrost squid overnight in the refrigerator. Wash the squid under cold water and pat dry with a kitchen paper towel. Remember to clean out inside of the squid!
Cut the fresh squid into squid rings or bite-sized pieces with a sharp knife. If using squid tentacles, cut the tentacles off individually at the hood of the whole squid.
If you using large squid, cut criss-cross patterns on the squid tubes.
Marinate the squid in Shaoxing wine, ground white pepper and sesame oil. This step removes the fishy smell. Toss gently.
Next season squid with ground white pepper and salt. Set aside.
Prepare salt and pepper mixture by dicing jalapeno peppers, red bell peppers, shallots or onions and mince garlic cloves.
Add diced vegetables, aromatics, salt, and ground white pepper to a small bowl. Mix well. Set aside.
Alternatively, if you do not want to hand chop all the simple ingredients, you can also use a good-quality food processor. Here are my picks for the Best Food Processors!
How To Air Fry Squid
Preheat air fryer to 400°F.
Use air fryer parchment paper and line the bottom of the air fryer basket for easy clean-ups.
In a large bowl, add squid and corn starch, rice flour or potato starch and toss until evenly coated.
Place the squid in the air fryer basket. Spray with cooking spray.
Cook for 6-7 minutes at 350F. Flipping halfway. You will notice your squid curl after cooking.
Carefully transfer squid from the air fryer with tongs or a slotted spoon.
Add cooked squid and salt and pepper mixture to a large bowl. Toss and mix well.
Return the seasoned squid to the air fryer and cook at 390F for a further minute or until the crispy squid tentacles are golden brown.
Work in small batches ex. Air fry half of the squid and repeat the process with the remaining squid if you are making a large double batch!
Serve these crispy squid pieces on a serving plate lined with a few pieces of kitchen paper towels.
Enjoy!
Pro Tip: Unlike Greek calamari, Chinese Salt and Pepper Squid does not require a dipping sauce or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
What To Serve With Salt and Pepper Squid Chinese Style
Crispy fried squid are flavourful garlicky, and savoury. It is best to balance out a bowl of white jasmine steamed rice or stir-fried leafy green vegetables.
- Microwave Black Cod with Black Bean Sauce 豉汁蒸黑魚微波爐
- Chinese Braised Eggplant 紅燒茄子
- Vegan Dan Dan Noodles 擔擔麵 素食
- Air Fryer Soy Sauce Chicken Thighs 氣炸鍋豉油雞
Other Salt and Pepper Variations
Now that you know how to make this Salt and Pepper Squid recipe, you can also try these other popular dishes.
- Salt and Pepper Tofu
- Salt and Pepper Pork
- Salt and Pepper Squid
- Salt and Pepper Crispy Chicken
- Salt and Pepper Shrimp
- Salt and Pepper Cauliflower
The flavours are equally explosive, and every bite is addictive! These are just a few easy recipes immediately come to mind as excellent pairings!
Serve this crispy squid without the excess oil as an upscale seafood appetizer to impress your guests. They will think it's from their favourite Cantonese restaurants.
I'd love to see how you went with my recipes! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @INSTANOMSS #INSTANOMSS.
> Recipe
PrintChinese Salt and Pepper Squid (Air Fryer) 氣炸鍋椒鹽魷魚
氣炸鍋椒鹽魷魚 Chinese Salt and Pepper Squid Air Fryer is an addictive and delicious dish in Cantonese cuisine. Light, airy and non-greasy crispy calamari make this a perfect keto snack in Chinese restaurants. Make this air fryer appetizer at home in just 15 minutes!
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 persons 1x
- Category: Appetizers, Snacks
- Method: Air Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Low Calorie
Ingredients
- 1 lbs whole squid or squid tentacles
- 3 tbsp Potato Flour
- 5 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp Ground White Pepper
- 2 tsp Sea Salt Flakes
- ½ Red Bell Peppers, diced
- ½ Jalapeno Peppers, diced
- 2 Shallots, diced
- 2 Stalks of Spring Green Spring Onions for garnish
- Fresh Cilantro for garnish
- Vegetable Oil or Cooking Spray for air frying
Marinade
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tsp sesame oil
Shop the recipe online!
Instructions
- If using frozen squid, defrost squid overnight in the refrigerator. Wash the squid under cold water and pat dry with a kitchen paper towel. Remember to clean out inside of the squid!
- Cut the fresh squid into squid rings or bite-sized pieces with a sharp knife. If using squid tentacles, cut the tentacles off individually at the hood of the whole squid.
- If you using large squid, cut criss-cross patterns on the squid tubes.
- Marinate the squid in Shaoxing wine, ground white pepper and sesame oil. This step removes the fishy smell. Toss gently.
- Next season squid with ground white pepper and salt. Set aside.
- Prepare salt and pepper mixture by dicing jalapeno peppers, red bell peppers, shallots or onions and mince garlic cloves.
- Add diced vegetables, aromatics, salt, and ground white pepper to a small bowl. Mix well. Set aside.
- Alternatively, if you do not want to hand chop all the simple ingredients, you can also use a good-quality food processor. Here are my picks for the Best Food Processors!
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F.
- Use air fryer parchment paper and line the bottom of the air fryer basket for easy clean-ups.
- In a large bowl, add squid potato starch and toss until evenly coated.
- Place the squid in the air fryer basket. Spray with cooking spray.
- Cook for 6-7 minutes at 350F. Flipping halfway. You will notice your squid curl after cooking.
- Carefully transfer squid from the air fryer with tongs or a slotted spoon.
- Add cooked squid and salt and pepper mixture to a large bowl. Toss and mix well.
- Return the seasoned squid to the air fryer and cook at 390F for a further minute or until the crispy squid tentacles are golden brown.
- Serve these crispy squid pieces on a serving plate lined with a few pieces of kitchen paper towels.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Work in small batches ex. Air fry half of the squid and repeat the process with the remaining squid if you are making a large double batch!
- Unlike Greek calamari, Chinese Salt and Pepper Squid does not require a dipping sauce or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 101
- Sugar: 1.3 g
- Sodium: 812.8 mg
- Fat: 1.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 12.6 g
- Cholesterol: 176.5 mg
Pin the above image to your Chinese Recipe Pinterest Board to bookmark this page. We are so excited to share our recipes with you!
More Chinese Recipes
Chinese Steamed Chicken With Shiitake Mushroom 冬菇蒸雞
Air Fryer BBQ Pork Char Siu 氣炸鍋蜜汁叉燒
Red Bean Soup (Instant Pot) 蓮子百合紅豆沙
Braised Beef Brisket & Tendon 柱侯蘿蔔炆牛筋腩
Best Postpartum Pig Trotter Black Vinegar and Ginger 豬腳薑醋
This post contains affiliate links and/or products submitted to Nomss for editorial consideration. To find out more, please visit our About/Disclaimer page.
Remove Ad-Block to view shopping guide!
Jeff says
What is the recommended shaoxing wine, white pepper, and sesame oil for marination to remove fishy smell? Thanks!
Nancy says
Sorry looks like I didn't include that in the original recipe.
I would use
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp ground white pepper and 1/2 tsp sesame oil.
Tara says
Deliciously light and crispy! Not greasy at all. Adds a good amount of flavor, too.
Nancy says
enjoy this dim sum special at home!
Andrea says
Love that this air fryer calamari is so easy to make. It's light and airy with marvelous flavor. A perfect snack or appetizer.
Nancy says
enjoy this chinese restaurant favourite!
Dana says
I'd always been intimidated by cooking squid, but this recipe was so approachable. Thank you! It was delicious. Definitely had a proud culinary moment with this one.
Nancy says
I used to think the same but squid is actually really easy to make!
Tavo says
I love squid and I had never tried them this way. they were sooo good!
Nancy says
Tavo - you gotta try this asap!
Louise says
So delicious! I can't believe you can do this in the airfryer. I'm going to use this addictive method for tofu chunks too.
Nancy says
Louise! yes, check out our salt and pepper tofu recipe!!
Suja md says
Delicious yet simple recipe that the whole family loved. Can’t wait to make it again!
Nancy says
Enjoy this addicting crispy snack!
Stacey says
It is so great that I can make this in the air fryer! My kids were a fan of this recipe!
Nancy says
When the kids approve you know it's good!
Kristen says
The one dish I crave from Chinese restaurants and have never made at home until now. This recipe made it so easy to give it a shot and it turned out to be much easier than I thought. It is fantastic, comes out perfectly crisp and perfectly seasoned.
Nancy says
THanks Kristen! I'm so happy that it turned out 100% wasn't it so easy to make?
Janessa says
Love that this is so flavourful and crispy without being greasy. Also, thanks for the tip about using potato starch instead of flour for better results!
Nancy says
right?? the air fryer is the best!
JEnnfier says
This was delicious, thanks for the potato starch tip. Turned out great and I used it as the filling in a Calamari Po'boy I was "recreating" from a favorite place here in Austin
Nancy says
WOW! Great idea on using this spicy calamari on your po-boy! awesome!!
Lily says
One of favs at dim sum! I didn't realize it was so easy to make at home!
Nancy says
I agree with you! I didn't realize it was THAT EASY to make until doing so myself at home too!
Abhi says
I never thought of preparing squid in this way. I would love to share this recipe with friends who cook squid.
Nancy says
Yes please share this with all your friends and family! Thanks in advance Abhi!
Shelby says
I love that this doesn't come out greasy like so many calamari recipes. Sucha great high-protein snack!
Nancy says
Absolutely never greasy since it is air fried!
Katie says
Love this air fryer recipe! Perfect for a quick and easy meal!
Nancy says
Perfect high protein appetizer I could eat all by myself!
Ksenia says
I love simple dishes like this one that really preserve the taste of the squid!
Nancy says
The squid comes out tender !
kushigalu says
Simple yet so delicious squid recipe. Pinned to make this soon.
Nancy says
enjoy! I can't wait to see your recreation
Jill says
I always wondered how to get fried seafood really crispy, especially in my air fryer. Looking forward to trying something new (to me) in my air fryer!
Nancy says
Enjoy Jill! It sounds like an addicitive snacking night!
Beth says
I think it's time to bust out the air fryer for this one! I love squid. I had it for the first time a few years ago, and I fell in love with it.
Nancy says
Beth you are definitely long overdue to have squid again!
Claudia Lamascolo says
I love unique recipes like this one and we love squid will be trying this soon!
Nancy says
I bet once you start you can't stop Claudia 🙂
Sisley White - Sew White says
Salt and pepper squid is so delicious and I can't believe how easy it was to make.
Nancy says
Super tasty restaurant quality at home!
Natalie says
Finally a seafood recipe my kids loved! Can`t thank you enough for this one!
Nancy says
haha i hear you! Anything crispy I'm sure they will really enjoy!
Natalie says
Yes, it is crispy, light, and totally kid friendly, thanks!
Nancy says
The kids goes crazy over this! Who am i kidding ? Even the adults does over this crispy squid recipe!
Mirlene says
I've been wanting to make these but didn't know how! I usually order salt and pepper squids at the restaurant but now I can make them at home. I'll be doing groceries this weekend to buy some squids!
Nancy says
Don't forget to get the ground white pepper!
Heidy says
This Chinese Salt and Pepper Squid turned out great in my air fryer! I was very impressed! This will be a keeper recipe.
Nancy says
Awesome! Try it with other ingredients too!
Anjali says
This looks like such an easy way to cook squid perfectly! Can't wait to try it soon!
Nancy says
Enjoy! Send pix!
Gina Abernathy says
I have never tried squid but now I want to try it soon. This looks fabulous!
Nancy says
You will be addicted!
Irena says
I often order this dish at a Chinese restaurant so I was very happy to find this recipe to make it at home. Bonus that it is much healthier with the air fryer too!
Nancy says
Totally!! We always order this too when we go for dim sum! Being able to make this at home was so awesome!