What Is Calamares?
Calamares is a Filipino deep-fried squid dish made by coating fresh squid rings and tentacles in a seasoned flour-and-cornstarch batter and deep-frying them until golden, light, and shatteringly crisp — the Filipino adaptation of the Spanish and Italian calamari that has become one of the country’s most beloved seafood snacks, pulutan, and restaurant staples. It is found on virtually every Filipino restaurant and carinderia menu and is universally regarded as one of the most crowd-pleasing dishes in Philippine cuisine.
The dish arrived in the Philippines through Spanish colonial influence during the 300-plus years of colonization that introduced squid frying techniques from the Iberian Peninsula. Filipino cooks adopted and adapted the preparation to local tastes and ingredients, adding the characteristic Filipino seasoning profile and developing the specific cornstarch-and-baking-powder coating formula that produces the uniquely light, airy crust that distinguishes Filipino Calamares from its Mediterranean predecessors.
The name ‘Calamares’ itself is the Spanish and Filipino word for squid, reflecting the deep linguistic and culinary legacy of Spanish colonialism in Philippine food culture. However, the Filipino version has evolved into something distinctly its own — lighter in batter texture, more aggressively seasoned, and served with the uniquely Filipino mayo-sweet chili dipping sauce rather than the aioli or marinara typical of European preparations.
As a pulutan, Calamares is in a class by itself — crispy, snackable, endlessly addictive, and perfectly calibrated to complement cold beer in a way that few other foods can match. It represents one of the happiest intersections of Spanish culinary heritage and Filipino taste preferences in the national cuisine.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh Squid: Fresh squid produces dramatically superior Calamares compared to frozen, as frozen squid releases more water during frying, which interferes with coating adhesion and oil temperature stability. Choose the best squid for Calamares by selecting medium-sized specimens (about 15–20cm body length) with pearlescent, shiny skin, firm flesh, and a clean, mild ocean smell.
- Cornstarch: The combination of all-purpose flour and cornstarch is what gives Filipino Calamares its signature coating texture — flour provides structure and flavor while cornstarch produces the extra lightness and delicate crispiness that makes the crust shatter rather than chew. The ratio of flour to cornstarch critically affects the final texture.
- Baking Powder : Baking powder is the secret ingredient that makes Filipino Calamares coating uniquely light and airy. The heat of the frying oil activates the baking powder, releasing carbon dioxide gas that creates microscopic bubbles throughout the coating, resulting in an unusually light, almost tempura-like texture.
Ingredient Suggestions
- Beer Batter — Replacing the beaten egg with cold beer creates an even lighter, crisper batter with a subtle yeasty flavor dimension popular in restaurants.
- Parmesan in Coating — Adding two tablespoons of finely grated parmesan to the flour mixture adds savory umami depth and helps the coating brown more beautifully.
- Sriracha Mayo — Mixing sriracha into the mayonnaise dipping sauce creates a spicier, more vibrant alternative dip.
Helpful Tips & Pro Tips
- The single most important variable in crispy Calamares is maintaining oil temperature. Add only small batches to the oil and use a thermometer to verify the temperature returns to 180°C before adding each new batch.
- Why is my Calamares coating falling off? The squid rings were not dried thoroughly enough before coating, causing the egg and flour to slide off the wet surface. Pat with paper towels aggressively and allow to air-dry for 10 minutes on a wire rack before breading.
- For extra crispy Calamares, double-coat the rings — after the initial flour coating, return to the egg, then coat in flour a second time. This creates a thicker crust with superior crunch retention.
How to Serve and Store
Calamares is at its absolute best served immediately after frying while the coating is at maximum crispiness. Serve with the mayo-sweet chili dipping sauce, calamansi wedges, and cold beer. Leftover Calamares can be refrigerated for up to 1 day but will lose most of its crispiness. Reheat in an air fryer at 200°C for three to four minutes or in a 220°C oven for five minutes to restore some crunch. Never microwave, as this makes the coating soft and rubbery. Freezing cooked Calamares is not recommended.
Substitutions
- Squid → Large Shrimp — Peeled, deveined shrimp coated and fried identically produces excellent crispy shrimp using the same batter and technique.
- All-Purpose Flour → Rice Flour — Creates a lighter, gluten-free coating with exceptional crispiness that holds up longer than wheat flour.
- Eggs → Buttermilk — A slightly tangier egg substitute that produces a well-adhering, flavorful coating with a tender interior texture.
Suggested Recipes
- Adobong Pusit — The braised squid ink counterpart to Calamares that showcases the same squid protein in a completely different, richly sauced preparation.
- Sizzling Gambas — Another beloved Filipino fried and sautéed seafood pulutan that shares Calamares’ position as an essential pairings with beer.
- Baked Tahong — A complementary shellfish appetizer that rounds out a complete Filipino seafood pulutan spread alongside Calamares.
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