Chinese 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 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 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
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- 1
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!
- 2
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.
- 3
If you using large squid, cut criss-cross patterns on the squid tubes.
- 4
Marinate the squid in Shaoxing wine, ground white pepper and sesame oil. This step removes the fishy smell. Toss gently.
- 5
Next season squid with ground white pepper and salt. Set aside.
- 6
Prepare salt and pepper mixture by dicing jalapeno peppers, red bell peppers, shallots or onions and mince garlic cloves.
- 7
Add diced vegetables, aromatics, salt, and ground white pepper to a small bowl. Mix well. Set aside.
- 8
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!
- 9
Preheat air fryer to 400°F.
- 10
Use air fryer parchment paper and line the bottom of the air fryer basket for easy clean-ups.
- 11
In a large bowl, add squid potato starch and toss until evenly coated.
- 12
Place the squid in the air fryer basket. Spray with cooking spray.
- 13
Cook for 6-7 minutes at 350F. Flipping halfway. You will notice your squid curl after cooking.
- 14
Carefully transfer squid from the air fryer with tongs or a slotted spoon.
- 15
Add cooked squid and salt and pepper mixture to a large bowl. Toss and mix well.
- 16
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.
- 17
Serve these crispy squid pieces on a serving plate lined with a few pieces of kitchen paper towels.
- 18
Enjoy!