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Pan fried squid with garlic and parsley sauce (easy tapas)

Pan-fried squid with garlic and parsley sauce

Name: Pan-fried squid with garlic and parsley sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 10 oz. 300g giant squid, cleaned and cut into small cubes; Lemon (for serving); Black cracked pepper (optional); 1 cup fresh parsley; 5 garlic cloves (peeled); ⅓ cup 2 fl oz/60ml of extra virgin olive oil; ¼ teaspoon of salt

Written By: Byron | June 26, 2023

A small tapas serving of pan-fried squid with some green garlic and parsley sauce spooned on top.

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Pan-fried squid with garlic and parsley sauce is the perfect summertime tapas recipe. Delicious chunks of grilled squid drizzled with plenty of garlic and parsley sauce and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon.

This healthy seafood tapas recipe is quick and easy to make with just 10 minutes of prep time and 5 minutes cook time. This recipe makes 4 tapas servings, but can easily be expanded to suit a main meal.

Serving:

Tapas 4 servings

Ready in:

15 mins

Skill level:

Easy

Serve with:

Fresh bread

Some large squid rings sit beside some garlic, fresh parsley, and olive oil.

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How to make pan-fried squid with garlic and parsley sauce

Ingredients

10 oz. (300g) squid rings or giant squid, cleaned and cut into small cubes
Lemon (for serving)
Black cracked pepper (optional)

For the garlic and parsley sauce

1 cup fresh parsley
5 garlic cloves, peeled
⅓ cup (2 fl oz/60ml) of extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon of salt

Equipment needed

Grill or frying pan
1 sealable air-tight jar or container
A food processor (eg: Ninja SS351 Foodi Power Blender & Processor System *)
Chopping board
Sharp knife

Method

To make the garlic and parsley sauce

Start off by adding the garlic and a little oil to the food processor. Buzz for a minute, or until you see the garlic is nicely minced.
Next, loosely chop the parsley and add the leaves to the food processor. Add around half of the remaining oil and buzz for a few minutes until you reach the desired consistency. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add more oil. Leave your sauce and prepare your squid.

Note: If you want to make this in advance, transfer the sauce to a sealable air-tight jar or container. Store refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Pan fry the squid

Once you’ve cut your squid tubes or rings into small cubes, add a little oil to a non-stick pan on high heat.
Slowly add the squid to the pan and stir often to grill all sides of the squid cubes. This should take around 4-5 minutes and once done, your squid will be opaque and white in color.
Remove from the heat and stir in some of the garlic and parsley sauce.

Serve with some lemon wedges and some more garlic and parsley sauce.

Watch step-by-step recipe video

If you’re looking for this recipe’s video and many other great recipe ideas, why not check out our Spanish Radish YouTube Channel? We’ve got everything from quick and easy tapas recipes, delicious main meals, and incredible Spanish dessert options too.

Summer tapas recipes of Spain

When you think of summertime in Spain, most are immediately reminded of the food, and this is where tapas dishes really shine. Squid is one of the most popular ingredients used in plenty of main meal and tapas recipes. Of course, calamari rings with lemon and aioli are popular with visitors to Spain, but many locals favor other lesser-known squid recipes.

Other popular summertime tapas recipes:

Gambas al Ajillo (Sizzling garlic shrimp)
Spicy Patatas Bravas
Ensalada Rusa (Spanish potato salad with tuna and grilled peppers)
Sepia a la plancha (grilled cuttlefish)
Tuna Tartare with a lime, honey-soy, and ginger marinade
Salmorejo (cold summer soup with tomatoes, ham, and hardboiled egg)
Papas Arrugadas (Canarian wrinkly potatoes with spicy Mojo sauce)

A small bowl of pan fried squid with green sauce

Squid in Spanish cuisine

Squid has a few different names in Spanish cuisine, the most common being ‘calamar’ (also called calamari), and you’ll find plenty of battered calamari recipes up and down the Mediterranean coast.

For this recipe, we use large squid strips which in Spain are known as tiras de potón or tiras de pota. You can also use large squid rings (called anillos de calamares in Spanish). One of the advantages of buying the larger tubes or rings is they require no additional prep or cleaning and can simply be cut into cubes and cooked.

Cooking squid

Squid is very easy to cook and doesn’t require too much attention, but you will need to be careful not to overcook the squid. Squid that is around ½ inch (1cm) thick will only require around 4-5 minutes to cook once the pan is hot. If using thinner squid tubes, less cooking time is required.

For best results cooking squid, use a frying pan or skillet such as a 10.25 Inch Cast Iron Skillet *.

Start with a hot pan on high heat and add a little oil. Once the oil sizzles, add the squid and stir frequently. It will change color very slightly and become more opaque once done. If you overcook your squid, it will be rubbery and chewy.

How much fresh squid should you buy?

Allow around 2.5 oz.(75g) of the cubed squid tube meat per person for a tapas serving. Squid vary dramatically in size, and If buying the squid whole, speak directly to your fishmonger and they can tell you the amount you’ll need.

Frozen squid

It’s always best to use fresh ingredients whenever possible, however, If you can’t source fresh squid, use frozen squid that you’ll find in the chilled section of most large supermarkets. Thaw your squid by adding it to some lightly salted water at room temperature. It should take around 1 hour for the squid to thaw.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	237
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18.4g	24%
Saturated Fat 2.4g	12%
Cholesterol 195mg	65%
Sodium 194mg	8%
Total Carbohydrate 4.4g	2%
Dietary Fiber 0.6g	2%
Total Sugars 0.2g
Protein 13.4g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 58mg	4%
Iron 2mg	9%
Potassium 98mg	2%
The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day* is used for general nutrition advice.

FAQs

How long does pan fried squid with garlic and parsley sauce take to make?

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

Can I use frozen squid?

Yep, you sure can. Thaw your frozen squid before cooking and be sure to drain off any excess water or liquid before cooking.

Do I need to use giant squid for this recipe?

Nope, you can use normal squid rings and it’ll work just fine. Be careful to adjust the cooking time as thinner squid rings will cook faster.

How long does garlic and parsley sauce last?

When stored in an airtight container, garlic and parsley sauce will last up to 1 week in the fridge.

Pan-fried squid with garlic and parsley sauce

Byron

This healthy seafood tapas recipe is quick and easy to make with just 10 minutes of prep time and 5 minutes cook time. This recipe makes 4 tapas servings, but can easily be expanded to suit a main meal.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 15

Course appertizer, seafood, starter, tapas

Cuisine Authentic Spanish recipe, Mediterranean, Seafood, Spain

Servings 4 tapas

Calories 237 kcal