Name: What To Serve With Fried Calamari
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 portion fried calamari

Table of Contents

If you’re wondering what to serve with your fried calamari, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, I list 13 of the most popular side dishes for fried calamari.

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

The best dishes to serve with fried calamari are baked fries, Thai green papaya salad, jambalaya, and pasta puttanesca. You can also serve pad thai, vegetable stir fry, seafood nachos, and cheesy grits. Try mango slaw, Israeli couscous, tempura, and fresh spring rolls for healthier options.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

Baked fries

Move over fish and chips. There’s a new food pairing in town – fried calamari and baked fries.

They’re a food pairing made in heaven.

With how crispy and tender they are, you’ll find yourself finishing a plate on your own.

Make them for a light lunch or snack, and pop open an ice-cold beer (or soda) to wash it all down.

Sounds good, right?

Take your dinner to another level by whipping up a roasted garlic aioli to serve as a dip for your fried calamari and baked parmesan fries.

Jambalaya

Beef up your fried calamari and turn it into a complete meal with a hefty helping of jambalaya.

This one-pot rice dish is chock full of textures and flavors that will compel your taste buds to dance.

The cajun seasoning brings everything together and provides a prominent lip-smacking spiciness.

It’s the ultimate flavorful base for a rather plain dish like fried calamari.

Prepare this jambalaya for an indulgent seafood-filled dinner.

Pasta puttanesca

Craving for a simple, hearty dish to serve with your fried calamari?

Look no further than a classic pasta puttanesca.

It’s a pasta dish made with garlic, anchovies, olives, capers, pepper flakes, and chopped whole tomatoes.

It has an enjoyable earthy, spicy-savory flavor that pairs well with fried calamari.

It should take only 25 minutes to get this pasta puttanesca from your stovetop to the dining table.

Thai green papaya salad

Take some inspiration from Thai cuisine and whip up a green papaya salad to go with your fried calamari.

Fried calamari can be pretty heavy, so a light and healthy salad like this is a great accompaniment.

Its flavor combination and the crisp-tender texture of green papaya make this salad highly addictive.

Trust me, you’ll want to have this Thai green papaya salad on your dinner table every week.

Vegetable stir fry

Turn your calamari into a tasty, nourishing meal with a serving of this vegetable stir fry.

This dish is an excellent way to utilize any odd vegetable ends and pieces you have sitting at the back of your fridge.

And the best part?

It features a simple but delicious stir fry sauce that will have you licking your plate clean – that’s how good it is.

Drizzle a spoonful of this stir fry sauce over your fried calamari. Yum.

Here’s the full healthy vegetable stir fry recipe.

Tempura

Make the ultimate crispy snack platter with fried calamari and tempura.

The lightly crisp but tender vegetables have a light sweetness that goes well with fried calamari.

You can also make these two dishes simultaneously to save time – you can even use the tempura batter for your calamari.

Check out Just One Cookbook’s recipe for a detailed guide on making the best tempura ever.

Mango slaw

With summer fast approaching, this mango slaw is the best dish to serve with your fried calamari.

It’s a sweet and refreshing accompaniment with pretty, vibrant colors that everyone will love.

Prepare this slaw alongside your fried calamari to create a gorgeous plate worthy of an Instagram shot.

And the best part?

This easy mango coleslaw is incredibly simple to prepare and comes together within just a few minutes.

Pad thai

If you haven’t tried pad thai yet, you’re seriously missing out.

The main star of this dish lies in its flavorful sauce that coats everything in just the right quantities.

It has an irresistible combination of sweet, sour, and savory flavors that will leave you wanting more.

Simply pop a couple of your fried calamari over a bowl of pad thai, and you’ve got one heck of a comfort meal.

Cheesy grits

Add a fun twist to your classic shrimp and grits by swapping the shrimp for fried calamari instead.

The crunch of your fried calamari is a pleasant textural contrast to your creamy, cheesy grits.

Just pile on your fried calamari rings on top of your grits and dig in.

Take My Forking Life’s lead for the best rich, creamy grits you’ll ever make.

Israeli couscous

If you’re looking for a hearty dish to serve with your fried calamari, give this Israeli couscous a try.

It features couscous cooked in a sauce with tomatoes and olives to infuse them with sweet and savory flavors.

The resulting dish?

A bowl of tender and chewy couscous with bright, Mediterranean flavors.

Put together this Israeli couscous to add a healthy option alongside your calamari.

Butter lettuce salad

No more time to cook another dish to go with your fried calamari?

Don’t worry – this butter lettuce salad is a no-cook dish and can be whipped up at a moment’s notice.

Packed with crisp greens and herbs, all dressed in a light lemon dressing, it’s the perfect salad for a light and invigorating meal.

Follow Healthyish Foods’ cue and top your salad with shaved parmesan for added flavor.

Fresh spring rolls

Fried calamari and these spring rolls are the perfect party food combination.

Your guests can easily grab and enjoy a portion of each dish.

The spring roll wrappers are filled with noodles, fresh vegetables, and shrimp before being rolled and secured.

They add a fresh bite to fried calamari.

Want more flavor?

Prepare a quick sweet chilli dipping sauce to go with them. You can even use it as a sauce for your fried calamari too.

This fresh spring roll recipe comes with two different dipping sauces for you to choose from.

What will you choose? Vietnamese or peanut sauce?

Caribbean seafood nachos

Nachos are usually associated with Mexican flavors, but who says you can’t do a little culinary fusion?

These nachos feature seafood like shrimp and crab.

They’re flavored with a warm and sweet jerk seasoning that packs a spicy punch.

It may sound unusual, but the flavors and textures work so well together.

Serve these Caribbean seafood nachos alongside your calamari for a fun, seafood-filled snack as you hang out with your friends.

The best side dishes for fried calamari

Baked fries
Jambalaya
Pasta puttanesca
Thai green papaya salad
Vegetable stir fry
Tempura
Mango slaw
Pad thai
Cheesy grits
Israeli couscous
Butter lettuce salad
Fresh spring rolls
Caribbean seafood nachos