Vegan Calamari with Garlic Aioli

Made from hearts of palm and served alongside a creamy garlic aioli, this crispy vegan calamari makes the perfect appetizer! This recipe is quick & easy to make and can be oven baked, air fried, or deep fried. Whether you're serving this in the summer or during the holidays, this hearts of palm calamari will be ready to enjoy in just 20 minutes.

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• Why you'll love this recipe
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Variations & Substitutions
• Expert Tips
• Storage Tips
• FAQ
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Vegan seafood is no joke and this is the best vegan calamari you'll ever try! As someone who devoured real calamari as much as they could before going vegan, I promise you this plant-based version is the real deal. It's perfectly crunchy and crispy while having a very realistic flavor and texture. Using hearts of palm as opposed to squid may actually be an even better choice because you never run the risk of getting a chewy, rubbery ring.

This recipe can be made in the oven, in an air-fryer, or deep fried. It's an easy, cruelty-free way to enjoy this classic dish!

Why you'll love this recipe

• It's quick and easy to make! You just need 20 minutes to achieve the perfect appetizer.
• Unlike the real deal, you don't run the risk of having overcooked/rubbery calamari.
• This calamari is allergy-friendly. It's egg-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegan & vegetarian, fish/shell-fish, and gluten-free optional.
• It's a cruelty-free way to enjoy this classic summer & holiday favorite appetizer.

Ingredients

Hearts of Palm: will be our squid replacement! They have the same color and shape as squid and when dredged in batter and cooked, they have a perfectly meaty texture. It's truly the perfect seafood alternative.

Vegan Buttermilk: To make vegan buttermilk, we'll simply combine the plant-based milk of your choice with either lemon juice, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. I like to use soy milk for this, as it's the thickest of the plant milks, but almond or oat milk will work perfectly.

Flour: This calamari is made without breadcrumbs or cornmeal/cornflakes. Instead, we'll be using a flour mixture to help us achieve that signature crispy texture. I'm using regular all-purpose flour, but feel free to use gluten-free flour.

Cornstarch: When added to the flour mixture, cornstarch helps to prevent gluten development, which will make the coating crispier!

Baking Powder: baking powder helps to lighten the coatings texture to keep these calamari light and crispy.

Seasonings: I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Feel free to remove or add different seasonings based on your preference.

Nori Flakes (optional): You can either blend 1 nori sheet until you have fine flakes or you can purchase nori flakes. We'll only be using a little bit to help lend to the seafood flavor that real calamari naturally has.

Garlic Aioli: I love this garlic aioli as a dipping sauce for calamari! You only need to whisk together 4 ingredients: vegan mayo, fresh garlic, lemon juice, and salt.

Instructions

This hearts of palm calamari recipe can be cooked three different ways: in the air fryer, deep fried, or baked. I honestly don't have a preference, as each method results in crispy calamari, and what more could you really ask for?!

Regardless of how you choose to cook it, the prep for this recipe is always the same!

Start by draining and rinsing the canned hearts of palm. You'll notice there's a soft column running through the center of each, you can leave that in there for now or gently push it out so you have a hollow barrel.

Slice the hearts of palm widthwise into ½-inch discs. If you didn't pop out the column before slicing, gently press out the soft center of each disc to create those classic 'calamari' rings. You can either toss the centers or use them!

In one bowl, combine your choice of plant-based milk and lemon juice to create your vegan buttermilk. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes.

In a second bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and nori flakes (the nori is optional but it does help make these taste a bit more 'seafoody').

Dip each palm ring into the vegan buttermilk, shake off any excess and then dredge in the flour mixture. Toss until fully coated and then place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with all of the calamari rings.

Once all of the hearts of palm rings are coated, you're ready to cook! Select one of the three methods below:

Air Fryer Vegan Calamari

Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place some of the coated calamari in a single layer in either your air fryer basket on air fryer tray. The amount you can air-fry in one batch will depend on the size of your air fryer. Make sure there's space between each ring and none are on top of each other to ensure for ample air flow, otherwise they won't get crispy!

Generously spray each ring with cooking spray (I used Targets avocado oil spray), otherwise they will not crispy and may leave clumps of the flour mixture. Air fry for 10 minutes, or until crispy and golden. No need to flip!

Remove and repeat until all of the calamari is air-fried.

Deep Fried Vegan Calamari

Fill a small pot or straight-sided saucepan with 2-4 inches of vegetable oil (or any frying oil you prefer - canola, peanut, or grapeseed will also work) and heat the oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Drop in one calamari ring or some of the flour mixture if you still have it. If the oil bubbles and forms around it and brings the calamari or flour mix to float, the oil is ready. 

Working in batches, add calamari to the oil and deep fry for 4 to 5 minutes total until golden and crispy. If they're not fully covered in oil, flip them over after 2 minutes so both sides get crispy. Remove the fried calamari from the oil using a slotted spoon and place onto a plate lined with a paper towel so excess oil is absorbed. Repeat until all of the calamari is fried.

Baked Vegan Calamari

If you don't have an air fryer (let's be real, they are glorified convection ovens), you can easily bake these in your oven. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread the coated calamari in a single layer across the prepared baking sheet. Generously spray with cooking spray and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown, flipping half through.

Vegan Garlic Aioli

While the calamari is cooking, whisk together the vegan mayo, minced garlic, lemon juice, and salt.

Transfer the cooked calamari to a platter and serve immediately with lemon wedges, fresh parsley, the garlic aioli and enjoy!

Variations & Substitutions

Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free flour (I recommend Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur Baking 1:1 GF all purpose flour). Be sure to check that your baking powder is gluten-free.

Add coconut shreds or flakes to the batter to turn this into vegan coconut calamari!

Feel free to use potato or tapioca starch in place of cornstarch, it works perfectly here.

Plain plant-based milk as opposed to vegan buttermilk (aka leave out the lemon juice or vinegar) will work perfectly as well!

Not interested in trying hearts of palm? Use king oyster mushrooms instead! Oyster mushroom calamari is another popular way to make this seafood-free dish. I find it to be a bit more time consuming, but it tastes just as great. Slice the oyster mushroom stems into ⅛ to ¼-inch thick rounds. Use a small round cookie cutter or the smooth, round end of piping bag nozzles to punch out the center of each mushroom round, making the 'calamari' rings! Follow the rest of the recipe as instructed.

Can't find or don't want to use nori flakes? You don't have to! This recipe is just as delicious without them.

Instead of the garlic aioli, serve the calamari with marinara, cocktail sauce or tartar sauce.

Expert Tips

• Do not slice the hearts of palm too thinly. Slicing the hearts of palm into ¼"-½" discs is perfect, any thinner and you risk having the rings split.
• Once coated in the flour mixture, allow them to sit for a few minutes before cooking. This will ensure that the coating does not fall off during the cooking process, especially if you chose to deep fry them.
• If you're using your hands, coat your fingers in the flour mixture before picking out the coated calamari rings from the flour. This will help ensure that the coating doesn't peel off when transferring them to the lined plate or whatever you're cooking them on.
• If baking or air frying, you need to generously spray with cooking spray. Because we're using a flour coating instead of breadcrumbs, the coating will not crisp up as nicely/will leave clumps of uncooked flour mixture otherwise. If you want to get away with only lightly spraying them, I suggest using breadcrumbs and the seasonings (leave out flour, cornstarch, and baking powder) instead.
• If deep frying, make sure your oil is hot enough! If you have an oil thermometer, great. Your oil should be between 350 degrees F and 365 degrees F. If you don't have a thermometer, test the oil with 1 calamari ring or leftover flour mixture. When added, bubbles should form around it immediately and the calamari or flour mixture should begin to float to the top. If the oil isn't hot enough, the calamari will absorb too much oil, resulting in a soggy calamari.
• I recommend you buy whole hearts of palms, not sliced or salad cut. You'll likely see both options in the grocery store, but if you get salad cut, you'll end up with cans that do not have enough round slices and more random, broken up pieces. 

Storage Tips

The hearts of palm calamari is definitely best when served immediately. If you do have leftovers, here's what I suggest:

Refrigerator: Store the cooked calamari in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.

Freezer: Allow the calamari to cool completely before transferring them to a freezer-friendly zip-loc bag. Squeeze out as much as possible from the bar before sealing. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

How to reheat: Whether you stored the calamari in the fridge or in the freezer, the best way to reheat and crisp them back up is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and reheat until crisp.

FAQ

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• Vegan Garlic Aioli
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