This crispy vegan calamari made from hearts of palm and served alongside a creamy garlic aioli makes the perfect appetizer! 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.
Vegan recipes when it comes to seafood are no joke and I'm serious when I say that this is the best vegan calamari recipe you'll ever try! Paired with a creamy vegan garlic aioli or this chimichurri aioli, this calamari is flavor, crunchy, crispy and tastes just like the real thing. 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 summer appetizer!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick and easy to make! You just need 20 minutes to achieve the perfect appetizer.
- Perfect for a crowd. This recipe makes quite a big batch of calamari so it's great to serve to a group of friends and family at a backyard bbq.
- Unlike the real deal, you don't run the risk of having overcooked/rubbery calamari.
- Allergen-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 using plant-based ingredients.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Measuring cups & spoons
- One of the following depending on which method you're using to cook the calamari:
- Air-fryer
- Baking sheet
- Straight-sided sauce pan
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 panko 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: it 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, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Feel free to remove or add different seasonings based on your preference. Old bay seasoning is a great choice for this!
- 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.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
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 (king trumpet 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.
This recipe has not been tested with any other substitutions or variations than the ones listed above. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
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?!
Step 1: 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 rounds.
Step 2: If you didn't pop out the column before slicing, gently press out the center of the hearts of palm to create those classic 'calamari' rings. You can either toss the centers or save them to use in a salad!
Step 3: In a medium bowl, combine your choice of plant-based milk and lemon juice to create your vegan buttermilk. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
Step 4: In a separate 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').
Step 5: Dip each palm ring into the vegan buttermilk, shake off any excess and then dredge in the flour mixture.
Step 6: 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
Step 1: Place some of the coated calamari in a single layer in either your air fryer basket on air fryer tray. Generously spray each ring with cooking spray.
Step 2: Air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes, or until crispy and golden. No need to flip!
Deep Fried Vegan Calamari
Step 1: Fill a straight-sided saucepan with 2-4 inches of a neutral oil and heat to 350°F over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Working in batches, add the coated heart of palm to the hot oil and deep fry for 4 to 5 minutes total until golden and crispy, flipping halfway through if needed. Remove the fried calamari from the oil using a slotted spoon and place onto a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Repeat until all of the calamari is fried.
Baked Vegan Calamari
Step 1: Spread the calamari in a single layer across a parchment-lined baking sheet. Generously spray with cooking spray
Step 2: Bake at 425°F for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown, flipping half through.
Transfer the cooked calamari to a platter and serve immediately with lemon wedges, fresh parsley, a small bowl of garlic aioli or marinara sauce, and enjoy!
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.
- 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! 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 you'll get broken up pieces rather than nice rings.
- Cook in batches to ensure your air fryer tray, baking sheet or saucepan isn't overcrowded. This will ensure the best, crispiest results
How to Store & Reheat
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 for 5-10, until crispy.
FAQ
Homemade vegan calamari is typically made from either king oyster mushrooms or hearts of palm. In this recipe, I used hearts of palm! Canned vegan calamari that you can get from Nature's Charm uses mushrooms.
Hearts of palm is a vegetable harvested from the inner core of certain palm trees like coconut, juçara, acai palm, palmetto, peach palm! They taste like a mix of white asparagus and artichokes, but with a more delicate flavor. When they're cooked, they have a nice meaty texture.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Calamari (Hearts of Palm)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cans (800 g) whole hearts of palm drained and rinsed
- 1 cup (215 g) plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) lemon juice or apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (45 g) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 to 2 teaspoons nori flakes optional (blend up 1 nori sheet if you can't find flakes!)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika smoked or regular
- fresh parsley chopped, to garnish
- garlic aioli to serve
- lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
- Start by draining and rinsing the canned hearts of palm. Slice the hearts of palm widthwise into ½-inch discs. Gently press out the soft center of each disc to create those classic 'calamari' rings.2 cans whole hearts of palm
- 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.1 cup plant-based milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- In a second bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and nori flakes.1 ½ cups all purpose flour, ⅓ cup cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 to 2 teaspoons nori flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- 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 until all of calamari rings are coated.
Cook one of the following three ways:
Air Fry
- 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. Make sure there's space between each ring and none are on top of each other to ensure for ample air flow.
- Generously spray each ring with cooking spray, otherwise they will not crispy and may taste powdery/floury. Air fry for 10 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Repeat until all the calamari is cooked.
Bake in the 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.
Deep Fry (the most crispy results!)
- Fill a small pot or straight-sided saucepan with 2-4 inches of vegetable oil (or any frying oil you prefer) and heat the oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Drop in one calamari ring or some of the flour mixture. If the oil bubbles and forms around it/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, flipping them over half way through.
- 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.
Serve
- Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve alongside homemade garlic aioli and lemon wedges.
Judy says
Immediately made these last night after I saw them on instagram, they were AMAZING. I chose to airfry them. I didn't spray them enough at first I could see some spots were still floury so I just sprayed them and left in for an extra few minutes and that did the trick. SO delicious 10/10
Pinch of Parsley says
Thank you so much for already making these Judy! So glad you liked them and were able to get them crispier with some cooking spray 🙂
B. Scribe says
Is there a substitute for baking powder please? Thank you
Pinch of Parsley says
You can try 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda plus a 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar!
Marcia Brady says
These look amazinnnngg! Appreciate you for all of the relevant and useful information throughout this post. You’re a STAR. HAHAHAHAH ilysm.
Pinch of Parsley says
Thank you so much!!!! ILY <3
Bianca says
THANK YOU for giving us 3 different cooking methods options!! Making this tonight.
Pinch of Parsley says
I hope you love them!!! I'm here if you need any help 🙂