Beer-Battered Calamari Crisp Pizza

Calamari has long been a star of Italian coastal tables, fried crisp and shared with friends. This pizza crowns a hot crust with beer-battered rings and tentacles, melted mozzarella, and bright marinara for a playful seafood twist on pizza night.

Serves 4 · 25 min prep · 20 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 610 cal
• 28g protein
• 58g carbs
• 29g fat
• 3g fiber

Every recipe here is free to read.

Ingredients

• 1 lb pizza dough
• 1 lb cleaned calamari tubes and tentacles
• 1 cup lager beer, cold
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 8 oz shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup jarred marinara or pizza sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1 lemon
• 4 cups neutral frying oil
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

1. 1Preheat oven to 475°F with a pizza stone inside. Pat calamari very dry with paper towels and cut tubes into 1/2-inch rings.
2. 2Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl; slowly stream in cold lager until a thick, smooth batter forms that coats the back of a spoon.
3. 3Heat 2 inches of neutral oil in a heavy pot to 375°F. Dip calamari pieces in batter, let excess drip, and fry in batches until puffed and deep golden, 90 seconds to 2 minutes; drain on a rack and sprinkle with salt.
4. 4Stretch pizza dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly oiled peel. Spread a thin layer of marinara, leaving a border.
5. 5Scatter mozzarella evenly, then bake the plain cheese pizza until the crust is set and cheese just melted, about 8 minutes.
6. 6Pull the pizza, immediately top with the hot crispy beer-battered calamari so it stays crunchy, then return to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes more to marry the toppings.
7. 7Remove, shower with chopped parsley, Parmesan, a squeeze of lemon, and red pepper flakes.
8. 8Rest 1 minute, slice into wedges, and serve at once while the calamari is still shatteringly crisp against the chewy crust.
9. 9The residual beer flavor in the batter echoes any cold lager poured alongside for the ultimate dual-hero bite.