Can You Reheat Squid? (Essential Tips)

Heating up seafood isn’t as difficult as some people might think. With a little bit of know-how and the right tools, you can reheat squid and enjoy it for a meal rather than let it go to waste.

Yes, you can reheat squid! Doing that is easy with an oven or on a stovetop, but never reheat squid in a microwave. For fried squid or calamari, you can reheat that in just minutes in an oven or with an air fryer. Reheated squid is excellent to enjoy by itself, or you could even add it to a new meal like pasta or a seafood stew!

In this article, we’re going to look at a few of the best methods that you can use to reheat any squid you might have in the fridge.

Let’s get to it.

How Long Can You Keep Squid Before Reheating?

Before we even think about reheating any squid, we must first be sure that it’s safe to do so. Generally, you can keep squid in the fridge for as long as four days and reheat it safely. 

Any squid kept longer than that might not be safe for consumption, as it may have grown bacteria or germs. 

If you choose to eat it anyway, you might end up with a stomach ache or food poisoning, even though you may have reheated the squid correctly.

What’s The Best Way To Reheat Squid?

There are several ways to reheat squid not only so that it’s safe to eat but so that it still tastes fantastic. These include using an oven, on a stove, and in some cases, even an air fryer!

Using an oven is an excellent way to reheat squid because it’ll deliver a slow and steady amount of heat to the food. Better yet, that heat will come from all directions, which means that your squid will get heated up evenly.

Another great option would be to use a stove. To do this, you’ll need a skillet that’s big enough for your serving of squid, with plenty of room to stir the food around.

Lastly, you might prefer the convenience of an air fryer to reheat squid for you. An air fryer works the same way as a convection oven (i.e. by circulating hot air). That makes it perfect for reheating squid that’s cooked in any way, even if it’s fried!

Can You Reheat Squid In The Microwave?

No, you should never use a microwave to reheat squid (or any other seafood, for that matter). There are several reasons behind this. Firstly, microwaving squid can degrade its texture, making it tough like rubber. Not only does that make it less appetizing, but it also makes it much harder to chew.

Besides that, microwaves also break down any fatty oil that the squid might have. That will lead to unpleasant smells coming off the finished dish, another thing that could make it very unappetising.

Bottom line: microwaving might be quick and convenient, but none of that is worth it when it comes to squid. No matter how it was cooked, you may end up ruining the dish entirely.

How To Reheat Squid In An Oven

To reheat squid in an oven, here’s what you’ll need to prepare:

• A baking sheet and some tin foil.
• An oven-safe dish like a casserole dish.
• A little bit of water and grease (e.g. butter, olive oil, or non-stick cooking spray)
• Optional but helpful: a food thermometer.

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Lightly grease the baking sheet and place it in the dish.
2. Place your squid on top of that sheet and splash a bit of water on it. This will ensure that the squid doesn’t dry out too much while you reheat it.
3. Cover the squid with foil to help contain the moisture as it heats up.
4. Before you put everything in, preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Preheating ensures that your squid will heat up immediately as soon as you put it into the oven.
5. Put the food in the oven and leave for about 10 minutes. If you’re reheating large pieces of squid, you may want to turn them over after about 5 minutes.
6. When it’s done, you’ll need to check to ensure that the squid is thoroughly reheated. If you have a food thermometer, use it to ensure that the squid’s internal temperature is 165 degrees. That will mean that the squid is hot enough and safe to eat.
7. If the squid isn’t reheated enough, you can put it back in the oven. Only do this for 5 minutes at a time and check on it to prevent overcooking the squid.

Once you’re done reheating your squid, it’s always best to immediately serve and consume the food. That way, you’ll be able to maximize your enjoyment of the squid even though it has been reheated!

How To Reheat Squid On A Stove

Suppose you decide to reheat your squid on a stovetop instead. Even though this method won’t deliver all-around heat the way an oven does, using the stovetop is much more straightforward. You won’t need too many ingredients or items to prepare, and you won’t even have to preheat anything.

Here are the only things you’ll need:

• A skillet.
• Butter or olive oil.

Once you’ve got those two items ready, here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Heat your skillet up on a medium fire.
2. Coat the skillet with one tablespoon of that butter or olive oil that you prepared. Spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of the skillet.
3. Give the butter or olive oil a minute or two to heat up, then put your squid into the skillet.
4. If you’re cooking larger pieces, like whole squids, you’ll need to cook the squid for about 5 minutes on each side. Keep a close eye to ensure that you’re not over-cooking it.
5. Smaller pieces will reheat much quicker, and you can stir them around to make sure they’re heated evenly.
6. Whether large or small, you must keep an eye on the squid to prevent it from overcooking. Remember: you’re reheating the squid, not cooking it all over again. Once you notice that all sides of the squid are a nice brown color, you can shut the fire off.
7. Serve and enjoy!

How To Reheat Fried Squid

Suppose you have some leftover fried squid or calamari that you’d like to reheat. If that’s the case, then you’ll need to adjust your approach just a little. You can’t reheat fried squid the same as you would if it was cooked any other way.

Fried squid can be pretty tricky because you’re working with two different food items, in a way. You have fried batter on the outside and squid on the inside.

The two best ways to reheat fried squid are in the oven or with an air fryer if you have one.

Let’s see how you’d use either appliance to do so.

Oven

With an oven, what you’ll basically do is bake the fried squid to reheat it. Don’t worry, it only takes a couple of minutes at most. All you’ll need to reheat fried squid or calamari in an oven in a baking pan.

Once you’ve got it, here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. While doing that, put the fried squid on the baking pan, but only as a single layer. That means you should avoid piling it up. That way, each piece will get heated evenly.
3. Bake the fried squid for 7 minutes while keeping a close eye on it to prevent overcooking.
4. After that first seven minutes, turn the fried squid pieces over and continue for another 5 minutes. If you’re reheating smaller bits and pieces, mixing them around should be enough. The point here is to expose each piece to heat evenly.
5. Put the squid on a plate and enjoy!

Air Fryer

A lot of people own air fryers these days. Don’t let the name fool you; it doesn’t exactly ‘fry’ the food. Instead, it forces hot air around it like a convection oven does. For that reason, air fryers are excellent for reheating fried foods of any kind, especially fried squid.

Here’s how you’ll use it:

1. Preheat the air fryer to about 350 degrees.
2. Once it’s hot enough, load your fried squid into the air fryer’s basket. Spread it around so that each piece has enough room for air to flow through it quickly.
3. Let it reheat for about 3 minutes before checking on it. If you think it’s not hot enough, let it continue reheating. Check on it every minute or two to ensure you’re not overcooking it.
4. Remove and serve immediately.

You’ll find that with an air fryer, the fried squid’s crispness is maintained pretty well. That’s another reason why air fryers are becoming a standard feature of many kitchens across the country!

Bonus Tip: Make A New Dish With Leftover Squid!

Let’s be honest: no matter how well you reheat your squid, it won’t be the same as when it was freshly cooked. That’s fine for most people, though many can’t stomach the taste of reheated squid.

Instead of throwing it out, here’s another excellent idea: repurpose the squid! That’s right! You could use your leftover squid as part of a new dish, like a fresh serving of pasta or even a seafood stew.

Be creative with your leftover squid. Not only will you prevent wasting that food, but you’ll also have extra ingredients for whatever meal you’re cooking next!