Chocos Fritos Recipe: Crispy Andalusian Fried Squid 2026

Chocos fritos are one of the great pleasures of southern Spain: tender strips of squid, lightly coated in flour and fried until golden and crisp. Serve them as a tapa or a full ración with cold drinks, and it is easy to imagine you are sitting at a chiringuito beside an Andalusian beach.

The dish takes very little work, but a couple of details make all the difference. Freezing fresh squid beforehand and letting it thaw slowly in the fridge breaks down the fibers so the meat turns out tender, while chickpea flour gives the coating its famously crunchy bite.

Only the body of the squid is used here, cut into strips rather than rings, and the tentacles are set aside for another dish. With about ten minutes of preparation and ten minutes at the stove, you have a plate of crisp, lemony fried squid ready to share.

Ingredients for Chocos Fritos

These quantities make a generous tapa or ración for 2 people.

• 500 g chocos (small squid)
• Salt
• 100 g chickpea flour
• Olive oil for frying
• Lemon

How to Make Chocos Fritos Step by Step

1. Wash the chocos

First, wash 500 g of chocos very well under cold running water. If you used frozen chocos, take them out of the freezer a day before using them and move them straight to the fridge so they thaw slowly.

2. Separate body from tentacles

Separate the body of the chocos from the tentacles. For this preparation only the body is used, but the tentacles can go into a rice dish, a stock, or even be boiled for a salpicón. Once the tentacles are removed you will have about 300 g of chocos left.

3. Cut the chocos into strips

Using kitchen scissors, cut the body of the chocos into strips about 1.5 to 2 cm thick.

4. Salt them and chill

To make the chocos more tender, sprinkle them with a little salt and put them in the fridge for 1 hour. This way they release some of the water they contain, which helps them turn out tender when fried.

5. Dry and flour them

After the hour of resting in the fridge, dry the strips with paper towels. Then prepare a plate with 100 g of chickpea flour. Coat the chocos in the flour so they are well covered, then shake off the excess so the strips stay loose.

6. Fry in plenty of olive oil

Set a pan with plenty of olive oil over the heat. When the oil reaches about 170-180 ºC, fry the chocos in small batches so the oil temperature does not drop and they have plenty of space between them. For a crisp, lightly golden result, fry each batch for about 2 or 3 minutes.

7. Drain on paper towels

Lift the fried chocos out with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to remove the excess fat from frying.

8. Serve with lemon

Just before eating, sprinkle the chocos fritos with a few drops of lemon. Serve them right away, while they are still hot and crunchy, with extra lemon slices on the side.

Tips for the Best Chocos Fritos

Freeze fresh chocos first

The meat of chocos can be somewhat tough, so if you bought them fresh it is worth freezing them and then moving them to the fridge a day before frying. This breaks the fibers of the meat and leaves them much more tender.

Choose chickpea flour

You can use common wheat flour for the coating, but chickpea flour is even better. It is widely used in Andalusian frying and gives a particularly crunchy result.

Keep the oil hot and fry in batches

Use olive oil at around 180 ºC and fry in small batches so the temperature stays steady and the strips do not stick together. Add the lemon only at the last moment so the coating stays crisp.

30 Recipes I Keep Coming Back to in My Own Kitchen

Like a lot of home cooks, I like having a go-to lineup that covers cozy classics, well-known dishes from around the globe, and desserts that make everyone at the table happy.

Some nights I want something luxurious, and that's when I reach for this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this refined Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a truly indulgent Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And whenever a fruity, comforting sweet sounds right, this timeless French Tarte Tatin recipe is the one I make.

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Even More Recipes the Whole Family Will Enjoy

After years of cooking, testing, and tweaking in my own kitchen, I've come to believe the greatest dishes are built on straightforward methods, dependable technique, and serious flavor.

Every recipe gathered here is one I genuinely come back to time and time again—whether it's a fast solo meal or a spread I'm putting together for loved ones.

On the sweet side, the rich, velvety Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe is a go-to when I want something that feels fancy yet comes together easily. Another dessert I adore is the caramelized Trdelnik Slavic Pastry Recipe, modeled on the well-known Central European chimney cake. If baking is your thing, knowing how to make syrup for better dessert texture helps a lot, and my Inverted Sugar Recipe walks through exactly how I do it at home.

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I'm also a big fan of sharing dishes with roots around the world, like the genuine Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, crispy Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and the traditional Spanish Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

Air fryer cooking is another category I turn to often, since it's quick and still delivers terrific texture. The ones I make most are Air Fryer Pork Ribs Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Peppers Recipe, Air Fryer Mixed Sandwich Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Bread Recipe, and Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe.

And for anyone steering clear of wheat, my cozy Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that a classic baked pasta can still be rich, cheesy, and deeply satisfying without any gluten.

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