Takoyaki are crispy-outside, gooey-inside Japanese octopus balls made in a specialized molded pan with a careful turning technique. This Osaka street food classic combines dashi batter, tender boiled octopus, and toppings like bonito flakes and aonori for an authentic homemade version.
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Dice the octopus into 1-1.3cm / ½” cubes.
Crack an egg into a jar with a capacity of 750ml / 1.6pt or more. Beat the egg.
Add dashi stock and soy sauce to the jar and mix well.
Add flour in 3-4 batches to the jar and mix well each time until lump free.
Heat the Takoyaki Griller over medium-low heat.
Oil each mould and the surface of the griller generously. A little bit of extra oil makes the Takoyaki crispier on outside.
Fill each hole with the batter without overflowing (note 7). Slight spilling is OK.
Put a piece of octopus in each mould, then tenkasu, shallots/scallion and benishōga on top of octopus. Leave some tenkasu, shallots/scallion and benishōga for the second batch (1/3 in my case as my pan makes 16 balls at once).
Pour the batter over the mould and fill the entire surface of the pan/griller.
Using a long bamboo skewer or a thin chopstick, draw grid lines between the moulds to partition each Takoyaki portion.
Starting from the mould that gets the strongest heat (hence cooked fastest), use one or two bamboo skewers or thin chopsticks to scrape the edges of the batter partition and move them towards the mould
Turn the batter 90 degrees, while tucking the excess batter into the mould.
Repeat steps 11 & 12 for the rest of the takoyaki moulds.
Turn the batter in each mould another 90 degrees so that the Takoyaki batter is completely turned over from its original position.
Cook for about 5 minutes, during which turn over the balls from time to time to brown them evenly (note 8).
Transfer the Takoyaki to a serving plate, smother them with Takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise (if using), sprinkle over aonori and bonito flakes. Serve while hot.
Repeat all of the steps for Making Takoyaki, using the remaining batter and other ingredients.
Takoyaki are best consumed immediately while hot and crispy; store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and reheat gently in a toaster oven to avoid sogginess.
takoyaki pan (griller with molded half-sphere molds) · long bamboo skewers or pointy chopsticks (for turning and partitioning)
The recipe uses pre-boiled octopus (typically the legs), which you can purchase from Asian markets or fishmongers. The cook time listed does not include boiling time if you prepare it from scratch.
Tenkasu are crispy tempura scraps that add texture. They are traditional in takoyaki, but you can reduce the amount or omit if unavailable; the dish will be less crispy but still delicious.
After about 5 minutes of cooking and turning, the exterior should be golden brown and crispy. The batter should feel firm when you move the skewer; if it feels too soft, cook longer before serving.
Benishōga is pickled red ginger that adds a sharp, tangy flavor. You can substitute with regular pickled ginger or reduce the amount if you prefer a milder taste.
Takoyaki is best served immediately while hot and crispy. Leftover takoyaki can be reheated in a toaster oven at low heat, but texture will not be the same as freshly made.
