Takoyaki is one of the most famous Japanese dishes in the world, besides sushi, noodles, and fluffy pancakes. This octopus ball became my favorite snack.
Contents
Easy Takoyaki recipe
Takoyaki is a popular Japanese street food that originated in Osaka. Its name means “grilled octopus”. It’s a small round ball made from a wheat flour-based batter and filled with small pieces of octopus.
These savory balls were inspired by Akashiyaki which is an egg dish with less flour and a higher egg content.
The octopus balls have a crispy exterior and gooey interior. They contain tender octopus chunks. Their special feature is the toppings with sauce, bonito flakes, and seaweed. All elements created a symphony of tastes.
The octopus balls pair well with dishes like yakisoba, gyoza, and okonomiyaki. Miso soup, salads, edamame, and chilled shrimp cocktail also balance the dish’s richness and texture.
For drinks, you can enjoy these balls with sake, highballs, and green tea. Classic cocktails with fruity notes also provide a nice balance to the savory octopus balls.
This street food is cooked in a specialized pan with half-spherical molds. However, you can still make it with a muffin mold. I made baked takoyaki without a pan. These octopus balls didn’t taste like those in Kyoto, but they were still good.
Here is how to make takoyaki without a pan at home:
Baked Takoyaki
Nutrition
Ingredients
For Takoyaki
- 200 g takoyaki flour mix you can also use flour, baking powder and cornstarch
- 540 g water
- 1 chicken egg
- 300 g finely chopped cooked octopus
- 20 g finely chopped green onions
- 20 g pink ginger
- 15 g fish flakes
- 10 g sprinkled seaweed
- Mayonnaise or okonomiyaki sauce
For the Takoyaki sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin sweet rice wine
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1/2 cup dashi Japanese soup stock
Instructions
For Takoyaki
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F)
- In a mixing bowl, combine the takoyaki flour mix and water. Whisk until you achieve a smooth, lump-free batter. Add the egg and continue to whisk until well incorporated.
- Gently fold in the finely chopped cooked octopus, green onions, and pink ginger into the batter. Ensure an even distribution of ingredients.
- Brush a little cooking oil on muffin tin
- Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cavity almost to the top. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once baked, remove the takoyaki from the oven. Drizzle mayonnaise or okonomiyaki sauce, and sprinkle the fish flakes and seaweed over the top for an extra burst of flavor.
For the sauce
- In a saucepan, combine soy sauce, mirin, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup.
- Add dashi to the mixture and whisk well.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Simmer for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Remove from heat and let it cool before serving.
Notes
SIMILAR RECIPES
Variations
There are many creative variations of Takoyaki across Japan and beyond.
- Other Regional Styles in Japan
- Tokyo vendors use a lighter batter and smaller balls.
- Fukuoka vendors add mentaiko for a spicy twist.
- Okinawa vendors replace octopus with spam.
- Alternative Fillings include chicken, seafood (shrimp, squid, crab), pork, vegetables, cheese, bacon, sausage, beef, corn, or green beans.
- Sweet and Fusion Variations
- Chocolate or marshmallow-filled takoyaki is a popular dessert version.
- Fruit-filled takoyaki is a unique combination.
- Matcha adzuki is green tea and red bean cake balls.
- Pizza-yaki is pizza-flavored version with cheese and sausage.
- Taco-yaki includes taco-seasoned meat and cheese.
- Vegan Variations substitutes plant-based ingredients for octopus.