Simple Japanese Fried Octopus Balls (Takoyaki)
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Ingredients
Takoyaki batter:
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- 4 ¼ cups cold water
- 2 tsp. instant dashi
- 2 tsp. soy sauce
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Takoyaki filling:
- ½ lb. boiled octopus pieces ¼-inch cubed
- 1 bunch spring onions sliced
- 1 cup tempura scraps
- A handful of beni shoga/pickled ginger minced (optional)
Takoyaki toppings:
- Mayo preferably Japanese/Kewpie mayo
- Takoyaki sauce
- Aonori or seaweed flakes
- Bonito flakes
Instructions
- Prep the octopus, spring onions, tempura scraps, and pickled ginger.
- Whisk the flour, salt, and instant dashi powder in a large mixing bowl. Make a well and add beaten eggs, soy sauce, and water. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat your pan and generously oil each half circle with a brush or paper towel.
- Once the pan is hot, pour the batter into each compartment up to the top. Don’t worry if batter flows over a bit, you’ll use the batter around the edges of the compartments to tuck it into the balls and make them perfectly round.
- Sprinkle the octopus pieces, spring onions, tempura scraps, and ginger evenly.
- After a few minutes, the bottom of the takoyaki will be cooked. Use a skewer or chopsticks to flip them over 90 degrees. If you can’t turn the octopus balls easily, it’s probably because they need to cook longer. Add more batter to fill the balls if needed, scraping any bits of batter on the sides into the balls.
- Let them cook for about a minute, then flip them 90 degrees again.
- Once lightly brown and crisp on the outside, the takoyaki are ready.
- Place takoyaki on a serving plate and drizzle with Kewpie mayo, and takoyaki sauce, then generously sprinkle bonito flakes and aonori. Dig in!
Nutrition
Japanese octopus balls takoyaki are one of Japan’s most famous street foods. These fried octopus balls are crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. They’re bursting with umami thanks to Japanese classic condiments and cooking staples.
Takoyaki or fried octopus balls were invented by a street vendor named Tomekichi Endo in Osaka. He was inspired by akashiyaki, a small round dumpling made of an egg-rich batter and octopus, then dipped in dashi broth.
The name takoyaki comes from two words in Japanese. “Tako” means octopus and “yaki” means “cooked over direct heat”. You’re probably also familiar with okonomiyaki (a savory pancake), another beloved street food from Osaka.
A lot of Japanese dishes have the word “yaki” in them, such as saba shioyaki (grilled mackerel), yaki udon (a chewy udon noodle stir-fry), or even the iconic anime sweet treat taiyaki. You’ll love these Simple & Soft Nutella Taiyaki.
Why We Love This Japanese Octopus Balls Recipe
They’re the perfect bite! Takoyaki are made with an egg-rich batter and complimented with beni shoga/pickled ginger, tenkasu (tempura bits), spring onions, and bits of freshly cooked octopus.
Japanese fried octopus balls are the definition of umami. Dashi and a touch of soy sauce in the dough, plus the savory takoyaki sauce, rich kewpie mayo, bonito flakes (katsuobushi), and green laver or aonori create a flavor explosion that is out of this world.
They’re good warm or cold. Takoyaki isn’t one of those foods that you have to eat right away. You can let the octopus balls cool, then add sauces and toppings when you’re ready to devour them. I prefer them warm, but either way is delicious.
Fried octopus balls are fun and easy to make. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be excited to make takoyaki one of your weeknight dinner faves. You will need to invest in a takoyaki pan or an ebelskiver pan, but they’re not expensive at all on Amazon.
What Are The Ingredients In Takoyaki?
Takoyaki batter:
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 ¼ cups cold water
- 2 tsp. instant dashi
- 2 tsp. soy sauce
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Takoyaki filling:
- ½ lb. boiled octopus pieces ¼-inch cubed
- 1 bunch spring onions, sliced
- 1 cup tempura scraps (called tenkasu, or use panko)
- A handful of beni shoga/pickled ginger, minced (optional)
Takoyaki toppings:
- Mayo (preferably Japanese/Kewpie mayo)
- Takoyaki sauce (check the homemade recipe below)
- Aonori or seaweed flakes (green laver)
- Bonito flakes
How To Make Takoyaki At Home
You need a takoyaki pan or an ebelskiver pan, but they’re not expensive at all on Amazon. Don’t be scared by the number of ingredients, Japanese fried octopus balls are very easy to make.
Step 1: Prepare Takoyaki batter & other ingredients
Cut the octopus, spring onions, tempura scraps, and pickled ginger. Make sure you have some oil ready and chopsticks or wooden skewers for flipping the takoyaki.
Prepare the batter: Whisk the flour, salt, and instant dashi powder in a large mixing bowl. Make a well and add beaten eggs, soy sauce, and water. Mix well and set aside.
Step 2: Heat & Oil the Takoyaki Pan
Heat your pan and generously oil each half circle with a brush or paper towel. You can also take a stick of butter or margarine and slide it across the pan.
Step 3: Pour the batter into the hot pan
Once the pan is hot, pour the batter into each compartment up to the top. Don’t worry if batter flows over a bit, most street food chefs prepare takoyaki this way.
Tuck the batter around the edges of the compartments into the balls to make them perfectly round.
Step 4: Distribute the Octopus, Spring Onions, Tempura Scraps & Ginger
Add the octopus pieces, spring onions, tempura scraps, and ginger evenly over the batter. After a few minutes, the bottom of the takoyaki will be cooked. Use a skewer or chopsticks to flip them over 90 degrees.
Step 5: Cook & Adjust the Takoyaki Balls as Needed
If you can’t turn the octopus balls easily, it’s probably because they need to cook longer. Add more batter to fill the balls if needed, scraping any bits of batter on the sides into the balls.
Let them cook for about a minute, then flip them 90 degrees again. The more they cook, the easier the takoyaki are to turn. Cook to your preference – for longer if you prefer fluffy dough, and remove them sooner if you prefer gooey dough. Once lightly brown and crisp on the outside, and easy to flip, the takoyaki are ready. Enoy!
Step 6: Serve the Takoyaki
Place takoyaki on a serving plate and drizzle with Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie mayo), and takoyaki sauce, then generously sprinkle on some bonito flakes and aonori. Dig in, but with caution, cause they’re super hot!
How To Make Homemade Takoyaki Sauce
Ingredients for homemade takoyaki sauce:
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp. mirin
- 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. ketchup
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. oyster sauce
Instructions for how to make takoyaki sauce:
Mix the ingredients and adjust the taste to your liking. Takoyaki sauce is very similar to tonkatsu or okonomiyaki sauce, so feel free to sub those if you have them. You can also check out our article for the Best Worcestershire Sauce Substitutes.
Notes & Tips
You can find dashi powder, bonito flakes, tenkasu, kewpie mayonnaise, aonori, and tempura scraps at most Asian grocery stores, on Amazon, or you can check our list of the Best Asian Online Grocery Stores)
Watch some YouTube videos of takoyaki street food master chefs to get the jiff of it. Don’t expect to be able to make 130 takoyaki at the same time on your first try though. This is a dish that takes time to perfect.
Takoyaki can be made with any filling you wish. Some popular variations are with squid, shrimp, or sausage, but you can try cheese, kimchi, vegetables, or tofu. Anything your heart desires.
Make takoyaki at the dining table with your friends or family for a fun meal. People love to gather around street food stalls where takoyaki masters let you observe the mesmerizing process. Why not recreate that experience at home?
FAQs
These fried octopus balls are best enjoyed warm and fresh, but you can store leftovers for up to 2 days in the fridge.
I recommend making them fresh and storing the batter and individual ingredients covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can have fresh takoyaki for 3 days straight!
I don’t recommend freezing takoyaki as they’ll lose their texture and become blobs of mush.
A cake pop pan will do the job just fine. But takoyaki pans are not expensive at all on Amazon. You can also use an ebelskiver pan (used for making Dutch mini pancakes).
Is takoyaki supposed to be mushy? Yes, it’s supposed to be a little runny and gooey inside. Kind of like melted cheese (without any dairy).
Takoyaki is delicious both hot and cold. If eating them hot, be careful because freshly fried octopus balls are scorching hot. Wait 3-5 minutes before biting into them to avoid burning your tongue.
