Japanese Takoyaki • Fried Battered Octopus Balls

Takoyaki or Japanese Fried Battered Octopus Balls are a classic Japanese snack and street food. These irresistible little balls are Japan’s answer to the perfect snack: crispy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside, and absolutely packed with flavour. Traditionally filled with tender chunks of octopus, takoyaki are a real crowd-pleaser, whether you’re at a festival, hanging out with friends, or just craving something deliciously different at home.

Takoyaki started their journey to fame in the 1930s in Osaka, thanks to a clever chef who wanted to make something tasty out of leftover ingredients. Today, they’re a beloved classic, known for their signature toppings: a drizzle of savory takoyaki sauce (think a Japanese twist on Worcestershire), creamy Japanese mayo, flaky bonito, and a sprinkle of seaweed. Sure, you might find some creative versions with shrimp or even sweet fillings, but nothing beats the original octopus packed recipe for that authentic Osaka vibe.

Now, here’s the fun part—making takoyaki at home! The good news is, you don’t have to be a street food pro to pull it off. Sure, a takoyaki pan makes things super easy and gives you those perfect round balls, but if you don’t have one, don’t sweat it, you can use a small mold or even improvise with a regular pan (think mini pancake-style bites). The key is to get creative and have fun with it. After all, what’s better than a hot, freshly made takoyaki ball, straight from your own kitchen? ;D Lets check the recipe!

Japanese Takoyaki • Fried Battered Octopus Balls

Servings: 40
Time: 1hr 20mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Who doesnt love some fried octopus balls, come on! Here's the recipe to try at home hehehe.

Ingredients

White Cabbage – 100g
Leek – 100g
Red Ginger Pickle – 100g
Tenkatsu – To taste
Egg – 2
Octopus – 80g
Takoyaki Flour – 200g
Water – 600ml
Sunflower Oil – For greasing
Takoyaki Sauce – For Sprinkling
Mayonnaise – For Sprinkling
Dried Tuna Flakes – For Sprinkling
Aonori – For Sprinkling

Directions

Clean and cut the already cooked octopus. The cabbage, leek, and ginger pickle together should not exceed 100g, usually a generous amount of cabbage and leek and a pinch of ginger pickles.
Chop the cabbage, leek, and ginger pickle and combine everything in a bowl.
In a separate large bowl, combine the flour and water and mix well until smooth, then add both eggs and mix again.

Finally, add the cabbage, leek, and ginger pickle and mix everything together.
Cut the octopus into cubes, making sure they are the perfect size to fit in the center of each takoyaki ball (depending on whether your mold creates larger or smaller balls).

Prepare the space to make the takoyaki, heat the frying pan or grill until very hot, then grease it with a little oil and kitchen paper so there is no excess oil (the photos were taken after I had already done it a couple of times, but it’s always the same process between each batch).

Next, spoon the mixture into each space until they are filled, then place a cube of octopus in each hole and finally sprinkle everything with tenkatsu.

Cook until it starts to come loose, then using toothpicks or chopsticks, wrap each ball and turn it over to cook the top. Then keep move them around until golden brown on all sides and place it on a plate.

While still hot, pour a little mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce on top, then sprinkle with a little dried bonito flakes and dried seaweed (aonori).
Repeat until you have no more, and that’s it! Bon appétit!

Notes: For a takoyaki party at home, its best to start the next back on the frying pan, so you can eat while you have more cooking in the pan ;D

For takoyaki, you’ll find a few ingredients that might be new to English speakers, it should be easy to get all in a japanese or asian market: red pickled ginger (beni shoga), which is tangy and bright red—use regular pickled ginger if needed; tenkatsu (likely meant to be tenkasu, crispy tempura bits)—crushed plain chips or panko add crunch; octopus—cooked shrimp or squid can sub in; takoyaki flour—just mix all-purpose flour with a bit of baking powder (and a pinch of instant dashi if you have it); takoyaki sauce—a mix of Worcestershire, ketchup, and honey mimics the sweet-savory flavor; dried tuna flakes (katsuobushi), which are smoky and shimmery—smoked paprika or salt can add smokiness; and aonori (green seaweed flakes)—crushed nori or dried parsley for color, though the flavor differs.

This recipe for Japanese Takoyaki • Fried Battered Octopus Balls was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Bolinhos de Polvo Takoyaki foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.