Takoyaki (Osaka's Octopus Balls)

Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, Takoyaki is a representative dish of Osaka, Japan. Each ball contains a concentrated umami flavor from dashi broth. As a resident of Osaka, the birthplace of takoyaki, I confidently recommend this recipe!

Jump to:

• What is Takoyaki?
• Classic ingredients
• Can octopus be substituted with something else?
• Toppings
• About takoyaki maker
• Ingredients
• Step-by-step instructions
• Tips on how to make
• Recipe Card

What is Takoyaki?

Takoyaki is a dish made by mixing beaten egg and dashi broth with wheat flour, adding chopped octopus, and then cooking it on a dedicated iron plate (takoyaki maker). Tako means octopus, and yaki is to grill or cook. By using a takoyaki maker with many round, hollowed-out cavities, the batter can be cooked into a ball shape, trapping octopus broth inside each ball and achieving a crispy outside and a creamy inside.

While many people may think of eating takoyaki with takoyaki sauce, my personal recommendation is definitely the soy sauce flavor without takoyaki sauce. In this recipe, you have the option to use sauce or not.

The recipe shared here is a special recipe that I learned from a takoyaki shop owner a long time ago. It has received high praise from everyone I've ever served it to, and it is a recipe that I've been using for over fifteen years now.

Classic ingredients

The classic ingredients and their characteristics in takoyaki are as follows:

• Boiled octopus

It is an essential ingredient of takoyaki, providing a chewy texture and flavorful broth.

• Green onions (scallions)

They add texture and color to takoyaki. Usually, they are added to the batter, but recently they have sometimes also been served on top of takoyaki. If added later, they are often served with takoyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise.

• Beni shoga (red pickled ginger)

It adds spiciness, acidity, and color to takoyaki. If beni shoga is not available, you can substitute it with regular ginger.

• Tenkasu (tempura bits)

They are indispensable for takoyaki. They add richness to the flavor and make the texture crispy.

Can octopus be substituted with something else?

Unfortunately, takoyaki cannot be made without octopus. Although you can enjoy a takoyaki-like dish by using alternative ingredients such as beef tendon, konjac, sausages, and cheese, that dish would not be considered takoyaki.

By the way, if you use beef tendon and konjac as ingredients, it is called "Rajio Yaki" instead of takoyaki. Rajio yaki is an older version of takoyaki and shares everything in common except for the use of octopus, so it can be made with the same ingredients and preparation method.

Toppings

When takoyaki batter is seasoned with soy sauce and served without takoyaki sauce, toppings are generally unnecessary. If you choose to eat it with takoyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, aonori (dried green seaweed flakes), and bonito flakes are often used as toppings. These are all optional, so you can use them according to your preference.

About takoyaki maker

The biggest drawback to making takoyaki by yourself is that you need to have a takoyaki maker. While you can cook takoyaki batter in a pan and still enjoy the taste, you won't be able to replicate the unique texture of takoyaki.

Therefore, to make takoyaki at home, you will need to purchase a takoyaki maker. You can find one on Amazon or other online stores, so I encourage you to buy one and give it a try at home.

Ingredients

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Step-by-step instructions

🕒 Total 25 mins

Step 1
Cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces, about 0.4 inch (1cm) in size. Thinly slice the green onions. Finely chop the beni shoga.

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Step 2
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and beat them. Add sugar, salt, soy sauce, dashi, and baking powder to the bowl, and mix them together. Next, gradually add the flour in multiple portions, whisking thoroughly each time to prevent lumps from forming. The takoyaki batter is ready.

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Step 3
Preheat the takoyaki maker to high heat (392°F/200°C or above). Pour oil into a small bowl and soak a folded paper towel in it. Use the soaked paper towel to thoroughly coat all of the cavities and the flat surface of the top with oil.

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Step 4
When smoke comes out of the takoyaki maker, pour the takoyaki batter into each cavity opening. Next, add chopped octopus to each cavity. It's okay if the takoyaki batter overflows from the cavities during this process.

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Step 5
Then, sprinkle the tenkasu, green onions, and beni shoga evenly over the takoyaki batter. Wait until the batter sets.

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Step 6
Cut the batter on the top flat surface between each cavity opening using a takoyaki pick or skewer. Then, flip the cooked portion of each cavity over about 90 degrees (a quarter turn).* Wait again until the uncooked portion of the batter is cooked through.

* If the batter has set, you can flip it over by applying a bit of force with the pick or skewer to the side walls of the cooked batter. If it doesn't flip, cook it for a little longer. It doesn't matter if the batter tears slightly.

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Step 7
Flip the batter over an additional 90 degrees to cook the remaining uncooked portion. Since the takoyaki maker cooks differently depending on the position of the cavities, if there are any lightly cooked balls, replace them with well-cooked ones.

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Step 8
Turn each ball over to brown them evenly. If you want to keep them warm in the takoyaki maker, either turn off the heat or set it to a low temperature.

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Step 9
Serve them on a plate. To enjoy takoyaki with sauce, top them with takoyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, aonori, and bonito flakes according to your preference.

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To Store

You can store it in the refrigerator for up to a day.

Tips on how to make

• Dashi broth used in takoyaki batter should be chilled. By using chilled dashi, it reduces the activation of gluten in the flour, resulting in crispier takoyaki.
• When making takoyaki batter, mix the eggs and dashi broth, and then gradually add the flour in multiple portions. This will help prevent lumps from forming and make it less powdery. By the way, if the lumps are around 0.2 inch (5mm) in size, they will disappear over time, so you don't need to worry about them.
• Each cavity opening of the takoyaki maker should be well coated with oil. This coating will prevent the takoyaki batter from sticking to the takoyaki maker.
• Put the ingredients for takoyaki in the following order: octopus, tenkasu (tempura bits), and the remaining ingredients. By adding the octopus first, it allows the rich broth of the octopus to come out. Next, adding the tenkasu, which contains oil, makes it easier to cook the octopus.
• When flipping takoyaki batter, it is recommended to flip each ball over 90 degrees at a time rather than flipping them all at once. By doing so, the inside will reach a higher temperature quickly, resulting in a creamy texture. However, this doesn't apply when using a professional takoyaki cooker to cook them at high heat.

Recipe Card