Korean Garlic-Grilled Octopus

Name: Korean Garlic-Grilled Octopus
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: boiled octopus 350 g; minced garlic 1.5 tbsp; olive oil 1 tbsp; red chili flakes 1 tsp; salt 0.5 tsp; black pepper 0.25 tsp; lemon juice 1 tsp

Quick answer

Total time: 25 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Minced garlic warms in olive oil over low heat until it turns pale gold, and only then does the heat go up for the boiled octopus.

Three to four minutes in the pan browns the edges while the pieces stay springy. Paprika powder in place of the chili flakes makes a milder version.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Cut 350g pre-boiled octopus into bite-size pieces, then pat every surface dry with paper towels.

If the pieces stay wet, they will steam in the pan instead of searing and the crust will not form well.
2

Toss the octopus with 0.5 teaspoon salt, 0.25 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon red chili flakes.

Let it stand for only 5 minutes so the seasoning clings to the outside without drawing out too much moisture.
3

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1.5 tablespoons minced garlic to the pan, then set it over low heat.

Stir slowly until the garlic turns pale golden and smells fragrant, keeping it from browning too quickly.
4

When the garlic smells fragrant, raise the heat to high and let the pan get fully hot.

The octopus should sizzle hard as soon as it goes in, which helps the surface seize quickly.
5

Add the octopus and toss quickly for 3 to 4 minutes.

Stop when the edges look browned and lightly scorched but the centers still feel springy, because longer cooking can make pre-cooked octopus rubbery.
6

Turn off the heat and drizzle 1 teaspoon lemon juice evenly over the octopus to balance the oil.

Do not leave it sitting in the hot pan; move it to a plate and serve immediately while warm.