Osaka-Style Takoyaki (Japanese Octopus Ball Street Snack)

Quick answer

Total time: 35 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 10

About this dish

Osaka-style takoyaki cooks a thin dashi-and-egg batter with boiled octopus, green onion, tenkasu, and pickled red ginger in a round-welled pan.

Whisk 150 g flour, 2 eggs, and 500 ml dashi, pressing out lumps until the batter pours almost like water. Because flour can settle, stir down to the bottom before every pour. Cut 150 g boiled octopus into 1.5 cm pieces and finely slice 3 green onions and 20 g pickled red ginger. Keep 30 g tenkasu beside the pan so all fillings can be added without delay. Heat the takoyaki pan over medium heat and brush each well lightly with cooking oil. When a drop of batter sizzles immediately, pour enough batter to fill and slightly overflow the wells. Distribute the octopus, green onion, tenkasu, and ginger evenly, then leave the pan undisturbed for about 1 minute until the rims turn pale and begin to set. Loosen the edges with a pick and turn each piece 90 degrees so uncooked batter flows into the open space. Lower the heat to medium-low and keep rotating the pieces until they are round and evenly cooked. Remove them when the exterior is lightly browned, the center reaches at least 71C, and a cut piece contains no wet raw batter. Finish with 3 tbsp takoyaki sauce, 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise, and 5 g bonito flakes, then serve hot.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

boiled octopus150 gg

all-purpose flour150 gg

eggs2 eaea

dashi stock500 mlml

green onion3 eaea

tenkasu (tempura flakes)30 gg

pickled red ginger20 gg

takoyaki sauce3 tbsptbsp

Japanese mayonnaise2 tbsptbsp

bonito flakes5 gg

Shop All Ingredients

As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Step

Whisk 150 g flour, 2 eggs, and 500 ml dashi until the batter is as thin as water.

Press out any lumps, then stir down to the bottom again before each pour so the flour does not settle.
2

Heat

Cut 150 g boiled octopus into 1.5 cm pieces, then finely slice 3 green onions and 20 g pickled red ginger.

Set the 30 g tenkasu beside the pan so each well can be filled quickly.
3

Control

Heat the takoyaki pan over medium heat and brush each well lightly with oil.

When a drop of batter sizzles at once, pour the batter generously so the wells are full and slightly overflowing.
4

Step

Drop octopus, green onion, tenkasu, and pickled red ginger evenly into each well.

Leave them undisturbed for about 1 minute, until the rims turn pale and begin to set without tearing.
5

Control

Loosen the edges with a pick and rotate each piece 90 degrees, letting uncooked batter flow into the open space.

Lower to medium-low heat and keep turning several times until the balls become round.
6

Finish

When the outside is lightly browned, check the largest takoyaki and continue turning until its center reaches at least 71C.

Cut one open to confirm there is no wet raw batter, then finish with 3 tablespoons takoyaki sauce, 2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise, and 5 g bonito flakes.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Thin batter is stirred from the bottom before every pour so the flour stays distributed
Finish cue: When the outside is lightly browned, check the largest takoyaki and continue turning until its center reaches at least 71C.
Avoid this: When a drop of batter sizzles immediately, pour enough batter to fill and slightly overflow the wells.