Takoyaki – Japanese Fried Octopus Balls

The ultimate Street Food that is loved all around the world. Crispy on the outside, soft and savory on the inside.

Welcome to the FINAL DAY of the Street Food Series; today, we are making one of my all-time favorite street snacks, Takoyaki which is “fried octopus balls.”  Found all over Asia, Takoyaki is one of my favorite things to make on the weekend with friends while drinking beer. These fried octopus balls are like a ball full of umami; every single bite is the perfect bite! Trust me; you will LOVE them!  

I LOVE Takoyaki because every single bite is PACKED with flavor. It is fried till slightly crispy on the outside while the inside is still gooey and soft.

Every bite has a little bit of dashi batter, seafood, and green onion while being coated in sauce and Japanese mayo. Takoyaki originated from the city of Osaka, and the name Takoyaki translates to “octopus fried.” However, Takoyaki is not limited to just octopus. Some other proteins you can use are shrimp, scallops, cheese, corn, and chicken! 

The key to making sure your Takoyaki are delicious is having a Dashi Flavour Batter.

Trust me; this will instantly elevate your batter and give you the authentic street food flavor you are looking for! You can make your dashi stock from scratch, but I find Hondashi Stock Powder super convenient and gives an excellent taste. 

Let’s talk about the tray to make the Fried Octopus Balls. Unfortunately, you have to get one of these trays, or it’s impossible to make Takoyaki at home. Luckily there are many affordable options that you can find on Amazon. 

I find that I ended up using this tray ALOT especially when I have friends over. It is super fun to make Takoyaki while drinking beer with friends. You get FRESHLY fried HOT Takoyaki while drinking an ICE Cold beer; there is no other combo better than that! 

Here are some Takoyaki Trays that I recommend: 

Do you like Japanese Street Foods? Here are some DELICIOUS and EASY recipes that you need to try! 

• Japanese Egg Sandwich – Tamago Sando (CREAMY)
• CRISPY Chicken Karaage – Japanese Fried Chicken
• Yakisoba – Japanese Fried Noodles (20 Minutes)
• Tuna Yaki Onigiri – Creamy Tuna Rice Balls

1. Blanch the Octopus with hot water until the seafood is 80% cooked. Cut into bite-sized pieces and set size. 
2. In a container, mix 150 ml of flour, dashi stock, and one egg. Set aside for 10 minutes 
3. Add a generous amount of oil to the Takoyaki tray and turn the heat up to medium-high. Once the pan is hot, fill up the individual holes with the batter. 
4. Add in the seafood and chopped green onion evenly and pour in the rest of the filling, so the tray is full. 
5. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes, and once you start seeing tiny holes forming, you are ready to start turning. Flip the ball 90 degrees and keep stuffing any excess batter in the mold until the ball is 90 degrees flipped. Add on a little bit more oil and let it fry for another 7-9 minutes while continuously flipping to ensure it’s not burning. Each batch takes around 10-15 minutes to make. 
6. Once the takoyaki is brown on the outside and slightly crispy, set it aside on a serving plate. 
7. Drizzle a generous amount of takoyaki sauce, Japanese kewpie mayo, and bonito flakes. ENJOY! 

Print

Takoyaki

The ultimate Street Food that is loved all around the world. Crispy on the outside, soft and savory on the inside. Welcome to the FINAL DAY of the Street Food Series; today, we are making one of my all-time favorite street snacks, Takoyaki which is “fried octopus balls.” Found all over Asia, Takoyaki is one of my favorite things to make on the weekend with friends while drinking beer. These fried octopus balls are like a ball full of umami; every single bite is the perfect bite! Trust me; you will LOVE them!

Prep Time10 mins

Active Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Japanese

Keyword: Asian Recipes, Japanese Food, QUICK RECIPES, Street Food

Yield: 4 People

Equipment

• Takoyaki Tray

Materials

• 150 ml of Flour
• 350 ml of Dashi Stock
• 1 Egg
• 1 Green Onion chopped
• 1 cup of Octopus cut into bite-sized pieces
• Takoyaki Sauce
• Japanese Kewpie Mayo
• Bonito Flakes

Instructions

• Blanch the Octopus with hot water until the seafood is 80% cooked. Cut into bite-sized pieces and set size.
• In a container, mix 150 ml of flour, dashi stock, and one egg. Set aside for 10 minutes
  
• Add a generous amount of oil to the Takoyaki tray and turn the heat up to medium-high. Once the pan is hot, fill up the individual holes with the batter.
• Add in the seafood and chopped green onion evenly and pour in the rest of the filling, so the tray is full.
  
• Let it sit for 2-3 minutes, and once you start seeing tiny holes forming, you are ready to start turning. Flip the ball 90 degrees and keep stuffing any excess batter in the mold until the ball is 90 degrees flipped. Add on a little bit more oil and let it fry for another 7-9 minutes while continuously flipping to ensure it’s not burning. Each batch takes around 10-15 minutes to make.
• Once the takoyaki is brown on the outside and slightly crispy, set it aside on a serving plate.
• Drizzle a generous amount of takoyaki sauce, Japanese kewpie mayo, and bonito flakes. ENJOY!

Video

Notes

How to Make the PERFECT Takoyaki:

• OIL: Use a generous amount of oil; this will help the batter become crispy on the outside and also help hold its shape
• BATTER: Use Flavourful Dashi Batter. I cannot stress how important this step is! Make sure not to skip it because trust me; it will instantly elevate your Takoyaki!
• BLANCH THE SEAFOOD: Blanch your octopus ahead of time and cut it into bite-sized pieces; this will help cut down the cooking time.
• POUR: Pour it so it’s 50% filled, and then add in all your toppings. Once all the topping is loaded, pour in the rest of the batter, so it’s fully covered.
• BE PATIENT: Be patient and don’t rush! Once you start seeing bubbles, you are ready to flip. I like to use two toothpicks to help me flip the takoyaki by 90 degrees. You want to keep stuffing all the excess batter into the mold while flipping.
• KEEP TURNING: keep cooking the balls until its brown and slightly crispy. I recommend adding a little more oil while turning, so help crisp up the outside even more! As the ball becomes crispier, it becomes easier to spin.
• GET SAUCY: I recommend smothering your Takoyaki with a generous amount of Takoyaki Sauce and Japanese Mayo while topping with Bonito Flakes!