Takoyaki Recipe

Name: Teppan Japanese Kitchens Takoyaki Recipe
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1.25 cups all-purpose flour (wheat flour); 2.25 cups dashi stock (or low-sodium chicken/vegetable broth); 2 to taste large eggs; 1 tbs soy sauce; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp baking powder; 8 oz cooked octopus (tako), diced into 1/2-inch pieces; 0.75 cups tenkasu (tempura scraps); 3 tbsp beni shoga (pickled red ginger), finely chopped; 3 stalks green onions (scallions), thinly sliced; 0.5 cups takoyaki sauce (or okonomiyaki sauce); 0.25 cups Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie preferred); 1 tsp aonori (dried green seaweed flakes); 0.25 cups katsuobushi (bonito flakes); 3 tbs neutral oil with high smoke point (vegetable, canola, or sesame oil)

Inspired by Teppan Japanese Kitchen

Time40m

Serves4

Takoyaki is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a specially molded pan. It is filled with diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion.

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Ingredients

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Batter

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (wheat flour)

2 1/4 cups dashi stock (or low-sodium chicken/vegetable broth)

2 to taste Large eggs

1 tbs Aged soy sauce

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/2 tsp Baking powder

Filling & Mix-ins

8 oz cooked octopus (tako), diced into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cups tenkasu (tempura scraps)

3 tbsp beni shoga (pickled red ginger), finely chopped

3 stalks green onions (scallions), thinly sliced

Toppings

1/2 cups takoyaki sauce (or okonomiyaki sauce)

1/4 cups Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie preferred)

1 tsp aonori (dried green seaweed flakes)

1/4 cups katsuobushi (bonito flakes)

Pan prep & oil

3 tbs neutral oil with high smoke point (vegetable, canola, or sesame oil)

Method

Batter

Mix dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1.25 cups all-purpose flour and 0.5 tsp baking powder until evenly combined.

Combine wet ingredients

In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, beat 2 large eggs lightly, then add 2.25 cups chilled or room-temperature dashi stock and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Stir to combine.

Gradually pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients while whisking to avoid lumps. Whisk until you have a smooth, slightly thin batter. Season with 1 tsp salt and adjust briefly to taste if needed. The batter should be pourable (similar to thin pancake batter). Cover and refrigerate for 10–15 minutes if time allows to let flour hydrate.

Filling & mix-ins

Prepare fillings while batter rests. Dice about 8 oz cooked octopus into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Thinly slice 3 scallions, finely chop 3 tbsp pickled red ginger (beni shoga), and measure out 3/4 cup tenkasu. Keep fillings ready in small bowls near the pan.

Pan prep & cooking

Heat the takoyaki pan over medium heat until hot. Brush each well generously with the neutral oil (use a pastry brush or paper towel). Keep remaining oil nearby to re-oil wells as needed.

Pour batter into each well to just overfill (batter will overflow slightly). Fill the wells completely — you want enough batter so you can add fillings and still have batter to rotate and form balls.

Immediately drop one piece of diced octopus into each well. Then add a pinch (about 1/2 tsp) of tenkasu, a small pinch of chopped pickled ginger, and a few slices of green onion into each well. If you prefer more filling, add more tenkasu or ginger but keep proportions balanced.

Let the batter cook undisturbed for 1½–2 minutes until the edges begin to set and the bottom forms a light crust. Use a takoyaki pick (or skewer/metal skewer/chopstick) to pry around the edge of a ball and turn it 90 degrees so uncooked batter flows out. Continue to rotate each piece in stages (turning by about 90° increments) to form a round shape. This takes about 4–6 minutes total per batch depending on heat.

Keep turning the balls every minute or so so they brown evenly and become spherical. If wells run dry of oil, brush a little more oil into them. Cook until golden brown and crisp on the outside and fully set (internal temperature just warmed through for pre-cooked octopus), about 6–8 minutes total from first pour.

Serving & toppings

Transfer takoyaki to a plate or to wooden boats. Immediately drizzle takoyaki sauce over the balls (about 1–2 tsp per ball, or to taste) and then drizzle Japanese mayonnaise in a thin zigzag pattern.

Sprinkle aonori (about 1 tsp) evenly over the takoyaki and top with katsuobushi (about 1/4 cup). Serve hot—katsuobushi will flutter from the heat. Optionally serve extra takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise on the side.