11 Octopus Recipes That'll Suck You In! | DineWithDrinks (2024)

11 Octopus Recipes That'll Suck You In! | DineWithDrinks (1)

Are you ready to dive into the world of exquisite seafood dishes? Look no further than the tantalizing realm of octopus recipes. From tender and succulent to bold and flavorful, octopus offers a culinary experience like no other.

Whether you're a seafood enthusiast or simply looking to impress your dinner guests, these best octopus recipes will surely leave you craving more. So, grab your apron and get ready to embark on a gastronomic adventure that will tantalize your taste buds and elevate your cooking skills to new heights.

1. Homemade Fried Octopus

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Homemade Fried Octopus is a delicious seafood dish that combines the tenderness of boiled octopus with the crispiness of frying. The octopus is first boiled with vegetables until soft, then coated in flour and fried until crispy.

The use of butter adds a rich flavor, but oil can be used as an alternative. This recipe can be enjoyed as a meal with your favorite side dish or eaten without frying for a delicious boiled option. Serve with a sauce of your choice, such as ketchup, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.

2. Baby Octopus

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The Baby Octopus recipe is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that showcases the flavors of the sea. The tender octopus is cooked to perfection with a combination of olive oil, butter, garlic, lime juice, smoked paprika, and oregano.

It can be served as an exotic appetizer, side dish, or even a main course when paired with vegetables. The recipe is versatile and offers a delightful seafood experience.

3. Crispy Fried Octopus

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The Crispy Fried Octopus recipe is a delightful and flavorful dish that is surprisingly easy to make. The octopus is tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, creating a perfect texture combination.

The addition of vinegar and black garlic paste adds a unique and delicious flavor profile. This recipe is a must-try for seafood lovers looking to impress their guests.

4. Grilled Octopus

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The Grilled Octopus recipe is a simple and flavorful dish that is perfect for seafood lovers. The octopus is tender, lightly seasoned, and charred to perfection.

It is a great appetizer option, especially when paired with a glass of chilled white wine. Whether you're hosting a summer party or want to impress your guests, this easy recipe is a must-try.

5. Qarnit Bit-Tewm

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Qarnit Bit-Tewm is a traditional Maltese dish featuring tender octopus dressed in a flavorful garlic and parsley dressing, with plenty of olive oil. It can be enjoyed as a delicious appetizer or as a satisfying main course.

The octopus is cooked until tender and then chopped before being mixed with the herby dressing. This recipe offers a delightful combination of flavors and is a must-try for octopus lovers.

6. Greek Grilled Octopus

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Greek Grilled Octopus is a delicious and simple recipe that brings the flavors of the Mediterranean to your home kitchen. The octopus is cooked and seasoned with a flavorful herb vinaigrette sauce, giving it a lemony and fresh taste.

It is perfect for grilling and can be served with boiled potatoes and a salad. This recipe captures the essence of a seaside vacation and is a must-try for seafood lovers.

7. Greek-style Octopus

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Greek-style Octopus is a must-try dish for seafood lovers. This authentic Greek recipe elevates the flavors of fresh octopus with a simple cooking process. Boiled until slightly crunchy, then seared in a hot pan for crispiness, the octopus is enhanced with onions, tomatoes, garlic, and Mediterranean spices.

Deglazed with balsamic vinegar and cooked with honey and parsley, the result is a mouthwatering dish that transports you to the sunny beaches of Greece. Serve it with potatoes, bread, mixed vegetables, or a Greek salad for a complete and satisfying meal.

8. Instant Pot Octopus

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The Instant Pot Octopus recipe is a flavorful and easy way to cook octopus to perfection. With just a few simple ingredients, this recipe allows the natural taste of the octopus to shine.

The option to broil the octopus for added crispiness is a great touch. Serve it over potato slices or incorporate it into a main dish for a delicious seafood meal.

9. Octopus Ceviche

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Octopus Ceviche is a light and refreshing appetizer that combines tender octopus with tangy lime juice, red onions, cilantro, and chiles. The octopus is cooked until tender and then marinated in a flavorful mixture.

The result is a dish with a mild and meaty flavor, reminiscent of calamari or crab leg. Serve it with tortillas or chips for a delightful seafood experience.

10. Traditional Azorean Roasted Octopus

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The Traditional Azorean Roasted Octopus recipe is a standout among octopus dishes. With a flavorful combination of onions, garlic, sweet red pepper paste, tomato paste, red hot pepper sauce, white pepper, and kosher salt, this dish is bursting with taste.

The octopus is tenderized and cooked with these ingredients, along with white wine and olive oil, resulting in a succulent and aromatic dish. Served alongside roasted potatoes, this recipe is a true delight for seafood lovers.

11. Sous Vide Octopus

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The Sous Vide Octopus recipe is a foolproof method for achieving tender and flavorful octopus. The octopus is blanched, seasoned, and cooked in a sous vide for 5 hours before being finished off with a char on a hot grill or skillet.

The result is a delicious octopus dish with a crispy exterior and juicy interior. Perfectly cooked and full of flavor, this recipe is a must-try for octopus lovers.

11 Octopus Recipes That'll Suck You In! | DineWithDrinks (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to tender octopus? ›

Salting is essential to tenderness, or fatal; brief dips in boiling water tenderize, or long slow cooling, or a rubbing with grated daikon, or the addition of a wine cork to the cooking liquid. Last week I stumbled on a Greek food scientist's report that small amounts of vinegar tenderize octopus.

How do you cook octopus so it's not rubbery? ›

For medium (about a foot long and weighing less than a half-pound) boil for 4 to 5 minutes. For large octopus (around 5 pounds), boil for a good 8 to 10 minutes. Add a tablespoon of vinegar into the simmering liquid as the acetic acid can help break down the connective tissue in the tentacles.

What does octopus pair well with? ›

Octopus pairs well with a variety of ingredients, from fresh vegetables and citrus fruits to potatoes and legumes.

How long do you boil octopus to be tender? ›

Cook until octopus is tender enough that you can pierce the thick part of a tentacle with a paring knife with little resistance, about 1 hour; keep in mind that this time is a rough estimate, and the octopus may be done sooner or it may take longer, but it will get there. Let octopus cool in the cooking water.

What should you do to octopus before cooking it? ›

It's simple though: Do very little before cooking the octopus. Some sources suggest cutting out the beak and eyes beforehand, but I find it much easier to remove those parts when the flesh isn't as slippery as it is when raw. In almost all cases, the head itself will already be cleaned when you buy an octopus.

Does cooking octopus longer make it softer? ›

Any meat toughens up when cooked but eventually becomes more tender with long cooking. Squid and octopus toughen up a lot and quickly, so you either have to fry it fast, or let it simmer for a long time. So, then, one tends to eat it in one of those two forms.

Why is eating octopus controversial? ›

Added to this is the serious moral issue of confining sentient creatures to industrial food systems. Researchers have suggested that, as particularly intelligent and playful creatures, octopuses are unsuited to a life in captivity and mass-production.

What is the most delicious octopus? ›

We've taste tested many kinds of octopus and the Portuguese octopus we believe is one of the best. The meat is very white with a nice, firm texture. If prepared correctly, it is not tough or chewy, but actually quite tender.

How do Italians eat octopus? ›

The cooked octopus can be served as it is, sliced and dressed with some lemon and olive oil or sliced and served with boiled potatoes. You can also grill the cooked octopus to give it some extra flavor. I have served with warm tuscan beans or on a bed of mashed potatoes with salsa verde mixed it.

What is an octopus greatest enemy? ›

Seals, sea otters, sharks, and large fish are the predominant predators of the giant Pacific octopus. The giant Pacific octopus is an intelligent animal with a well-developed brain.

What do you do with Costco cooked octopus? ›

10 Ways to Serve & Enjoy Fully Cooked Octopus
  1. Grilled Octopus with Sausage. Cut the octopus into bite-size chunks and spicy chorizo sausage in proportion. ...
  2. Octopus On Salad. ...
  3. Pasta Perfection with Octopus. ...
  4. Easy Marinated Octopus. ...
  5. Simple Seared Octopus. ...
  6. Octopus Tapas. ...
  7. Octopus Ceviche. ...
  8. Portuguese-style Octopus with Potatoes.

How long does it take to cook octopus? ›

Cooking times can vary, but a general rule of thumb is to gently simmer it for at least 45 minutes for every two pounds, but sometimes it takes even longer. I like to use the poke test. Take a fork and insert it where the head meets the tentacles. If it slides in and out easily, your octopus is ready.

Does baking soda tenderize octopus? ›

Tenderizing cephalopods like squid, octopus, or cuttle fish can be done in many ways. Some soak them in milk, others use baking soda. For this current seafood menu, we meticulously score Danish squid 70% of the way through the flesh as if to emulate fish gills.

Does freezing octopus tenderise it? ›

It might be surprising, but frozen octopus is better than a fresh octopus. The process doesn't change the flavor, on top of that, it breaks the fibers which make it more tender.

Why do you dip octopus in boiling water? ›

According to A. J. McClane's _Encyclopedia of Fish Cookery _(Henry Holt, 1977), dipping heats the octopus gradually, so that its proteins break down slowly instead of instantly contracting in reaction to the hot water.

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