I first learned how to cook takoyaki here in Japan in the summer of 2017. My husband’s friends and their family came to our home, we had a small gathering. They were so sweet and nice, they even patiently taught me how to cook the takoyaki and okonomiyaki.
Japanese Takoyaki
Takoyaki Is a popular and delicious Japanese, ball-shaped street food snack. “Tako” means octopus and “yaki” means grilled or fried. These little bite-sized snacks are crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside, with bits of octopus ( or any filling you prefer is fine) filled inside. They’re topped with sweet takoyaki sauce, rich mayo and bonito flakes. It’s a delicious treat that’s easy to make. 🙂
Ingredients
- pack For those using instant takoyaki mix, simply follow the instructions on the packet for the perfect texture and flavor. Check packaging for how many takoyaki you can make.
For the batter:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups dashi stock or water + dashi powder
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional) for extra fluffiness
Fillings:
- 1/2 cup 1/2 cup cooked octopus chopped
- 2 tbsp 2 tbsp pickled red ginger beni shoga – optional but traditional
- 2 tbsp 2 tbsp chopped green onions
- 2 tbsp tenkasu (crispy tempura bits – or use crushed crackers for a hacky shortcut!
- optional fillings cheese shrimp, shirasu, bacon, chicken, mushroom, kimchi, tuna and more.
Toppings:
- Takoyaki sauce or mix ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and a bit of sugar for DIY
- Japanese mayo like Kewpie
- Aonori dried seaweed flakes
- Katsuobushi bonito flakes that do the spooky little dance on top
- Optional: extra green onions or sesame seeds
Instructions
Instructions:
- Make the Batter: In a bowl, whisk the flour, eggs, and dashi stock together until smooth. Add soy sauce and salt. The batter should be thin and runny—almost like crepe batter.
- Heat the Takoyaki Pan: Lightly oil a takoyaki pan (or an ebelskiver pan if that’s what you’ve got) and heat on medium.
- Pour the Batter: Fill each hole almost to overflowing—it’s okay if it spills a little.
- Add Fillings: Drop in a piece of octopus, then sprinkle in a bit of red ginger, green onion, and tenkasu into each hole.
- Flip & Shape: After a minute or so, use skewers or chopsticks to gently rotate the balls 90 degrees. The batter will still be runny, but as you turn it, the excess will pour out and cook, creating a round shape. Keep flipping until golden brown on all sides.
- Serve Hot with Toppings: Drizzle with takoyaki sauce and mayo, sprinkle aonori and bonito flakes on top—and enjoy the dance of the flakes like it’s a little festival in your kitchen!
Notes
Do’s
- Do use a Takoyaki pan.
- If you can, get a takoyaki pan—it’ll make cooking so much easier! The indentations help you get that perfect round shape.
- Do grease the pan well.
- Greasing your takoyaki pan before pouring in the batter ensures that the balls won’t stick and helps them crisp up nicely.
- Do use dashi stock for the batter.
- Traditional takoyaki batter is made with dashi, which adds that umami flavor. If you can’t find dashi, you can substitute with chicken or vegetable stock, but it won't have the same depth of flavor.
- Do flip your takoyaki carefully.
- Use chopsticks or skewers to turn the takoyaki balls gently. You’ll need to rotate them a few times to get them crispy on all sides. Don’t rush.
- Do experiment with fillings.
- Fillings like octopus, shrimp, cheese, or bacon make takoyaki super versatile. Just make sure your fillings are small enough to fit in the batter without overstuffing.
- Do top them generously.
- Go all in with takoyaki sauce, mayo, aonori, and bonito flakes. The more, the tastier!
- Do serve them hot.
- Takoyaki tastes best fresh and hot out of the pan. They can cool down quickly, so keep them warm while serving.
- Don’t overfill the batter.
- Be mindful of the batter-to-filling ratio. Overstuffing can cause the batter to break or not cook properly. A little goes a long way, so keep fillings in small amounts.
- Don’t rush the flipping process.
- Takoyaki takes a little patience. Don’t try to flip them too early, or they’ll break. Wait until the edges start to set before attempting to turn them.
- Don’t skip the turning.
- The key to achieving those perfectly round takoyaki balls is turning them often. Don’t just leave them in one position. Give them some love by rotating them!
- Don’t forget about texture.
- Make sure your fillings are well-cooked (or pre-cooked) before adding them to the batter. Otherwise, they might not cook through as the takoyaki balls fry.
- Don’t use too much batter.
- If you fill the holes too much, it can overflow and cause the takoyaki to lose its shape. Just enough batter to cover the fillings, please!
- Don’t make them too big.
- Takoyaki should be bite-sized. If your balls are too large, they won’t cook evenly, and you’ll end up with a raw center.
- Don’t skip the topping essentials.
- Takoyaki sauce and mayo are a must! Don’t go light on the toppings—this is what brings it all together.
