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Takoyaki (たこ焼き) is a very casual fast food in Japan. It might not be easily found at Japanese restaurants in the US or other parts of world even though it is a very popular dish. Takoyaki tastes a little bit like round shaped Okonomiyaki, but it has a much different flavor from the Tako (octopus) cooked inside them. In most parts of Japan, people don’t treat Takoyaki as a meal. Many people typically think of Takoyaki as something you get from street vendors at festivals and events.
In western Japan, in the Kansai area where we are from on the other hand, Takoyaki is very popular not only as a snack but also as a meal. Many households in Kansai have Takoyaki pans at home so they can cook for dinner. Takoyaki is actually very filling since flour is used as a main ingredient just like pancakes and bread. With savory Takoyaki Sauce 
, similar to Okonomiyaki sauce (or even Tonkatsu sauce), it can be a very good main dish for dinner.
It is very easy to make Takoyaki batter, and it’s even simple to cook, however, you must have a Takoyaki pan. If you don’t have it, it’s not possible to make Takoyaki. Luckily, today we can easily buyTakoyaki Grill Pan (#ad) online. Some Takoyaki pans are cast iron or non-stick aluminum to use on a stove top. These work best on a gas stove. They also sellElectric Takoyaki Pan
that are portable and great for Takoyaki parties to cook right at the dinner table. If you decide to buy a Takoyaki pan, don’t forget to get a Takoyaki Pick
(#ad). It often looks like a small ice pick, though some are flat on the end as well. If you don’t have one, you can use something pointy, or skinny and thinner towards the end like a skewer. (A fork does not work well.)
Takoyaki is literally baked or fried octopus, so if you don’t use octopus, is it not really Takoyaki anymore? ….that’s not true! Put whatever you want inside Takoyaki. We use cheese or sausage for kids, shrimp pieces when octopus is not available, vegetables like chopped cabbage, anything you want, really. They are best eaten hot right out of a pan, so get a Takoyaki pan and enjoy fresh home made Takoyaki!
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes
Takoyaki Recipe
Ball-shaped savory pancakes with octopus filling with Takoyaki sauce and toppings
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 30 pieces
*Links may contain ad. #CommissionsEarned
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups Dashi
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 2-3 green onions finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp Benishoga pickled red ginger, chopped
- Boiled octopus* cut into 1/2" (1 cm) cubes
- oil
- Takoyaki sauce or Okonomiyaki sauce
- mayonnaise
- Aonori green dried seaweed
- Katsuobushi dried bonito flakes
- *Substitute octopus with sausage cheese, ham, and etc.
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
In a large bowl, mix well Dashi, eggs, soy sauce, salt, and flour with a whisk.
Heat a Takoyaki pan with oil to very hot, just until the oil begins to smoke. Use enough oil to coat the pan using a paper towel so that the batter won’t stick. Then pour batter to fill the holes of the pan.
Drop octopus pieces in the batter in each hole, and sprinkle chopped green onions and ginger all over the pan.
Cook at medium heat for 1-2 minutes and turn over using a Takoyaki turner (you can use a chopstick too). It can be a little tricky at first, so watch the video to see the technique. Cook another 3-4 minutes, turning constantly.
Place the cooked Takoyaki on a plate and pour Takoyaki sauce and mayo over them (to taste). Finish the dish by sprinkling the Takoyaki with Aonori (green dried seaweed) and Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).
Video
octopustakoyaki
January 26, 2013 By JapaneseCooking101
About JapaneseCooking101
Noriko and Yuko, the authors of this site, are both from Japan but now live in California. They love cooking and eating great food, and share a similar passion for home cooking using fresh ingredients.Noriko and Yuko plan and develop recipes together for Japanese Cooking 101. They cook and shoot photos/videos at their home kitchen(s.)
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Chuchay acolacol
November 1, 2013 at 3:40 pm
The recipe is very good and simple. Thank you for sharing it to us.
Hugo Garcia
January 6, 2014 at 10:58 am
Im dying to try this as soon as my electric takoyaki maker gets here.
Noriko
January 7, 2014 at 10:36 pm
Hugo,
electric takoyaki maker! good for you!Elizabeth
August 21, 2014 at 12:05 pm
I can’t wait to try this with my cake pop maker.
nessa
April 6, 2016 at 12:09 pm
How did it turn out? I have a baby cakes too and I wanna try.
Pang
January 16, 2014 at 10:35 am
I will definitely try this recipe. I just got an aebleskiver pan, and am very curious to see whether I can use it for Takoyaki as well. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe; I will be sure to check this website often 🙂
Noriko
February 1, 2014 at 12:16 pm
Pang,
that will make you a huge Takoyaki! Let us know if you tried!
Meghan
February 1, 2014 at 11:47 pm
Wow I hope to try making these soon! I only tried them recently and they were yum! Love your whole website, I will definitely be trying my hand at many of the recipes! I love how easy to follow and delicious they all look, thank you! 🙂 I have subscribed to your youtube channel!
Noriko
February 10, 2014 at 9:22 am
Meghan,
thanks for subscribing our Youtube channel! Come to our website too to see the whole recipes!
Jeree
February 12, 2014 at 9:27 pm
My Takoyaki Maker just arrived and I’m so glad you had a video to guide me. I loved watching you and your comments made me smile. Since I first watched your videos, I’ve been inspired to make home made dashi and with that miso soup every day, and my husband loves them, so I thank you very much! I am going to keep watching your videos and learning more new things to try!
Noriko
February 23, 2014 at 6:01 pm
Jeree,
Congrats! You’ll love Takoyaki Maker!
Elle
February 28, 2014 at 8:35 am
Hello Ma’am! I’d like to ask. Is it really okay to use Tonkatsu sauce instead of Takoyaki sauce? I can’t find takoyaki sauce available in our stores so I only have Tonkatsu as an option. Does the taste similar? I’m just worried that they’re not the same and my takoyaki won’t taste the same because of different sauce.
Noriko
March 2, 2014 at 11:34 pm
Elle,
if you cannot find Takoyaki or Okonomiyaki sauce, Tonkatsu sause is your best bet. You could add some Mirin to Tonkatsu sauce and let it boil for a few seconds, and it’s good to go.
Elizabeth
April 6, 2014 at 8:59 am
I recently bought a cast iron takoyaki pan. I bought all my ingredients to make takoyaki but I have one question. I bought takoyaki flour from my semi-local Japanese grocery store. I’m assuming that probably has dashi in it already. How would I work with that?
Noriko
May 12, 2014 at 10:48 pm
Elizabeth,
never used Takoyaki flour, so I don’t know. I guess you’re right that dashi is already in the flour. It’s better to follow the instruction on the package.
Des
April 14, 2014 at 2:57 am
I would like to know how best to prepare freshly caught octopus for the Takoyaki recipe?
Thank You
Noriko
April 14, 2014 at 10:55 pm
Des,
you have to boil raw octopus before using in the recipe.
luz
April 23, 2014 at 5:51 am
My daughter is crazy about it. So i want to learn how to make it.and i can make for her whenever she wants.
Noriko
April 28, 2014 at 10:09 pm
luz
hope you like it!
luz
April 23, 2014 at 5:55 am
Ma’am
I just want to ask.. What is dashi? Can i found it in other country’s market? Whats the english term of it?
Thanks.
Noriko
April 28, 2014 at 10:09 pm
luz,
we have a recipe for dashi. Please check our web site!
alyn
May 13, 2014 at 5:32 pm
where can i find all this ingredient in malaysia??
Noriko
June 4, 2014 at 1:22 am
alyn,
I don’t know! Do you have Japanese markets?
Cloudia
May 15, 2014 at 2:32 pm
I knw takoyaki isn’t relly takkyaki without the octopus but would I be able to get away with using chicken or pork? Mom won’t eat it otherwise.
Noriko
June 4, 2014 at 1:16 am
Cloudia,
of course! But cook long enough to cook the meat.
wellhof
May 17, 2014 at 1:59 pm
My wife and I visited the takoyaki “museum” in Osaka. One shop had lemon rind and pepper toppings! They had a theme song for the place that, two years later, we still try to sing. We’ll be singing it tonight while we try this recipe.
Noriko
June 3, 2014 at 12:56 am
wellhof,
how cute!
Michael Sherman
June 30, 2014 at 6:34 am
My niece is from Okinawa and I can’t wait to make this dish for our Thanksgiving dinner! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 10:22 pm
Michael,
hope you and your niece like our Takoyaki recipe. It is fun to make with family and friends!
Chloe
July 10, 2014 at 2:27 am
Can I add some minced cabbage into the batter?
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 5:37 pm
Chloe,
yes, you can. I sometimes do that to add more nutrition!
Brian
July 22, 2014 at 11:11 pm
can you buy dashi instead of having to prepare it
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 5:11 pm
Brian,
you could buy instant dashi (powder) and mix in boiling water. However, if you are boiling water, your job of making dashi is half way done.
Tom
July 23, 2014 at 11:57 am
The okonomiyaki is already a family favorite. I want to cook takoyaki but I have had trouble finding a pan. The problem is that we have an induction stove top and I understand most of the pans are cast iron and won’t work.
What do you recommend, a small butane stove to use a cast iron pan or just an electric takoyaki pan? Thanks!
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 5:09 pm
Which ever is fine. I have a cast iron pan and a butane stove, and that works very well. Good thing about this combination is you can use the butane stove for something else (hot pot, camping, etc.). My friend has electric one and she really likes it.
Octopenis
January 9, 2017 at 5:30 pm
Cast iron works on induction.
Ian
July 25, 2014 at 3:11 pm
Can you use a takoyaki pan with any type of cook top or will it only work well with a gas cook top?
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 4:54 pm
Ian,
we actually made takoyaki on flat electric stove top. It took longer to get the pan hot enough, but it worked.
Hannah
August 9, 2014 at 8:03 pm
Just made my first batch of takoyaki in a cake pop maker, it worked awesome!
Noriko
September 12, 2014 at 1:52 am
Hannah,
wow, a cake pop maker! Who knew?!
Chloe
August 10, 2014 at 11:25 pm
Is there anything that can replace the dashi?
Noriko
September 12, 2014 at 1:34 am
Chloe,
you may use just water, but it wouldn’t be the same.
SonJaeEun
August 10, 2014 at 11:30 pm
Can we use flat cooking pan instead?
Noriko
September 12, 2014 at 1:36 am
SonjaeEun,
probably not…
Cheryl S.
August 31, 2014 at 9:14 pm
Just had takoyaki for dinner tonight. The sauce and the Japanese mayo are a must along with the bonito flakes and powdered nori. Yummy, yummy!
I made half the recipe with octopus and the other half with kimchee…..I have to say, the kimchee was incredibly delicious !!! Not traditional but if anyone out there is going to make it, I hope that they will try it with the kimchee 🙂
Noriko
September 8, 2014 at 8:48 pm
Cheryl,
thanks for trying our Takoyaki recipes! Glad you liked them!
Vera
October 5, 2014 at 4:31 pm
Noriko さん… thank you for such a wonderful blog and youtube channel. I love japanese food so much and I am so excited to learn how to cook it from you!
Noriko
October 11, 2014 at 4:48 pm
Vera,
you’re welcome! We have a new recipe every week, so come back soon!
Puucho
October 9, 2014 at 3:27 am
Hello. I just tried making the batter. It’s sooo easy thanks to the instruction. Sadly, I still didn’t have two of the ingredients, the katsuboshi (rare and kinda expensive here..) and aonori (also rare..)
Now, into the question. How long will the batter usually can be used until it is spoiled? Im planning to make an extra batter so I could cook them easily next time.
Thank you 😉
Noriko
October 11, 2014 at 5:29 pm
Puucho,
You can store it for a couple of days, but it won’t be the same (like pancake batter). It’s easy to make so I’d say make more when you want another batch. (And just in case somebody is thinking about it, I wouldn’t recommend freezing it.)
Jared
October 21, 2014 at 7:16 am
I bought the smaller pan (12 count) and will be making takoyaki for my culinary class. Would you clean the pan before using it for a second batch or can you still use it?
Noriko
October 24, 2014 at 9:27 pm
Jared,
you don’t have to clean, but need to oil it.
Bella
October 23, 2014 at 8:35 pm
Hi! Im from Brunei and i love looking for japanese recipe from ur website. I like ur simple and easy to find ingredients. I love takoyaki so much! I’ve already tried making takoyaki with instant takoyaki flour and later im going to make takoyaki using ur recipe
Noriko
October 24, 2014 at 8:45 pm
Bella,
thanks for coming to Japanese Cooking 101. We add a new recipe every week, so come back soon!
Cheska
March 20, 2016 at 11:44 pm
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. It’s simple, with relatively easy ingredients to get. Plus you saved us because we couldn’t find any takoyaki batter after going through two Asian markets. My boyfriend and I just recently bought a takoyaki pan. With this recipe plus the easy to follow video, we successfully made our first takoyaki! And we couldn’t have been happier :]
Maria
August 21, 2016 at 2:08 pm
Success! Thanks for the easy to follow recipe! I’ve been wanting to make takoyaki for a long time and so glad I stumbled upon your recipe. The ingredients were easy to find (went to a Japanese market) and I was able to make 2 dozens takoyaki from the recipe.
cristy
November 10, 2016 at 1:58 am
I eant to make takoyaki. In your recipe it says 2 cups dashi. Do you mean dashi water? Do i have to dissolve the entire pack of dashi or half only to make 2 cups?
Andrew Koizumi
December 31, 2016 at 12:25 am
I have made this recipe many times since it was published. I don’t have a takoyaki pan with holes but I have used a tamagoyaki Japanese omelette pan (5.25 x 7.5 x 1.25 in). It is small and easy to flip the takoyahi’s. I love it.!!
