Crispy Fried Octopus Recipe

This fried octopus recipe is crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and packed with flavor. Plus, it's surprisingly easy to make!

 

The Best Fried Octopus

If you've been wondering how to cook octopus, this fried octopus recipe is the best way.

The octopus always comes out incredibly tender with a little bit of springiness and the perfect amount of crunch from the golden brown coating.

It's truly a stunning appetizer - or main dish - that will always leave a long-lasting impression on your dinner guests.

And, in addition to all that, fried octopus is pretty healthy.

This octopus recipe provides you with just 139 calories in total, and alongside that, it has a ton of nutritional benefits - such as being rich in calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids.

So, it's tasty and good for you.

I mean, who would say no to that?

Now, octopus usually gets a bad rap because it can end up too chewy if it's overcooked.

But, this fried octopus recipe will have you making tender and tasty octopus like a pro! Oh, and it goes great with a side of this tartar sauce, seafood boil sauce, or bloves sauce for dipping.

INGREDIENTS

One of the best things about this fried octopus recipe is that you don't need a lot of ingredients to make it.

As you'll see below, this recipe is mostly pantry staples with a couple of special spices thrown in to give it that one-of-a-kind flavor.

Anyway, here's everything you need to make fried octopus:

• 1 precooked and cleaned octopus
• 1 tablespoon(s) vinegar
• 1 ½ cup of oil
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ bunch parsley
• 1 clove(s) of garlic
• 1 tablespoon(s) of black garlic paste (or regular)
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 allspice berries
• 100g water
• 200g all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon(s) corn starch

And here are the ingredients for the sauce:

• ½ cup Mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon(s) curry
• Lemon zest (1 lemon)
• Lemon juice (1 lemon)

So, the most important ingredients you'll be needing for this fried octopus recipe are vinegar and black garlic paste. The vinegar tenderizes the octopus, while the black garlic brings a sweet and savory umami flavor that's unlike anything you've had before.

You can easily find black garlic paste online or at a seafood market, but you can also use regular garlic paste in a pinch. The flavor won't be exactly the same, but it'll be just as addictively delicious.

Oh, and before getting started on how to cook fried octopus, just keep in mind that the octopus will usually shrink to half its size after being cooked. So you'll want to buy one that's larger than what you think you'll need.

HOW TO COOK OCTOPUS

Ok, so the secret behind making this octopus super flavorful and tender is boiling it with vinegar and spices. This step will take less than an hour on the stovetop or about 15 minutes in an Instant Pot.

Then, all you have to do is coat and fry the octopus. And if you precook the octopus in the water ahead of time, you can have some tender and crunchy fried octopus on the table in under 30 minutes!

With all that said, let's dive into this fried octopus recipe.

STEP 1: PREPARE THE OCTOPUS

If you haven't precooked your octopus yet, this is what you should do.

First, add the water, vinegar, allspice berries, bay leaves, garlic, and parsley to a deep pot.

Then, cut off the tentacles and separate them.

By the way, make sure that the octopus has been thoroughly cleaned before separating the tentacles. Tentacles usually have a little sand stuck between the suctions, even when it was cleaned at the store.

Anyway, now put the octopus into the pot and over the stove on medium heat. Cover it and stew for around 40-50 minutes. Alternatively, you can also cook it in the Instant Pot for 15 minutes on high pressure.

Anyway, after cooking the octopus, you'll want to take it off the heat and let it cool. Then, chop it into 1-inch pieces and pat with kitchen paper until completely dry.

STEP 2: FRY THE OCTOPUS

Next, take a medium-sized bowl and add the flour, salt, cornstarch, and pepper. Blend well.

Now, take out a large pot and heat the oil to 350°F (180ºC).

Then, transfer the dried octopus pieces to the bowl with the flour mixture and coat. Also, for best results, you'll want to make sure all surfaces of the octopus are covered in the mixture.

So, once all octopus pieces are evenly coated, you can add them to the hot oil in batches and fry for 3-4 minutes. They'll turn nicely golden brown when they're done.

Then, when you've got the pieces looking good you can transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels. Doing this will help soak up any excess oil and keep the octopus crispy as well.

STEP 3: PREPARE THE SAUCE

For the B'love sauce, take a medium bowl and combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, curry, and mayonnaise.

Then, transfer it to a dipping bowl and garnish it with parsley. 

Serve your fried octopus with this creamy mayo dip and enjoy!

HOW TO STORE FRIED OCTOPUS

You can store any leftover fried octopus in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Fried foods tend to lose their crispiness when stored, so you'll want to reheat them for a few minutes in the air fryer for the best results.

Just set the air fryer to cook at 350°F and air fry until the octopus is warmed through and crispy again.

Alternatively, you can also warm up the fried octopus in the oven at 350°F until warm.

WRAPPING IT UP

Well, that's how to make fried octopus.

Honestly, octopus has got to be one of the most underrated and delicious kinds of seafood. And this fried octopus is sure to surprise and impress your dinner guests - and yourself!

Cooking octopus may seem overwhelming and difficult at first, but once you've tried this recipe, I think you'll find that it's a lot quicker and easier to do than you think.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fried octopus recipe as much as I do.

If you try it, be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below.

MORE SEAFOOD RECIPES

If you like seafood recipes and want to give some more a try next, we have a ton on the blog that I think you'll really like.

Here are some easy recipes to try next:

• Air Fryer Catfish
• Air Fryer Mahi Mahi 
• Fried Mahi Mahi 
• Instant Pot Paella
• General Tso Shrimp

Oh, and for more tasty recipes just like this one check out our YouTube channel. We post new recipes on there almost every day.

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