How to Cook the Best Takoyaki Recipes in Your Takoyaki Pan

What is Takoyaki?

Takoyaki is straightforward when translated: tako means “octopus” and yaki means “grilled” or “fried.”

Takoyaki originated in the city of Osaka in the mid- 1930s, where, according to local lore, a street vendor was experimenting with a dough fritter that was popular at the time. He used octopus because it was plentiful in the city, and the use of wheat flour was still a novelty in a country where rice was king.

From there, Takoyaki evolved into what we know it as today: an octopus-studded ball of flavorful dough, cooked in a special pan of rounded cups. Takoyaki is typically crisp on the outside, and a little creamy on the inside, with chewy chunks of octopus. It’s often served drizzled with a thick sweet-savory sauce and Japanese mayonnaise, and sprinkled with bonito flakes.

In Osaka, the history and tradition of takoyaki is so important to the city’s culture that it’s celebrated at a “museum” called Takopa Takoyaki Park. There, visitors can taste takoyaki from a number of different takoyaki shops, play carnival games, and learn about the history of takoyaki and how it’s made.

All across Japan, you’ll find takoyaki highlighted on restaurant menus, served at food stalls, and hawked by festival vendors. Some chefs prepare and serve it the traditional way, while others take liberties with the condiments, toppings, fillings, and seasonings.

Why Takoyaki?

It’s fun: Mastering the technique of filling and flipping the balls in the takoyaki pan is lots of fun and lends itself to a lot of creativity. Mix up your favorite cake, muffin, pancake, or quick bread recipe and try cooking it in your takoyaki pan!

It’s interactive: In Japan, takoyaki parties are a fun way of entertaining. The host sets out all the ingredients, and everyone gathers around the pan, pouring in the batter, adding the ingredients, and flipping the balls when they’re ready. With the recipes in this book, you and your guests can have fun cooking and eating together.

It’s fast: The smaller portion size and the concentrated heat mean the food cooks quickly. Most of the recipes in this book cook in a matter of minutes, and you can make 16 to 18 balls at a time, depending on how many cups your takoyaki pan has.

It’s tasty: Traditional takoyaki is a delicious treat, full of contrasting flavors and textures. The variations on takoyaki in this book, as well as all the other recipes designed for your takoyaki pan, will delight adventurous eaters and tempt picky eaters alike.

Making Takoyaki in Your Kitchen

That’s why having your own takoyaki pan is so great! If you are a fan of the flavor and texture of takoyaki, you can re-create it at home and even get inventive with your pan to make a wide range of dishes. It’s a super-fun and collaborative way of cooking for a group of friends or your family. All you need to do is set up an electric pan or a stovetop pan on a butane burner at the table, and get cooking! The technique is easy to master, and since takoyaki and other recipes made in the pan are best eaten hot and fresh, everyone will love eating them as they come off the pan!

On the American market, there are a few different options when it comes to takoyaki pans.

Stovetop Pans: These are the most common takoyaki pans. They’re a good choice because they can fit on a typical gas burner and the temperature is easily controlled by simply turning your burner up or down. They’re also easy to clean—some are even dishwasher safe! The Japanese often use this kind of pan with a portable butane burner (similar to a camp stove) so that they can cook at the table, which is a social and interactive way of eating takoyaki.

Stovetop takoyaki pans come in cast iron or aluminum. Cast iron takoyaki pans are heavier than aluminum ones and will take longer to get hot, but they retain heat better. Aluminum takoyaki pans are less expensive, lighter in weight, and respond more quickly to changes in temperature. Some Japanese manufacturers specify that their takoyaki pans are only for use on a tabletop burner from that supplier, but I’ve used my pan on my conventional gas stove with no issues. Some stovetop pans will also work on electric coils or induction cooktops, but if you plan to use one of these heat sources, be sure to check with the manufacturer first to make sure your pan is compatible.

Electric Pans: These are similar to countertop griddles that plug into an electrical socket and don’t require an outside heat source. They have their own heating element below the metal plate with the round cups where you pour the batter. One issue with these is that most models only have an on-off switch, so the heat can’t be adjusted.

If you choose an electric pan, be mindful that, just like a pancake griddle, different areas of the pan will get hotter and cooler—the cups that are farthest from the heating coil will not get as hot as those in the center. Once you get a sense of this, you can avoid using those parts of the pan, or you can simply cook those takoyaki a bit longer. The electric pan is a fun option if you want to cook right at the dinner table but don’t have a portable butane burner. When shopping for an electric model, be sure to get one with a removable cooking surface to make clean-up easier.

Tools for the Takoyaki Chef

Your Takoyaki Kitchen

A few tools, many of which you might already have on hand, will help you get the best results when cooking with any style of takoyaki pan.

Wooden Picks: Never use forks or other metal utensils on the cooking surface of your takoyaki pan, as they’ll scratch the nonstick surface. Instead, use wooden picks to turn the takoyaki or remove them from the pan. Although you can buy special takoyaki picks, I simply use the disposable bamboo skewers sold for kebabs. They can be washed and used many times.

Chopsticks: A pair of bamboo chopsticks are good for removing cooked takoyaki from the pan. They can also be used for carefully placing pieces of the filling into the takoyaki as they cook, or to arrange the toppings from some of the recipes in this book, such as the vegetable mixture that goes on the Polenta Cups on page 56 or the seaweed that tops the Rice Cups on page 26.

Tiny Ladle: The cups in a takoyaki pan hold about 11⁄2 tablespoons. A small ladle that holds about half an ounce is perfect for scooping and pouring thin batters, such as the traditional takoyaki batter, into the pan. You can find these ladles at restaurant supply stores or kitchen specialty stores.

Cookie Scoops: I like to use cookie scoops—the kind that look like mini ice-cream scoops and have a little spring-loaded trigger to eject the food—for scooping thicker batters, like the muffin and cake batters in The Little Book of Takoyaki. I recommend having two: one with a 11⁄2-tablespoon capacity and another with a 1-tablespoon capacity.

Silicone Gripper: Many takoyaki pans don’t have heatproof handles. A pair of silicone gripper mitts, just big enough to fit your fingers and thumbs, are just the right size to grip the handles of the pan.

Pastry Brush: Takoyaki chefs use a round, soft bristled brush that fits perfectly into the takoyaki pan to oil the cups. These special brushes are hard to come by in the United States, but a pastry brush will do the trick. I often just use a wadded-up paper towel.

Butane Burner: Some takoyaki pan manufacturers also sell little butane burners so that you can make takoyaki right at your dining room table. (Be sure to place a heatproof barrier underneath the pan to protect your table.)

If you order takoyaki in a Japanese restaurant, it’ll most likely be filled with octopus, just like the original recipe developed back in the 1930s. You can buy fresh or frozen cooked octopus at an Asian supermarket or a well-stocked fishmonger. Frozen octopus is not only convenient, since you can thaw just the amount you need, but the freezing process also tenderizes the meat.

Makes 16 pieces

1 egg

1 cup dashi broth (see recipe, page 16)

3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil, as needed

4 ounces octopus, chopped and cooked

2 scallions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons pickled ginger, finely chopped

Takoyaki sauce or teriyaki sauce, for serving

Japanese-style mayonnaise, for serving

1⁄4 cup bonito flakes, for serving

1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg until smooth. Whisk in the broth, then the flour. Continue whisking until well combined and no lumps remain.

2. Brush the cups of the takoyaki pan with vegetable oil, and heat the pan over medium heat. Using a tablespoon or a small ladle, spoon the batter into the cups of the heated takoyaki pan until they are just barely full. Drop a small amount of octopus, scallion, and ginger into each cup. Let cook for about 4 minutes, until the edges start looking cooked. Using a pick, carefully rotate each takoyaki halfway, letting the raw batter flow into the pan, and then rotate all of the way so that the other side cooks. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes until evenly browned.

3. Remove the takoyaki from the pan using two picks or chopsticks. Drizzle with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, sprinkle with bonito flakes, and serve immediately.

Note: If you’re starting with raw octopus, cut it into small chunks with a sharp knife and simmer them in water or dashi for about 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.

One of my husband’s favorite dishes at our local sushi restaurant is the onigiri. This rice treat comes in a big triangle, belted with a strip of seaweed. The rice exterior is crisp and toasty, and the inside is filled with flavorful salmon skin. I developed this recipe for him, but my kids love it, too. I made extras thinking it would be great for their lunches, but when I went to pack them, it turns out they’d snacked on the entire batch!

Makes about 24

11⁄2 cups short-grained white Japanese rice, e.g., Nishiki

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 ounces hot-smoked salmon

Vegetable oil, as needed

2 sheets nori paper, cut into twenty-four 1⁄2-inch strips

Ponzu sauce, for serving

1. Place the rice in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Rub the grains together in your fist, then drain the water off. Repeat several times until water is no longer cloudy. Drain as much water as you can, then add 11⁄2 cups fresh water to the pan, brushing down any grains stuck to the sides of the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cover and reduce heat to just maintain a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let sit, covered, for an additional 10 minutes. Rice should be firm but cooked all the way through.

2. When the rice is cool enough to handle, fill a shallow bowl with water. Wet your hands with the water, and scoop a bit of rice into your palm. Flatten the rice slightly with your thumb, and put a few flakes of salmon in the middle. Pack the rice around the salmon, as if you were making a snowball. Make the ball about the same size as the cups in your takoyaki pan. Continue making salmon-filled rice balls, wetting your hands occasionally to keep the rice from sticking.

3. Brush the cups of the takoyaki pan with vegetable oil and heat the pan over medium heat. Put the onigiri balls into the cups and let cook for about 4 minutes, until the underside is lightly toasted and crispy. Use a pick to turn the balls over, and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the balls from the pan to a platter, and cook the remaining onigiri. Wrap each ball with a piece of nori, wetting the end of the strip to stick it to itself. Serve warm or at room temperature. Onigiri will keep, covered and refrigerated, for 1 to 2 days, although the rice might get a bit hard.

These pops are so much more fun to eat than regular pancakes! They’re just the thing to grab and go on a busy morning or to serve at brunch. While I love the sweet-and-savory contrast with the sausage, you could also drop a few blueberries or banana pieces into the batter instead if you want an all-sweet treat.

Makes about 32

2 eggs

1⁄2 cup whole or low-fat milk

1⁄2 cup buttermilk

6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled, divided

11⁄3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 ounces cooked sausage, cut into 3⁄4-inch chunks

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in the milk, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons butter. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and whisk until very few lumps remain.

2. Brush the cups of the takoyaki pan with the rest of the melted butter and heat the pan over medium heat. Drop a piece of sausage into each cup. Using a cookie scoop, fill the cups with batter until they are just barely full. Let cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges begin to set and the underside is lightly browned. Use a pick to partially turn each pancake pop, letting the batter flow into the pan, and then turn each over completely. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the sides are evenly browned. Remove from the pan using two picks or chopsticks, and serve warm with maple syrup for dipping.