What Delicious Octopus Dishes Can You Make? Easy Recipes for Home Cooking

Octopus is a favorite seafood for many due to its sweet meat, moderate chewiness, and high nutritional value. Not only can it be prepared quickly, but octopus is also easy to combine with various ingredients to create delicious dishes suitable for family meals or seafood parties. If you are wondering what to cook with octopus, let’s explore these suggestions in this article from Ola Squid!

1. What to cook with octopus?

Octopus is a nutrient-rich seafood with naturally chewy and sweet meat that pairs well with many different ingredients. Here are some great suggestions that are both easy to make and preserve its characteristic fresh flavor that you should not miss:

1.1. Grilled Octopus

Ingredients

• 500 g octopus (1-2 pieces)
• 1 garlic bulb, 1 ginger root, 3 shallots
• 3 lemongrass stalks, 4 chili peppers
• 3 teaspoons of satay sauce
• 1 tablespoon of grilling marinade
• 3 teaspoons of cashew oil, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder

How to make grilled octopus

• Clean the octopus, rub lemon on the body, then rinse again. Finely mince or grind the shallots, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, and chili.
• Mix the satay sauce, grilling marinade, sugar, seasoning powder, chili powder, and cashew oil with the ground ingredients. Next, pat the octopus dry and mix well with the mixture, marinating for about 30 minutes.
• Then, grill the octopus on an electric grill, turning regularly to avoid burning. Once cooked, cut into bite-sized pieces, arrange on a plate, and serve with Vietnamese coriander, cucumber, and dip in chili sauce or green chili salt. The octopus is soft, fragrant, and rich with spicy, salty, and sweet flavors, making it very attractive and not too chewy.

1.2. Octopus Hotpot

Ingredients

• 600 g octopus
• 300 g Napa cabbage kimchi
• 500 ml chicken broth
• 100 g brown beech mushrooms, 100 g chestnut mushrooms
• 100 g king oyster mushrooms, 100 g enoki mushrooms
• 100 g zucchini, 100 g garland chrysanthemum
• 10 g minced leek, 10 g minced shallots, roasted white sesame seeds
• Korean chili paste (Gochujang), soy sauce, seasoning powder, sugar, MSG, salt

How to cook spicy and sour octopus hotpot:

• Clean the octopus after buying, soak it with salt and a few slices of ginger for about 5 minutes. Divide the octopus into two parts: one for marinating and the other kept as it is.
• Soak all types of mushrooms in salt water for 10 minutes, slice the king oyster and chestnut mushrooms, and leave the beech and enoki mushrooms whole. Peel the zucchini and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Wash the garland chrysanthemum and cut it into sections.
• Next, mix one part of the octopus with minced leek, sugar, soy sauce, roasted sesame, chili paste, seasoning powder, and MSG. Marinate for 20 minutes to absorb the flavors.
• Sauté the minced leek and shallots in cooking oil until fragrant, then stir-fry the kimchi for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, soy sauce, chili paste, seasoning powder, and adjust to taste. Transfer to an electric hotpot, add the marinated octopus first, then the remaining octopus.
• Add the zucchini and mushrooms, and cook until done. Dip the garland chrysanthemum in as you eat. The spicy and sour octopus hotpot has a prominent kimchi taste, spicy heat, sweet broth, and chewy octopus meat combined with fresh mushrooms and vegetables.

>>Refer to a similar dish: How to cook delicious squid hotpot with full flavor: fresh squid and sweet broth

1.3. Stir-fried Octopus

Prepared Ingredients:

• 500 g octopus
• 200 g pineapple, 200 g tomatoes, 200 g cucumber
• 150 g onion, 30 g Chinese celery
• 1 garlic bulb, 1 ginger root
• 1 tablespoon of white wine, 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon of oyster sauce, cooking oil

Detailed instructions for sweet and sour stir-fried octopus:

• After cleaning the octopus, mix it with a portion of sugar, seasoning powder, and pepper, leaving it for 10 minutes to absorb the seasoning.
• Cut the onion into wedges and Chinese celery into 2 cm sections. Wash and cut pineapple, cucumber, and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Peel and finely mince garlic and ginger.
• Next, sauté the garlic in hot oil, then add the octopus and stir-fry for 2 minutes and cover for 3-5 minutes. Add pineapple, cucumber, tomatoes, and a little water, seasoning with powder, sugar, and oyster sauce. Continue stir-frying for 2 minutes, turn off the heat, then sprinkle onion, Chinese celery, and ground pepper.
• The stir-fried dish has the sweet and chewy taste of octopus, a fragrant aroma, eye-catching colors, and a balanced flavor. You can serve this dish with garlic chili soy sauce for extra appeal.

>>See more: How to make stir-fried squid with celery and garlic delicious and without fishy smell

1.4. Octopus Dipped in Vinegar

Ingredients

• 500 g octopus
• Red chili, green chili, lemon
• 1 cup of vinegar
• Scallions, shallots, onion, cilantro
• Sugar, MSG, salt, seasoning powder, ground pepper

How to prepare octopus dipped in vinegar:

• First, clean the octopus, removing the eyes, ink sac, and internal organs. Rub thoroughly with salt to remove slime and fishy odor, rinse with water, and drain. You can use diluted vinegar, wine, or crushed ginger instead of salt to deodorize.
• Peel shallots and onion, then wash and slice thinly. Cut scallions into 3-4 cm sections; chop cilantro.
• Then, pound 3-5 green chilies with 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a little MSG, then add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and stir well.
• Sauté shallots until golden, then boil with 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water. Next, add onion, fried shallots, scallion whites, and red chili to the stir-fry. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, then cook for about 7-10 minutes.
• Finally, put the octopus into the boiling vinegar pot; once evenly cooked, add scallions and cilantro.

>>See more: How to make squid dipped in vinegar crispy and delicious in Southern style

1.5. Octopus Dipped in Fermented Rice (Mẻ)

Ingredients

• 300 g octopus
• 2 tablespoons of fermented rice (strained to get 100 ml of liquid)
• 1 tomato, 2 dill sprigs
• 1 chili, 1 lemon
• 1 scallion stalk, 1 cilantro stalk
• 1 shallot, 1 garlic clove, 1 ginger root
• 100 ml white wine, 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
• Salt, sugar, seasoning powder

Instructions for octopus dipped in fermented rice:

• Clean the octopus after buying, rub with white wine and lemon to remove slime, cut into bite-sized pieces, and drain. Mince garlic and shallot, shred ginger, and slice chili. Wash and wedge the tomato. Wash herbs, drain, and cut into sections. Strain the fermented rice through a sieve to get about 100 ml of concentrated juice.
• Next, sauté shallot, garlic, and ginger in oil until fragrant. Add the tomato and stir-fry until slightly darkened, then add 400 ml of water and the fermented rice juice, and bring to a boil. Then, add 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of sugar, and stir well.
• Drop the octopus into the boiling pot, cook until done, then re-season to taste. Add scallions, cilantro, dill, and chili, then cover for 1 minute for the herbs to cook before turning off the heat.

>>See more: Recipe for squid dipped in fermented rice sour and rich right at home

1.6. Octopus Dipped in Tamarind Leaves

Ingredients

• 600 g small octopus
• 150 g young tamarind leaves
• 1/6 pineapple, 3 lemongrass stalks, 3 shallots
• Garlic, lime leaves, culantro, large chili, herbs, bird’s eye chili, lemon juice
• Cooking oil, fish sauce, seasoning powder, sugar, MSG

How to cook octopus dipped in tamarind leaves:

• Wash the whole octopus and drain. Choose young tamarind leaves and crush slightly; slice the pineapple; slice the lemongrass and shallots. Cut culantro and large chili into bite-sized sections.
• Next, sauté shallots and half of the lemongrass with 2 tablespoons of oil until fragrant. Stir-fry the pineapple slices and tamarind leaves lightly, then add 3 cups of water. Season with 1 teaspoon of MSG, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, then lower the heat for the tamarind leaves to release their sour taste.
• Then, blend the remaining lemongrass, garlic, bird’s eye chili, lime leaves, lemon juice, sugar, and seasoning powder into a smooth mixture. When the dipping liquid boils lightly, add culantro and large chili. Dip the octopus until it firms up and remove to enjoy with the prepared dipping sauce.

1.7. Fried Octopus

Ingredients

• 500 g octopus
• 50 g pork fat
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce
• 1 chili, a little cilantro
• 200 g crispy frying flour, 200 g breadcrumbs
• 4 eggs
• 250 ml cooking oil, salt, vinegar

Instructions for making crispy fried octopus:

• Wash the octopus with diluted salt water, cut off the tentacles and remove internal organs. Then, rinse again with water mixed with vinegar, wine, or ginger to remove the fishy odor.
• Next, grind the octopus together with pork fat. Mix the mixture with minced chili, cilantro, crispy flour, soy sauce, pepper, and oyster sauce. Divide the mixture into small balls, round them, and press flat.
• Then, dip each octopus piece through crispy flour, beaten eggs, and finally breadcrumbs.
• Heat the oil and fry the octopus until golden and crispy, then remove to paper towels. Enjoy while hot and dip with chili sauce.

1.8. Steamed Octopus

Ingredients

• 500g octopus
• 2 cans of beer, 2 chilies
• 1 ginger root, 3 lemongrass sprigs
• 10g sugar, 10g fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Instructions for making steamed octopus with beer and lemongrass:

• First, wash the octopus with diluted salt water. Crush and cut lemongrass into sections and remove chili seeds and chop. Peel the ginger, slice one part and finely mince the rest.
• Next, line the bottom of the pot with sliced lemongrass and ginger, then pour in the beer. Place a steaming rack on top and add octopus and chili. Then, cover and steam for 10-15 minutes depending on the octopus size. Once cooked, take it out whole or cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Finally, mix minced ginger and chili with sugar, fish sauce, a little warm water, add lemon juice, and stir well for a delicious dipping bowl.

>>See more: Summary of 5 delicious steamed squid recipes that are soft, sweet, and not fishy

1.9. Octopus with Cheese

Ingredients to prepare:

• 300g octopus
• 10g ginger, 1 onion
• Minced garlic
• Laughing Cow cheese, Mozzarella cheese
• Korean chili paste, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, Korean chili powder, unsalted butter

How to prepare octopus with cheese sauce:

• Clean the octopus, remove the head and cut into bite-sized pieces. Slice ginger thinly, cut onion into wedges. Blanch octopus with ginger for 1 minute then remove and drain.
• Then, heat unsalted butter, sauté minced garlic, and add the onion to stir-fry until slightly golden. Add about 200ml water, Korean chili paste, oyster sauce, sugar, soy sauce, and Korean chili powder, then stir well to form a sauce mixture.
• Put the octopus into the boiling sauce pot, cook for about 3 minutes to absorb the flavor. Continue adding Mozzarella and Laughing Cow cheese, cook until the cheese melts. The spicy and fatty octopus with cheese sauce is extremely attractive with its fragrant cheese and rich spicy flavor combined with crispy octopus.

1.10. Octopus Rice Noodle Soup (Canh Bún)

Ingredients

• 400g octopus
• 500g rice noodles, 500g field crabs
• 500g tubular bones, 200g boiled pork blood
• 300g tomatoes, 10g shallots
• 300g tomatoes, 2 pieces of tofu
• 300g water spinach, 5 cinnamon pork rolls
• Scallions, culantro
• 1 teaspoon of crab fat color
• Fish sauce, seasoning powder, sugar, salt

Instructions for cooking octopus rice noodle soup:

• Wash the octopus, remove internal organs, rub with sea salt, then rinse and drain. Wash tubular bones, soak in diluted salt water, then blanch. Filter field crabs to get crab liquid.
• Wash and wedge tomatoes, slice shallots and finely chop scallions and culantro. Wash pork blood, blanch quickly then slice and wash tofu, cut into cubes. Pick water spinach leaves, blanch quickly and soak in cold water to maintain crispiness.
• Next, heat a pan to sauté shallots, then stir-fry tomatoes quickly on high heat. Add crab fat color for a nice look then turn off the heat. Then, use another pan to fry tofu until golden, and drain.
• Boil crab liquid until the fat rises, remove fat and set aside. Next, add tubular bones to the crab water, simmer for 30-60 minutes for a sweet broth. Remove bones, then add tomatoes and octopus to cook for about 10 minutes, then remove octopus so it doesn’t get tough.
• Finally, add blood, tofu, sugar, fish sauce, seasoning powder to the pot and boil again. Put rice noodles in a bowl, add pork roll, water spinach, octopus, blood, and tofu. Pour in hot broth, sprinkle scallions and culantro for fragrance and enjoy immediately.

1. 11. Octopus Porridge

Ingredients

• 300g octopus
• 300g pork bones
• Shiitake mushrooms, regular rice, and glutinous rice
• Shallots, garlic, scallions, onion, cilantro, ginger
• Fish sauce, cooking oil, seasoning powder, salt, sugar

How to make octopus porridge:

• Clean octopus, remove eyes, internal organs, teeth, and slime. Rub with salt or vinegar, ginger to deodorize, then rinse and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Next, wash bones with diluted salt water and crushed ginger. Blanch in boiling water then rinse to remove smell and impurities.
• Finely mince shallots and garlic; chop scallions and cilantro. Mix regular and glutinous rice, soak for 30 minutes, then toast until golden for quicker cooking. Blanch shiitake mushrooms, soak in cold water then slice.
• Then, sauté shallots and garlic and stir-fry octopus until firm, then add shiitake mushrooms. Season lightly then turn off the heat and set aside.
• Use another pan to sauté shallots and garlic, add bones and stir lightly, then add water and cook for about 10 minutes. Put toasted rice into the pot, simmer until the porridge is soft. Finally, add the stir-fried octopus, re-season to taste, then sprinkle scallions and cilantro.

>>Refer also to: How to cook squid porridge fragrant and rich at home

1.12. Octopus Balls (Takoyaki)

Ingredients to prepare include:

• 10g rice flour
• 300g octopus
• 110g all-purpose flour, 10g sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 10g soy sauce (dark soy sauce)
• Scallions, red pickled ginger
• Takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, dried seaweed, bonito flakes

How to make octopus balls:

• First, clean the octopus, remove eyes, internal organs, and teeth. Rub with salt to remove slime, rinse and boil for 8-10 minutes, then let cool and chop.
• Chop scallions and red pickled ginger. Then, mix flour with water and drop droplets into a hot oil pan to make tenkasu. Fry for a few minutes until crispy then remove.
• Next, beat egg with water, sugar, salt, and soy sauce. Sift in all-purpose flour, rice flour, and baking powder, mix well until smooth.
• Then heat the baking mold, brush with a thin layer of oil and pour batter into about 90% of the mold. Add octopus, scallions, ginger, and tenkasu. When the batter surface sets, use a skewer to flip the cake vertically then add a little more batter to create a round shape. Continue flipping until golden and crispy for about 8-10 minutes.
• Finally, remove the balls to a plate, drizzle with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, then sprinkle seaweed and bonito flakes. These are best served hot when the outside is lightly crispy and the inside is soft with crunchy octopus.

1.13. Braised Octopus in Coconut Water

Ingredients

• 300g octopus
• 1 fresh coconut for water
• 4 shallots, 3 sprigs
• 5 garlic cloves, 3 chilies
• 3 spoons of fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon of chili sauce, 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• Sugar, MSG, salt

How to make braised octopus in coconut water:

• Wash the octopus under running water, rub thoroughly to remove slime. Cut off eyes, turn the body inside out to remove all internal organs and ink sac, then rub with salt and rinse again, then drain.
• Stir fish sauce, sugar, chili sauce, MSG, and a little salt to create a rich sauce mixture.
• Next, arrange octopus in a pot, add shallots, crushed garlic, green pepper, chili, and the sauce. Pour in coconut water until the octopus is covered. Then simmer for about 30 minutes until the liquid thickens and the octopus absorbs the seasoning.
• Braised octopus in coconut water has a glossy brown color, balanced sweet and salty taste, crispy meat, and a faint smell of green pepper and coconut water, which is very attractive and suitable for a weekend meal.

1. 14. Octopus Soaked in Lemongrass and Calamansi

Ingredients

• 500g fresh octopus
• 4-5 lemongrass stalks, 2-3 chilies
• 5-6 calamansi fruits, 1 garlic bulb
• 1 ginger root
• 50ml vinegar, 100ml fish sauce
• 50g sugar, 50ml filtered water
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Instructions for making octopus soaked in lemongrass and calamansi

• First, wash octopus with salt or lemon to deodorize. Boil for 2-3 minutes then immediately put into an ice water bowl to keep it crispy and sweet.
• Crush and section lemongrass. Squeeze calamansi for juice and keep a few thin slices for decoration. Mince garlic and ginger, slice chilies.
• Then, mix a combination of fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, water, calamansi juice with lemongrass, garlic, ginger, and chili. Stir until sugar dissolves completely, taste and adjust, then let the liquid cool down.
• Next, place octopus in a glass jar, pour in the cooled soaking liquid until covered. Close tightly and refrigerate for 4-6 hours, best if left overnight. Octopus soaked in lemongrass and calamansi has a balanced sweet and sour taste, fragrant lemongrass and calamansi aroma, and can be eaten with fresh herbs or rice paper.

1.15. Octopus Salad (Gỏi)

Ingredients

• 400g octopus
• 4 calamansi fruits, 4 lemongrass stalks
• 1 lemon, 5g lime leaves
• 20g garlic, 40g ginger, 25g chili
• Fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, salt, mineral water, lemon juice

How to make spicy and sour octopus salad:

• First, wash the octopus by removing eyes, ink sac, and internal organs. Then rinse many times and rub with salt, ginger, or vinegar to deodorize. Crush 2 lemongrass stalks, slice the other 2 thinly. Slice garlic, chili, and lime leaves, and shred the ginger.
• Next, put the octopus in a steamer with crushed lemongrass and ginger, steam for about 10 minutes until cooked. Let cool slightly then cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Prepare the salad dressing with sugar, water, lemon juice, and fish sauce, stir until dissolved. Then, put octopus in a bowl, add ginger, garlic, chili, lime leaves, calamansi, and dressing then toss well to absorb seasoning. The finished octopus salad has a balanced spicy and sour taste, crispy octopus meat, mixed with the fragrant smell of lemongrass and lime leaves.

See more: How to make squid salad sweet and sour right at home

If you enjoy the chewy and rich flavor of fresh octopus, you will definitely love our whole dried squid, which provides an even deeper savory experience.

1.16. Octopus Fried Rice

Required ingredients:

• 400g octopus
• 500g leftover rice
• 2 eggs, 1 carrot
• 1 onion, 2 shallots
• 100g green peas, 2 garlic cloves
• 2 scallion stalks with 1 packet of seafood seasoning
• Seasoning powder, pepper, cooking oil

How to prepare octopus fried rice:

• If using frozen octopus, you need to thaw it in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then remove eyes, teeth, ink sac, and internal organs, rinse and cut into small bite-sized pieces.
• Dice the carrot, wash the peas. Cut the onion into small squares. Finely mince shallots, garlic, and scallions.
• Next, beat 2 eggs into the leftover rice, mix well for the eggs to coat the grains, helping the fried rice become golden and more separated.
• Sauté garlic, stir-fry onion and carrot until firm. Add green peas, toss for a few minutes, then add octopus, season with powder and pepper, stir-fry on high heat until the octopus is cooked.
• Next, heat a pan and sauté shallots with oil, then add rice and stir-fry with seafood seasoning for fragrance. When the rice is separate and dry, add the stir-fried octopus and toss for a few more minutes. Finally, sprinkle scallions, mix well and turn off the heat.

1.17. Octopus Noodles

Ingredients

• Fresh/frozen octopus: 200g, cleaned and cut into pieces
• Stir-fry noodles or fresh noodles: 150g
• Carrot: 1 root, shredded
• Red bell pepper: 1 piece, sliced
• Onion: 1/2 bulb, sliced thinly
• Minced garlic: 2 cloves
• Cooking oil, soy sauce: 2 tablespoons each
• Oyster sauce: 1 tablespoon
• Chili powder, black pepper: 1/2 teaspoon each
• Scallions, cilantro

Instructions for making stir-fried noodles with octopus:

• First, boil water with a little salt and cook the octopus for about 5-7 minutes until done. Remove and let cool then cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Then, boil noodles according to instructions on the package, rinse with cold water so they don’t stick. Heat oil in a pan and stir-fry carrot, bell pepper, and onion on medium heat until soft but still crunchy.
• Next, add minced garlic to the vegetable pan and sauté until fragrant. Add octopus and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Continue adding noodles, toss well and season with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, pepper, and chili powder. Mix so the seasoning absorbs evenly.
• Finally, stir-fry for 2-3 more minutes for the ingredients to blend then turn off the heat, sprinkle scallions and cilantro on top. Stir-fried noodles with octopus are richly flavored, soft and chewy noodles combined with crispy sweet octopus.

1.18. Fried Flour with Octopus (Bột Chiên)

Ingredients

• 500g octopus
• 20g tapioca starch, 200g rice flour
• 4 eggs, 300ml water
• 1 garlic bulb, 2 scallion stalks
• 5g ginger, 5g dried chili
• 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of satay chili, 1/2 tablespoon of seasoning powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt

How to prepare fried flour with octopus:

• Mix rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, and oil, then slowly add water, stirring for a smooth batter without lumps. Brush oil on the mold, pour batter in and steam for about 30 minutes until a toothpick test comes out clean. Then, let the flour cool and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to harden.
• Clean the octopus, remove eyes and internal organs. Rub with salt, massage with ginger to remove fishy smell. Blanch octopus with water, salt, ginger, and scallions for about 3-5 minutes, remove, drain and chop.
• Next, sauté garlic with oil, add octopus and stir-fry quickly, season with powder, soy sauce, and satay chili.
• Cut the hardened flour into bite-sized rectangular pieces, grease the knife so it doesn’t stick. Fry on medium heat until golden on both sides.
• Finally, beat eggs, pour over the fried flour together with the stir-fried octopus, pork fat cracklings, scallions, and dried chili. Toss well until eggs are cooked and you have a delicious, crispy fried flour dish with octopus.

2. How to choose fresh octopus

Choosing fresh octopus is an important step to ensure the dish is delicious and retains its natural flavor. There are two common types on the market: fresh octopus and frozen octopus, each needing specific criteria when buying:

• Fresh octopus: You should choose those with clear eyes, bright white bellies, and firm meat. The skin should be smooth, glossy, and the tentacles flexible and quick-moving. Avoid those with cloudy eyes, soft mushy meat, or ivory-white color, as these are signs the octopus is no longer fresh.
• Frozen octopus: Prioritize those with clear eyes, grayish-brown skin with a green tint, and bright white meat. Additionally, you should not choose octopus with a bulging body, as it may have been preserved for a long time, significantly reducing its flavor.

Additionally, you should buy octopus at reputable stores or markets with clear origins to avoid chemical-soaked or old octopus.

3. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here are some common questions many people have when preparing octopus dishes:

3.1 How to prepare octopus so it isn’t chewy

The secret to soft and delicious octopus is controlling the cooking time and temperature. You can apply two methods:

• Cook quickly on high heat: You should stir-fry octopus for about 3-5 minutes for the meat to be just cooked, maintaining its natural crispness and chewiness without becoming hard.
• Stew for a long time on low heat: If simmering or braising, stew on low heat for over 1 hour so the octopus meat becomes soft and smooth, absorbing all the seasoning.

3.2 How to clean and deodorize octopus

To make the octopus both clean and fresh in flavor, you need to remove the internal organs, eyes, and teeth first. Next, use sea salt combined with lemon or vinegar to thoroughly rub the entire body and tentacles to remove slime and fishy odor. Finally, rinse several times with clean water; the octopus will become fragrant, bright in color, and ready for cooking.

3.3 Should I choose large or small octopus for each dish?

Choosing octopus depends on the dish you plan to cook. Small (baby) octopus is soft and sweet, suitable for stir-frying, hotpot dipping, or porridge. Conversely, large octopus with thick, firm meat is suitable for grilling, as it is less likely to dry out and shrink when exposed to high heat.

With the suggestions in the article above, we hope we have helped you answer the question of “what to cook with octopus” and helped you choose the right dish for a nutritious family meal. And don’t forget to visit the Ola Squid Blog now to explore more recipes, interesting cooking tips, and useful preparation secrets! For more seafood delicacies, check out our seafood shop for high-quality products.