Grilled Octopus

Grilled Octopus is a Mediterranean delicacy, and today we’re making this phenomenal Octopus recipe step by step with video. Tender and loaded with flavor, you’ll fall in love with this delicious family recipe!

Every tried Octopus? It’s one of those classic dishes served along the shored of the Mediterranean with bright lemon, herb and olive oil flavors. It’s usually grilled and so we’re making grilled octopus recipe today.

We love speciality seafood recipes like Green Mussels and Chilean Sea Bass, Halibut, Mediterranean Baked Fish,  Lobster Tail, Scallops, Tuna Carpaccio, Tuna Tartare, Calamari, Salmon Tartare and my grandma’s Sardines recipe, and more! So sharing this recipe feels so natural and seriously a MUST try!

What Is Octopus?

Octopus is a cephalopod mollusk,  related to squid and cuttlefish family. Unlike shrimp or any type of fish, octopus is made of pure muscle. This is why technique and properly cooking it matters so much.

The octopus as a seafood is characterized by

• Dense muscle fibers
• Very little fat
• High collagen content

When cooked correctly, octopus becomes tender, silky, and slightly buttery with a mild, sweet ocean flavor. However, if cooked incorrectly, it becomes rubbery and chewy.

Below is all you need to cook and get started with this Mediterranean classic. Also try our Fried Octopus and Octopus Ceviche recipes.

What It Tastes Like

Perfectly cooked octopus is:

• Mildly sweet
• Ocean fresh
• Slightly smoky especially when grilled
• Silky yet meaty

Texture should feel tender but structured and never rubbery.

Why You’ll LOVE Grilled Octopus

So if you’ve tried octopus at a restaurant, you’ll know how pricey it is, and yet how tasty it is! And if you haven’t, then this is your call to make it at home!

• It’s loaded with the bright flavors of lemon, olive oil, herbs, garlic and a hint of spice.
• The octopus is so tender, not chewy or rubbery!
• The recipe is so easy!
• You can serve it as an appetizer, it’s similar to Calamari except without the frying.
• If you’re into spice, you can kick up the spice level or drop it off completely.
• Use whatever herbs you have on hand–make it to your taste.
• This grilled octopus recipe can be made in an indoor grill or outdoor grill–so it’s a great choice for summer BBQ!
• It’s an old family recipe.
• Your family and friends will LOVE it!

Ingredients for Cooking Octopus

• Octopus. Make sure it is room temperature, so defrost it if frozen.
• Boiling/ Tenderizing : To tenderize, you will simmer the octopus in a cooking liquid flavored with onions, Whole Spice, Lemon wedges, seasonings. Kosher salt and black pepper are essentials, but also bay leaves and more. You can optionally add white wine.
• To Grill: You’ll brush and drizzle the dish with Garlic, lemon juice, herbs like fresh parsley and fresh thyme , chillies and olive oil to marinate the octopus before grilling.

Fresh vs Frozen Octopus

• Frozen is often better. Fresh octopus may sound tempting, but freezing naturally breaks down muscle fibers, making the octopus more tender. Most Mediterranean chefs prefer previously frozen octopus.
• What to Look For: Clean ocean smell, glossy skin, firm texture, no slimy residue
• Pre cleaned octopus saves time and is so convenient, so ask your fish monger for that.

How to Make Grilled Octopus

1. The first step is to set a large pot of water with the flavorings like onions, whole spice, herbs, lemon halves, salt and pepper to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. This step is crucial to cook octopus of any size: small, medium or large. Boiling will make the octopus super tender.
3. Now grab your octopus and drop it to the boiling water, tentacles go in first. It’s best to drop the tentacles first gently with an up and down motion to curl them up.
4. Depending on the size of your octopus, the boiling process may take anywhere between 45 minutes to 1 hour and half. Remove the octopus from the boiling water.
5. This is KEY and the TRICK to tenderness when cooking octopus.
   
6. Use a knife to slice up the tentacles of the octopus and now it’s ready to marinade.
7. You’ll need a large bowl or shallow plate to add in all the ingredients. Here you can totally add more or less of your favorite spices, herbs, shallots, more or less garlic etc.
8. It will taste GOOD no matter what! We have a combo of fresh oregano thyme , parsley, dill and rosemary here.
9. Have your octopus sit in the flavorful mixture for 1 hour at least, and even overnight. It will soak up all those flavors beautifully! Also don’t discard this marinade when grilling as you can always brush the octopus with it.
10. Now it’s time to grill! Indoor or outdoor grill works great. Since the octopus is already cooked through, you’re basically grilling it for flavor, so don’t worry about it being raw and no need for a thermometer here.
11. Flip the octopus after 3-7 minutes depending on the size and it’s ready to serve!

Expert Tips for Grilled Octopus

• You can use any size octopus for this recipe, we used baby octopus here. The cooking time is the only variable to consider.
• Make sure to have your fishmonger clean up the heads for you.
• If buying frozen octopus , defrost it well at first.
• Boiling the octopus makes it tender and cooked through so you don’t need to worry about it while grilling.
• Make sure it’s cooking on a gentle simmer.
• Avoid over boiling the octopus as it becomes dry and tasteless
• The marinade we used here is purely a Mediterranean one, a family recipe ❤️ However you can swap ingredients and make it your own!
• Let the octopus soak up the marinade for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Make sure not to discard the marinade as it will be used to brush the octopus with.
• An indoor grill or outdoor grill can be used for the recipe.

Variations For this Octopus Recipe

• Mediterranean Style: Olive oil, oregano, lemon, capers are the main ingredients.
• Spanish Inspired: Add in smoked paprika, olive oil, flaky salt
• Italian: The octopus is braised in a red wine and water combo and then add to it tomatoes and herbs
• Japanese Style: Glaze the octopus with soy glaze, ginger, garlic,sesame oil, scallions for grilling
• Octopus Salad: Chilled sliced octopus is mixed with with some herbs, vinegar and olive oil
• Charred Octopus with Potatoes: Classic coastal European pairing which you can make to your taste.

Why Make Octopus At Home?

It’s much easier than you think! Plus you can customize the taste and flavors, and you’re guaranteed tender octopus as you control cooking! Octopus is one of the pricey items on the menu, so make it at home and impress your family and friends!

What size octopus to use?

There’s no perfect size, while we prefer baby to medium size octopus, I know some prefer the large size. As mentioned above, cooking time is the only factor to consider, not the size.

Why do you need to boil Octopus?

The main goal is to make it tender by breaking down the tissue collagen in the muscle into soft gelatin.

How long to Boil Octopus?

Baby octopus will require 45 mins-1 hour of boiling time. Medium sized octopus needs 1 hour-75 minutes, while larger octopus may need between 1 hour and half to 2 hours. You’ll know as you feel how tender the meat is. Make sure the water is on a gentle simmer.

Can you cook octopus in advance?

You can boil the octopus a day in advance, and have it marinate in the fridge. Another option is to cook the octopus and freeze it without marinade, then defrost it and marinate it for a day before grilling.

Why Is My Octopus Rubbery?

• It’s mainly undercooked , OR, boiled aggressively
• To fix this, cook longer on low heat.

What if it Shrinks too Much?

This is completely normal. Octopus loses water during cooking.

Why Is It Mushy?

It was overcooked for too long beyond tender stage.

Can You Overcook Octopus?

Yes. Once tender, prolonged heat dries it out.

Storage & Reheating

• Refrigerator: 3–4 days airtight
• Freezer: Up to 2 months
• Reheat: In a skillet gently with olive oil or briefly grill again.
• Do not microwave. the texture toughens.

How do you know when octopus is done?

A knife slides easily into the thickest tentacle.

Why do chefs freeze octopus first?

Freezing breaks down muscle fibers, making it more tender.

Is octopus healthy?

Yes. It’s high in protein, low in fat, and rich in B vitamins.

Easy Seafood Recipes

• Fish Fry
• Baked Mahi Mahi
• Chili Lime Shrimp
• Air Fryer Scallops
• Mahi Mahi Tacos
• Sushi Bowl
• Salmon Tacos
• Tuna Steak Recipe
• Sockeye Salmon With Lemon Butter Sauce
• Sushi Burrito