Takoyaki are the molten Osaka street snack: savoury batter balls with a piece of octopus in the middle, cooked in a special dimpled pan and turned until round and crisp outside, gooey within. The best recipes walk through the batter and the turning technique that makes them so fun to make.
Our number 1 pick for this dishGolden spheres of batter filled with tender octopus, scallions, and tempura bits, topped with sauce and dancing bonito flakes. A crispy-outside, creamy-inside Japanese street-food favorite.
Takoyaki are round savoury dumplings from Osaka: a dashi-seasoned wheat batter cooked in a moulded pan around a piece of octopus (tako), then topped with takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, bonito flakes and aonori.
Yes. Takoyaki need a dimpled takoyaki pan (stovetop or electric) to form the balls, and a skewer or pick to turn them as they cook. It is the one piece of dedicated equipment the dish requires.
Prawn, sausage, cheese or mushroom are common substitutes for a takoyaki-style snack if octopus is unavailable, though the classic filling is boiled octopus.