Grilled Octopus

This grilled octopus is probably the most fun thing I’ve made, weighing at a whopping 8 lbs. I grew up eating those mini grilled octopus tentacles you get at dim sum so I thought I would do a version of it myself. You don’t need a huge octopus like this to make this recipe, but the bigger the better.

Grilled Octopus

Serve this with rice, pasta, or just eat it on the side. Boiling then grilling the octopus keeps it really juicy and moist on the inside while keeping the outsides nice and charred.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean

Ingredients
  

Water Bath:

  • ¼ cup salt
  • 1 lemon (cut into quarters)
  • 10 cloves garlic (smashed)
  • 1 onion (cut into quarters)

Marinade:

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 10 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 tbsp dry herbs (basil, parsley, dill) (1 tbsp each herb)

Instructions
 

  • Remove the head off the octopus then push the beak out. (The beak should be located in the center and is black in colour).
  • Cut into individual tentacles.
  • Dip the tentacles 3 times for 3 seconds each time before fully submerging the tentacles into the boiling water that has been seasoned already.
  • Reduce water to a simmer and let it cook for 30-40 minutes.
  • After they are done cooking, submerge the tentacles into an ice bath for 10 minutes. (The octopus should be cooked at this point).
  • Marinate the octopus for additional 10 minutes (or longer).
  • Grill octopus on both sides until dark, char colour has been achieved.
Keyword octopus, seafood