This baked octopus recipe is probably the easiest way to prepare octopus! Tender and full of aroma, it’s the perfect side dish for a seafood dinner.
This baked octopus recipe reminded me of an episode of CSI I watched some time ago, in which there was a scene where a little child was an eye witness to a crime. When the child was asked by the police to tell them what he saw, he told them that the victim had an alien with him! Later on, it was determined that the so called “alien” was actually an octopus! Now, I don’t remember why the victim was carrying an octopus, nor can I think of a reason why anyone would bring an octopus with him while taking the subway (the crime took place in the subway), but I remember it was at that particular moment when I realized that octopuses have a lot of similarities with the aliens we often see at the movies!
This recipe is one of the two most popular octopus recipes in the Mediterranean! The other one is this Mediterranean octopus stew with elbow macaroni which I highly advise you to check out… It’s delicious!
Being raised on an island of the Mediterranean where sea food is in abundance, I hadn’t realized that octopuses may seem strange and exotic to a lot of people! But yes, if you think about it, octopuses, squids and cuttlefish are extraordinary creatures with a physiology totally different from the animals which walk the earth, so it’s no wonder they may seem strange to some people. But if you can surpass their appearance you’ll find out they taste delicious! Like this easy cuttlefish stew!
Today’s Baked Mediterranean octopus is very easy and simple recipe, so simple even someone with zero expertise in the kitchen can pull through! Actually, it doesn’t even seem like a real recipe because all you have to do is wrap the octopus with somebaking paper and foil and just bake it for an hour and a half. The only difficulty you may encounter is during the preparation, where you have to remove the tooth from its center and clean its hood from its internal organs, though in most store bought octopuses this has already been done.
Pair this octopus with another extra healthy dish, this yellow split pea puree with sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions!
Some notes/tips:
- Octopus is low in fat and rich in protein, so this dish is considered to be very healthy!
- Keep in mind that octopus has high water content, so it will water out and shrink during baking.
- DON’T add any salt! It already has all the salt it needs.
- Bake it low and slow for a tender and fragrant result!
- If you’re up to it, keep its juice and use it in a seafood risotto or other seafood dishes.
You may also like these similar recipes:
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- 2.5 – 3 pounds (1,1 – 1,4 kg) octopus, fresh (or thawed if frozen)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch of pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 all spice kernels
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- Some extra olive oil and balsamic vinegar for serving
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Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C)
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Rinse the octopus and discard any stuff from the inner part of its hood. Remove its tooth from the center (the easiest way to do that is to cut the octopus in half. Otherwise, you can pick it out with your finger, but this may be a bit tricky)
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Make a cross with two sheets of foil, about 1.5-2 feet each. Place a piece of baking paper on the center of the cross and place the octopus on top of it. Pour the olive oil and balsamic over the octopus, add the rest of the ingredients and wrap firmly with the foil.
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Place on a baking tray and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Unwrap and check to see if the octopus is fork tender. If it seems a little tough, bake for 30 more minutes.
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Unwrap, take the octopus out of the foil and cut into pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and some balsamic and serve.
Eat!
Another great way to prepare octopus, for a complete meal: Mediterranean Octopus Stew with Elbow Macaroni
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Spectacular. I could not get fresh octopus in central Ontario but found pre-cooked and recipe still produced a great meal. Used the yellow split pea recipe with green and worked well. This is such a great site. My favourite recipe book! A substitute section would be great for folk who struggle to find ingredients
Thank you so much for your nice words Henry! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sometimes substitutions can be tricky, but I will try to suggest any substitutions I can think of in the notes section of my recipe cards. Hope this is helpful! And don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions 🙂
Hi Makos, I’ve prepared octopus several times, but first simmered it slowly in water on the stovetop, then marinated it and barbecue-grilled it. Next time, I’ll try baking it like yours- your method seems easier! Happy New Year!
Hey Fran! Happy New Year!!!
Grilling and slow simmering are also great ways to prepare octopus!
Absoulutely delicious – tender and tasty! Up until now, my husband always took on the role of cooking the octopus on the hob – he is the one who catches them as well btw. But, this time, I thought two of us in the kitchen was one too many so I looked for an easy way of doing it in the oven and came across your recipe. To be honest, I was a little sceptical as to how tender it would turn out but I was delighted with the results – as were all my guests!
Thanks – this will be a regular feature on our table!
Thank you Liz!
You’re very lucky to have access to fresh octopus!
Hi Makos! What are your favorite side dishes to accompany octopus? Easy prep and cook time etc. I’m recently married and my husband and I love to cook different cuisines. Mediterranean is something we both love but have little experience in.
Hi Erica!
You can put some vegetables in a large pan and bake them with the octopus. The octopus is baked at a medium temperature, so if you want the vegetables caramelized on the exterior you may have to take the octopus out of the oven and bake them for another 10 minutes at a higher temperature.
You can also try the following recipes:
Moroccan rice
Mediterranean potato salad
balsamic glazed vegetables
I loved this recipe! I had to tweak it a little bit tho. So, I didn’t have 1 1/2 hour for dinner last night. So I improvised and I started boiling the Octopus for 5 minutes with 1/2 an Onion, 1/2 small carrot, salt, 6 cloves of garlic and one bay leaf, this lowered my cooking time to 40 minutes. My partner loved it too and it is added to my omg-it-came-out-great recipe list!
I’m so happy to hear that! I’m also making it again tomorrow 🙂