
Takoyaki balls are a Japanese snack typically filled with minced or diced octopus (tako), pickled ginger, and onions and covered in a wheat flour-based batter. It’s a popular streetfood in Japan, served with takoyaki sauce, bonito (fish) flakes, and Japanese mayonnaise.
Crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, these Japanese octopus dumplings are a delight to make and eat. Best eaten while piping hot!

Takoyaki Balls
These Japanese octopus dumplings are crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside! A delight to eat!
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Resting Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Appetizers
Cuisine Japanese
Servings about 2 dozen balls
Ingredients
Takoyaki Balls
- 1 Cup cake flour
- 1/4 teaspoon cake flour
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups water cold
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 Cup bonito dashi powder
- 1 teaspoon shoyu soy sauce
- vegetable oil
- Octopus cut into bite-size pieces
- green onion chopped
- Pickled Red Ginger Strips (Benishoga) chopped
- cabbage chopped
- Dried Bonito Flakes (Katsuobushi)
- green seaweed powder
- Takoyaki
- Japanese mayonnaise
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and oil. Mix well and set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk to combine water, egg, dashi powder, and shoyu.
- Add egg mixture to the flour mixture; mix until smooth.
- Grease and brush a preheated, very hot takoyaki pan with vegetable oil. Pour batter into each cup until full.
- Place a few pieces of each filling ingredient into each cup.
- Allow the bottom to set and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes; turn the balls using takoyaki picks to cook the other side. (For a crispier crust, brush more oil and heat longer.)
- Transfer to a plate. Sprinkle with bonito flakes and seaweed powder, and drizzle with takoyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise before serving.
Keyword japanese food recipe, takoyaki
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