Greek grilled octopus lightly charred and tender. Served with Ladolemono (olive oil and lemon dressing) and dried oregano. This is how you'd be served octopus in Greece!
This Greek octopus dish is one you will find in most Greek Tavernas (traditional food restaurants in Greece). The grilled octopus appetizer is simple and full of flavor.
Table Of Contents
Grilling octopus brings out all of the flavor of this delicious seafood. That's why for me grilling is THE BEST way to cook octopus!
How To Cook Tender Octopus
How tender the octopus will be depends first and foremost on one thing. And that is if it's fresh or frozen. Freshly fished octopus will be hard and chewy while frozen octopus is more tender. There are a couple of ways to tenderize an octopus though.
How To Tenderize Octopus:
Sun-drying. The oldest Greek method of hanging an octopus somewhere outside covering it with a fine mesh cloth (to prevent bugs from sticking to it) and allowing it to sun-dry and become tender. We don't do this much nowadays though.
Beating. Beating is a way of loosening up the fibers and tenderizing the octopus. This process is done by fishermen in Greek islands (as seen in the video below) and guarantees a very soft and tender octopus that you can put right on the grill or charcoal fire without needing to boil it first.
Freezing. When you put an octopus in the freezer for a couple of days its meat becomes tender. Whenever someone in our family catches an octopus (usually my father or my brother) and they're not in the mood to beat the octopus (sounds funny right?) we toss it in the freezer. And when it comes out a couple of days or month later it's ready to get into the pot and become a lovely tender dish.
Boiling. For tender grilled octopus you need to boil it a bit first. Boiling until the meat of the octopus is tender reduces grilling time and prevents the octopus meat from becoming chewy.
How To Boil Octopus
To boil an octopus add it to a cooking pot that's big enough to fit it. No need to clean it. In the case of grilling, it's easier to do so once it's boiled.
Add enough water to the pot to almost cover the octopus. Next, add some vinegar or wine to help tenderize it and mask some of its strong scent. You may also add seasonings at this point if you like. It will be like marinating the octopus before grilling.
Seasonings you may add are bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, garlic, and lemon. I add 2 thick slices of lemon to the pot.
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Another easy octopus recipe to make is this Greek Marinated Octopus in vinegar. A very simple and popular Greek Meze!
Boil the octopus until soft. And always test by inserting a knife through the thickest part of a tentacle. The meat should feel tender but not too soft. Don't boil it to the point where the skin starts to come off. Otherwise, it will be sticky and difficult to grill later on.
How Long To Boil Octopus Before Grilling: Octopus cooking time depends on the size of the octopus. But the time is a little bit more or less than one hour. For an octopus that's about 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds), you need to boil it for 40 to 50 minutes. If the octopus is larger, like 2 kilograms for example it can take up to an hour or a little bit longer.
How To Clean Octopus
As I mentioned above, you can clean the octopus after boiling it. Allow it to cool on a plate first. Then cut and separate the head from the body. Slice open its head and pull away the inner membranes to remove everything from the inside. If it feels like it has sand rinse the inside of the head. You can cut the head in quarters or smaller pieces if it's a larger octopus.
How To Prepare Octopus For Grilling:
Cut each tentacle separately. They're easier to grill this way. At the base of the body where the tentacles meet right at the center, you will find the teeth of the octopus. Cut and remove that small piece of meat containing them.
Pat dry the octopus and then brush it with some olive oil.
How To Grill Octopus
Heat a grill pan or a grill over high. Brush the grates with oil. Then add the octopus and drop the heat to medium-high. Grill the octopus for 10 to 12 minutes. If it's larger octopus grill for a little longer. Turn the octopus tentacles every 2-3 minutes so they get nicely charred all over.
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Lastly, it wouldn't be grilling octopus Greek-style if you didn't finish off with some Ladolemono dressing. While the octopus is still hot from the grill, drizzle it with plenty of Ladolemono. The grilled octopus will absorb most of it and will keep moist and tender. Leaving some of the appetizing dressing for you to dip some bread in.
Serving
With Ladolemono Dressing. Like most grilled meat and seafood this Grilled Greek octopus recipe is served with Ladolemono and dried oregano. Ladolemono is a two-ingredient extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice dressing, that's drizzled over grilled meat and seafood in Greece. It adds flavor, moisture, and a nice glaze.
Pour it over the octopus (in this case) right as you take it off the fire. The octopus needs to be hot to absorb it properly. Then sprinkle with dried oregano on top.
With A Greek Spirit. This Greek octopus recipe is best served with a glass of a Greek spirit such as Ouzo or Raki. For a true Greek appetizer experience!
With Other Greek Appetizers. You can serve this grilled octopus recipe together with other traditional Greek appetizers, such as, Skordalia (Potato + garlic dip), Stuffed Vine Leaves (Dolmadakia), Greek Eggplant Dip (Melitzanosalata), Tarama Dip, or a Greek Salad.
Recipe
Grilled Octopus Greek-style
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram (2.2 pound) octopus
- 2 thick slices of lemon
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + extra to brush with
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ lemon to serve with
Instructions
- If using frozen octopus thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Add octopus, lemon slices, and red wine vinegar in a small to medium-sized cooking pot and pour 2½ to 3 cups water it's okay if it is not completely submerged. Bring to a boil then turn the heat to low.
- Simmer covered for about 40 to 50 minutes. The octopus should feel tender when you run a knife through it but the skin should still look firm, don't let it cook to the point it falls off and turns mushy.
- Cool the octopus. Remove the octopus from the pot and let it sit on a plate to cool down to room temperature.
- Cut the octopus. Separate the legs from the body. It's easier if you cut the legs separately so you can turn them one by one on the grill. Discard the center part containing the teeth. Slice open the head in half and remove everything that's inside. Rinse the head under water if there is sand in it.
- Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Brush the grates with oil. Brush also the octopus with a little bit of olive oil after pat-drying it with paper towels first.
- Grill the octopus. Add the octopus to the grill and drop the heat to medium-high. Grill for 10 to 12 minutes overall flipping every 2-3 minutes. The octopus should be slightly charred and the skin should stop feeling slippery. Don't cook more than this so it won't end up dry.
- Serve. Transfer the octopus to a plate. Mix vigorously the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice in a small cup or bowl until uniform then pour over the octopus. Sprinkle the oregano on top and serve with some fresh lemon on the side.
After years of cooking Octopus in different ways I recently found the quickest and best way . Using a pressure cooker , turn it on till hot , put in the Octopus with your favorite seasonings . I had a four pound Spanish Octopus , put the lid on the pressure cooker . Twelve minutes it was tender to cut with a fork .
Hi Spiro, that's very interesting. Thank you for the info!
Love my IP{ but did you grill it afterwards? I sort of like a little char on my octopus.