Go Back
–+ servings

Gindaco's Takoyaki Copycat Recipe

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 32 takoyaki

Ingredients 
 

Takoyaki sauce

Batter ingredients

Fillings

Toppings

Instructions 

  • Combine the sauce ingredients (3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 1 tsp mirin, 1 tsp honey and ⅛ tsp dashi granules) in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Mix continuously to prevent splattering - I recommend using a spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan and prevent burning.
    takoyaki sauce ingredients in a saucepan on the stove with gray silicone spatula
  • Simmer the sauce for 3 minutes to thicken, then remove from the heat and set aside for later.
    simmered takoyaki sauce in a saucepan on the stove with gray silicone spatula
  • Grind 1 tbsp bonito flakes (katsuobushi) and 1 tbsp dried baby shrimp (hoshi ebi) using a mortar and pestle until they become a fine powder.
    ground katsuobushi (bonito flakes) in Japanese style mortar with pestle on a white surface
  • Crack 2 eggs into a mixing bowl and add 1 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise and 600 ml water. Whisk until combined and scoop the foamy bubbles from the top.
    whisked eggs, mayonnaise and water in a steel mixing bowl on a white background
  • Add 170 g all-purpose flour, 1 tsp aonori (dried green seaweed powder), 1 tsp dashi granules, and the ground bonito flakes/dried shrimp powder. Whisk until no lumps of dry ingredients remain.
    Gingako copycat takoyaki batter in a steel mixing bowl on white surface
  • Cut 100 g boiled octopus into bitesize pieces.
    boiled octopus cut into bitesize pieces on a wooden chopping board
  • Start heating your takoyaki pan over medium heat and fill each crevice ¼ of the way with cooking oil - this is the key to creating an extra crispy exterior like gintaco. (It also prevents sticking.)
    Takoyaki pan with crevices filled with toasted sesame oil on a gas stove
  • While you wait, add 1 Japanese leek (naganegi), 3 tbsp red pickled ginger (benishoga) and 30 g tempura flakes (tenkasu) to a separate bowl and mix until evenly distributed. This mixture will streamline the cooking process.
    tempura flakes, thinly sliced green onion and pink pickled ginger (benishoga) in a steel mixing bowl on a white background
  • Pour the batter into the preheated takoyaki pan until each well is halfway full. Add a piece of octopus to each well.
    placing pieces of boiled octopus in batter in a takoyaki pan on a gas stove
  • Pour more batter over the top until all of the wells are full and the area around the wells are fully covered, then sprinkle with the leek/pickles/tempura flake mixture.
    sprinkling tempura flake mixture over raw takoyaki batter in a takoyaki pan
  • When the batter starts to firm up, use a bamboo skewer to draw lines vertically and horizontally between the wells, dividing them into individual pieces.
    turning cooking takoyaki on their sides to shape them in the takoyaki pan
  • Use the bamboo skewer to scrape around the edge of each well in a circular motion and turn each takoyaki halfway.
    turning cooking takoyaki on their sides to shape them in the takoyaki pan
  • After a few minutes, roll each takoyaki again and tuck in any excess batter.
    turning cooking takoyaki in a takoyaki pan using a bamboo skewer
  • Once all of the takoyaki are round, add more oil and continue to turn them occasionally until crispy all over.
    pouring extra cooking oil over takoyaki pan to create a crispy outer
  • Remove the takoyaki and repeat these steps until all of the batter and ingredients are used. Brush generously with the sauce and top with aonori (dried green seaweed powder) and bonito flakes (katsuobushi). Japanese mayonnaise is optional. Enjoy!
    8 crispy gindako style takoyaki topped with glossy brown sauce, aonori and bonito flakes served in a bamboo boat on a white background

Notes

If some takoyaki brown more quickly than others, try swapping their positions for more even cooking.
Real takoyaki typically has a slightly gooey center. If this isn't your thing, you can lower the heat slightly and cook them for longer.