Home | Greek | Greek Grilled Octopus
5 from 8 votes
By Hank Shaw
June 24, 2016 | Updated June 17, 2020
Jump to Recipe
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I wish I could tell you that I first ate grilled octopus while sitting at a seaside bistro in Greece, staring out at a Peloponnesian sunset and knocking back tumblers of ouzo, made milky with ice.
But I can’t. Sadly, I’ve never been to Greece, although I’ve wanted to go. The Fates seem always to prevent me. Someday.
I can, however, tell you that this Greek-inspired recipe is so wonderful I’d happily feed it to Aphrodite, or some mortal facsimile thereof… like Holly, who just so happens to be part Greek. Holly loves grilled octopus, and so do I. Enough to post a recipe for a store-bought ingredient.
Yes, it’s true. I did not catch these octopuses. I bought them at a fish market. It is my one weakness when it comes to buying fish or meat. If you’ve ever purposefully tried to catch octopus, you know it’s not that easy, even if you are a diver. They are world-class escape artists.
There are any number of methods to tenderize octopus, but over the years I’ve found the best way is to slowly braise them in their own juices, over a bed of mixed herbs. If you want a science-based tutorial on how to prep an octopus, read the great Harold McGee’s method in the New York Times.
After the octos are tender, the grilling part only adds some char and scorch to the party. Serve your grilled octopus simply, with lemon, a drizzle of fine olive oil and a grind of black pepper.
Bread is a must, as are olives. I like some feta cheese with my octos, too. And you gotta have either an austere, crisp white wine — I recommend a Greek Assyrtiko or a French Sancerre — or lots and lots of ouzo or raki or tsipouro.
If you like calamari, you will like grilled octopus. If you like octopus, you will love this recipe. So much so that you will find yourself eating more than you think you might be able to; Holly and I ate this full two-pound recipe at one sitting. And we were not sorry.
Looking for other options with octopus? Try my recipe for Spanish pulpo a la gallega.
5 from 8 votes
Grilled Octopus, Greek Style
I used small octopus for this recipe, but it works just as well with larger ones, too. If you use a big octo, you will need to braise it longer, and you will want to cut it into chunks when you are ready to grill. Octopus is readily available at both Asian and Latin markets. There is no easy substitute for octopus, although squid will get you close.
Save RecipePin RecipePrint Recipe
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 4 people
Author: Hank Shaw
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours hours
Total Time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds octopus
- Salt
- 3 to 4 bunches of herbs such as parsley, oregano, fennel fronds and green onions
- 4 to 6 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Juice of a lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 chopped fresh hot chile, or 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes
- Fine olive oil, black pepper and lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the octopus for 90 seconds. Remove the octopus and let it drain on a colander.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F. Line the bottom of a brazier, a Dutch oven or other large, ovenproof pot with the herbs and bay leaves. Lay the octopus on the nest of herbs, cover the pot and cook in the oven until tender, which will be somewhere between 90 minutes for small octopus to 4 hours for a really gigantic one. Two hours is about normal.
When the octopus is tender, cut it into chunks. Leave small octopi whole. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and chile and marinate the octopus in this for at least 1 hour, and as much as a day or two.
To finish, get your grill blazing hot. Make sure the grill grates are clean. Grill the octopus over high heat until you get a little bit of charring here and there; they're already cooked, so you are just adding flavor. Drizzle your grilled octopus with really good olive oil, grind some black pepper over them and serve with a wedge of lemon -- and a shot of ouzo.
Video
Notes
You can marinate your octopus for as long as a day or two beforehand and they will still taste fine. You can also braise on one day and grill on another. Once they've been braised, the octopi will keep a few days in the fridge. You also can serve this hot or at room temperature, so it really is a perfect make-ahead appetizer. For another great octopus recipe, check out my Spanish pulpo gallego.
Nutrition
Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 523mg | Potassium: 825mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 383IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 13mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!
Categorized as:
Appetizers and Snacks, Featured, Fish, Greek
You May Also Like
Sweet Things
Fig Syrup
Tired of maple syrup? Make fig syrup. You can use fresh or fried figs, wild or store-bought.
How-To (DIY stuff)
Pickled Grape Leaves
Pickled grape leaves sound odd, but they are the preserved grape leaves you use for various Mediterranean dishes, like dolmades,…
Greek
Greek Braised Quail
Braised quail Greek style, with olives, lemon, celery and garlic. This is a simple recipe that also works with rabbit, partridge, pheasant and grouse.
Greek
Greek Venison or Lamb Shanks
This is a traditional Greek lamb shank recipe done with venison shanks; the only difference between the two is venison takes longer to cook.
