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This easy grilled octopus recipe makes tender, lightly seasoned octopus with just the right char.
It’s a dish you’d expect in a Greek seaside taverna, but it’s simple enough to prepare at home.
Paired with a crisp salad and a glass of chilled white wine, it’s an appetizer (or light dinner) that seafood lovers shouldn’t miss.
I live in Europe now and go to Greece quite often.
I rarely happen to taste a better cooked octopus than mine.
This cooking method is amazing!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The boil-then-grill method guarantees tender every time. No rubbery texture, no guessing — the simmering does the work, and the grill adds the char in just 3–4 minutes per side.
- It tastes like something you’d order at a Greek taverna. That’s not an accident — this is the method I’ve tested many times after eating octopus all over Greece.
Ingredients For Homemade Octopus
- fresh octopus (baby, medium, or large)
- Olive oil
- garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- dried oregano
- fresh parsley, chopped
How to Make Grilled Octopus
The key is the boil first.
Place the octopus in a large pot, cover with water, add onion, black peppercorns, bay leaf, lemon slices, and parsley, and simmer for 40–60 minutes — about 45 minutes per 2 pounds.
You’ll know it’s ready when a fork slides easily into the thickest part where the head meets the tentacles.
Once it comes out of the pot, drizzle it with olive oil and chopped garlic and let it rest for 30–60 minutes.
That resting time is what gives you the flavor.
After that the grill does the work in minutes.
Cut the tentacles into 2–3 inch pieces, grill on medium-high for 3–4 minutes per side until you get that light char, then finish with lemon juice, oregano, and parsley.
No grill? A hot cast iron skillet works just as well.
Recipe Tips
- Portions: Plan on – 1 pound per person if serving as a main.
- Frozen vs. Fresh: Fresh octopus tastes better, but frozen can work – thaw fully before boiling.
- Tenderizing: Freezing overnight naturally tenderizes octopus if using fresh.
- Flavor Boosts: Add bay leaf or peppercorns to the boiling water for subtle flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Small to medium octopus cook faster and are easier to handle, but large octopus works if boiled longer.
Yes — boiling ensures tenderness. Grilling alone will leave octopus tough and chewy.
Pierce with a fork where the tentacles meet the head. If it slides in easily, it’s ready.
Classic Mediterranean flavors: olive oil, lemon, garlic, oregano, parsley. Add thyme, rosemary, or chives if you like.
Serving Suggestions
- As an appetizer with a glass of chilled white wine.
- With a light salad like my Cucumber Radish Salad.
Easy Grilled Octopus Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh octopus, (baby, medium or large)
- olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, , roughly chopped
- Juice from 1 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
Optional to add to the pot for boiling octopus:
- black pepper, lemon, onion, parsley, bay leaf
Video
Instructions
- Place octopus in a pot and cover with enough water. Add 10 black peppercorns, 1 sliced lemon, 1 small red or yellow onion, some parsley leaves, 1 bay leaf (optional). Bring to a boil. Boil for 40 minutes. The rule is 40–60 min, about 45 min per 2 lb.
- Remove octopus from hot water, rinse and place in a bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and add chopped garlic. Let is cool and rest at room temperature, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat.
- Slice octopus tentacles. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side, until charred. Alternatively cook in a pan on the stove top.
- Remove from heat and place in a bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and add lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle some oregano (optional) and parsley on top. You can also add some chopped garlic, too (optional).
- Serve.
Notes
- Best size: Baby or medium octopus works best, but large can be used too.
- How long to boil: Simmer for 40–60 minutes (about 45 minutes per 2 lbs). Test by inserting a fork where the head meets the tentacles. It should slide in and out easily.
- Seasoning ideas: Drizzle with lemon juice (or vinegar), olive oil, garlic, oregano, parsley. Other herbs like thyme, rosemary, and chives work well too.
- Serving suggestions: Pairs beautifully with crisp salads, feta cheese, olives, and capers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other Seafood Recipes:
- Something for a weeknight dinner – Sablefish In Foil
- For taco lovers, my kids’ favorite Blackened Cod Fish Tacos
- In just a few minutes you can make tender Grilled Mahi Mahi fish
Is there a typo? Should I boil for 40 min? or 4 min?
I see no typo. Boil for 40 minutes, then grill for 3-4 minutes per side.
I do see the typo, in your comments earlier ?. Great recipe !
Do you remove the beak after removing the head, and is the beak on the head, or in the middle of the legs? Sorry, just found that a little confusing.
Thanks!
There is no beak on the legs.
You remove it from the head, then boil, then grill the legs and head (consuming the head without the bone is optional).
Do you piece the octopus before boiling (boil whole) or chopped for the 40 minutes. I just bought octopus chunks from my fish monger. Thank you
Hi Debra,
I boiled it whole. If you have pieces, I think they will boil much faster so boil them for 25-30 min. Hope this helps!
Fabulous, thank you!
Always buy frozen. Never fresh, unless you are going to blanch and then stir fry. Ffreezing the octopus is automatic tender when thawed. Worked in restaurants all over the world. This is the only way. It’s up to how long and meathod of cooking. But always buy frozen.
Great info, thank you! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
This recipe looks great! I’m keen to do this but have 1 question. I caught an octopus this morning, it’s about 4 pounds in weight. My question is: do I need to tenderize it or hammer it, before the 40 minute boil?
Thanks.
Yes, you can gently tenderize it. Hope you like it.
I’m so excited to try this! My dad shipped me an octopus! My question is why you don’t add all of the seasoning until the end? Why not fully season before grilling? Thanks so much!
Great and easy recipe! Tried it and it worked great dozens of times. Thanks for sharing it.
Hi – we buy frozen octopus tentacles – I thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, and then boil for 30 mins – make a marinade w/ olive oil, minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, & oregano – let the octopus sit in a covered glass bowl 3-4 hrs (turning once) – then grill, 4 mins per side – still comes out a little chewy – SO, wondering about the directions in your recipe, specifically ‘slice octopus tentacles’ – what does that mean? Thanks. Dave
My husband and myself tried this octopus recipe for dinner tonight. It was so easy
to make and was delicious. We will definitely make it again for guests next time. They
will certainly enjoy it as much as we did. Thank you for posting it.
Never had octopus before but decided to try this recipe. Delicious! I added fresh squeezed lemon juice and grated lemon zest as I love lemon with my seafood. Will definitely make it again. Question: if using baby octopus would you still need to boil them? If so, for how long?
Hi, sometimes it is not necessary to boil baby octopus, but I can never tell how tender it is, this is why I boil it for about 20 minutes.