Easy Greek grilled octopus is a traditional Mediterranean octopus recipe. Make this delicious and impressive but deceptively simple meal yourself. It requires few ingredients and mostly hands-off time to transform octopus into something tender and unexpected.

A whole grilled octopus sitting in a chipped white bowl with sprigs of parsley and lemon wedges. It is sitting on a wooden table outside.

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Not enough people venture into cooking octopus at home, reserving this delicious seafood preparation for special occasions in restaurants. The truth is that octopus is incredibly easy to make. This easy greek grilled octopus recipe is a traditional Mediterranean preparation that makes for a lovely appetizer, dinner, or cold lunchtime salad.

Serve with a classic Risotto as a starter or on the side or garlicky smashed potatoes like in my traditional Croatian Blitva Recipe.

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How to Make a Delicious Greek Octopus Dish

Octopus is quite lovely and can be made in so many delicious ways. Whether you grill octopus or prefer your cooked octopus served a different way, this is how my mother usually made fresh octopus and I think you’re going to love this unique main dish recipe.

The biggest challenge cooking with octopus is getting the flesh to an appropriately tender state which is why it needs to be braised for several hours on low heat. Although you can also use the steaming method, I personally prefer braising and using a bed of chopped onions, carrots, celery, parsley, and bay leaf.

The octopus is laid on top of this bed of aromatics in a heavy pot or pan and slowly allowed to braise in its own juices.

Something I hear said is that a frozen octopus is already tender and simply needs quick steam before grilling. I tried this once and ended up with tough and stringy meat — something that octopus should never be.

You will likely be purchasing a frozen or pre-frozen octopus, while it is true that the freezing process has done some of the work of tenderization—it is not enough. This method of preparing your dish will result in tender octopus and great results that will taste as wonderful as it looks.

Ingredients

Chopped aromatics in a large steel pot: carrots, celery, onion. — *aromatics like carrot, onion, celery, parsley, and bay leaf infuse the octopus with a delicate scent as it tenderizes.*

A whole raw octopus sitting in a chipped white bowl on a wooden table. — *aromatics like carrot, onion, celery, parsley, and bay leaf infuse the octopus with a delicate scent as it tenderizes.*

Octopus | 4-5 lbs or more. The size doesn’t matter for this recipe, it depends on what you have available and how many people you are feeding. 4-5 lbs good for two people as a main course, or four people as a starter. For a cold octopus salad, it can stretch up to 6 people or more.
Aromatics (Carrot, Celery, Onion, Bay Leaf, Parsley) | Technically optional but I love to braise octopus with aromatics as they infuse the flesh in a subtle, delicious way.
Sea Salt | As you can see, simple ingredients for a naturally sweet meat. You can use smoked salt too.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Equipment

Oven-safe, deep-sided, heavy pan or pot large enough to hold your aromatics and the whole octopus for the braising period
Grill (Or smoker)

Instructions

First, you’ll need the raw octopus and a large pot of water. You’ll need enough water to cover the seafood with the cooking liquid. Once the water is boiling, make sure and salt the water properly and allow the octopus to blanch for a 3-5 minutes or until al dente. The water is then discarded.

2. Next you’ll either steam the octopus or braise it on low heat in the oven for a few hours on a bed of aromatic herbs and spices. On your cooking pan, add the celery, lemon slice, bay leaves, and any other Greek style spices to the cooking sheet. This technique really allows the flavors to marinate the outside of the octopus for an amazing flavor.

3. Finally the octopus is finished off on a hot grill (or smoker) for a few minutes for those appealing (and delicious) charred bits.

The taste of octopus is mild and sweet, never fishy. The flesh is firm and substantial but tender, never chewy. The quick cursory grilling at the end gives the dish that satisfying crispiness and char to the edges.

That’s truly all there is to it. Most of the preparation time is hands-off.

Octopus is best done with simple preparation methods which allows the natural sweetness of the main course to shine. This is why this easy Greek grilled octopus recipe is so perfect. It’s a creature that lives in all the oceans and seas, and many species live very deep, reaching incomprehensible size.

The biggest challenge with octopus is getting the flesh to an appropriately tender state which is why it needs to be braised for several hours on low heat.

You can also try steaming but I personally prefer braising.

You will likely be purchasing a frozen or pre-frozen octopus, and yes, it is true that the freezing process has done some of the work of tenderization but it is not enough.

Substitutions & Variations

Different aromatics can be freely used: bay leaf, onion, garlic, rosemary, dill, parsley, lemon wedges, carrots, lovage. You can also drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil or squeeze fresh lemon juice over the prepared dish.

A nice Greek salad, or Blitva served at room temperature, makes the perfect side dish, especially when you’re looking for something light on those summer holidays!

Smoked Octopus: instead of the grill, use your smoker. Instructions are the same as a regular grill, but your Greek octopus will have a smoky flavor to it.

Close up of greek grilled octopus tentacles on a blue plate.

Storage

Octopus can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 2 months.

Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil before storing. You can also use an air-tight zip top freezer bag to store the octopus.

Top Tip

You can braise the octopus ahead of time and store it in the fridge for a day or two before bringing it back to room temperature and grilling right before serving.

This easy Greek grilled octopus recipe that is mostly hands-off while looking very impressive when served. Make this simple dish for your next dinner party or to celebrate the start of summer!