This smoked taco recipe starts with the perfect marinade and ends with the smoking process. This creates a smoked octopus with the perfect texture and extremely flavorful flavor. Serve with Chipotle Smoked Mac and Cheese.
Several times a year, my husband, Scott, likes to bring home some octopus and smoke it to surprise our daughter, Nena. Nena first fell in love with smoked octopus on a family trip to Hawaii many years ago. That’s the Hawaiian name for smoked octopus (“tako” is “octopus” in Japanese).
Unfortunately, going to Hawaii several times a year is not in our family’s budget. Can I hear an amen? To satisfy Teacher Nena, coming up with our own version of smoked octopus was a better option.
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😍 Why you’ll love this recipe
This is a very easy recipe to prepare. The most difficult part is cleaning the baby octopuses. However, it can be easily done just by using tentacles, which makes the process much easier and faster.
The marinade gives the octopus just the right amount of flavor while still giving it a nice smoky flavor. The best part about this recipe is that you can smoke the octopus whenever you want. You don’t have to fly to Hawaii to get your hands on one. 😉
🔪 How to cut and prepare octopus
Before smoking the octopus, it must be salted. But before that, you need to wash the octopus and prepare it for salting. This step is not for the faint of heart. It’s a little slimy, but you should be able to do it. You need to remove the head from the tentacles and remove what’s inside, leaving only the hood.
Next, you need to remove the beak from the top of the tentacle. Yes, octopuses have beaks. Alternatively, you can cut off the head and not use it, which will save you a lot of time, but personally I like to use as much of the octopus as possible.
As you can see in the clip below, she calls her beak “guts.” Watch this short but helpful clip on how to clean a baby octopus. Then please come back again.
How to wash and prepare octopus
🐙 How to make perfectly smoked octopus
Mix the brine ingredients, making sure the salt is completely dissolved. Place the octopus in salted water and refrigerate overnight.
Set your electric smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. While the smoker heats up, soak the hickory wood chips in water for 30 minutes. Remove the octopus from the brine and place on the rack of the smoker.
After 30 minutes, drain the wood chips and add them to the smoker.
Once your smoker is ready, reduce the temperature to 140°F. Return the rack to the smoker and smoke the octopus for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until desired flavor and texture is achieved.
Once you’re happy with the results, remove the octopus from the smoker and enjoy.
👩🏼🍳Pro Tips
If you want to line your shelves with foil, be sure to cut holes in the foil so smoke can circulate and liquid can drain. I like to eat Nena like jerky, but I’m sure you can find other ideas online, like adding it to salads or pasta. Have fun creating! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week!
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📖Recipes
smoked baby octopus
Juicy smoked baby octopus. Add to salads or eat as a snack!
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rate
Quantity: 4 people
calorie: 270kcal
Instructions
Mix the brine ingredients, making sure the salt is completely dissolved. Place the octopus in salted water and refrigerate overnight.
Set your electric smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. While the smoker heats up, soak the hickory wood chips in water for 30 minutes. Remove the octopus from the brine and place on the rack of the smoker. After 30 minutes, drain the wood chips and add them to the smoker.
When the smoker is ready, reduce the temperature to 140 degrees. Return the rack to the smoker and smoke the octopus for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until desired flavor/texture is achieved.
Once you’re happy with the results, remove the octopus from the smoker and enjoy.
Precautions
If you want to line your shelves with foil, be sure to cut holes in the foil so smoke can circulate and liquid can drain.
I like to eat Nena like jerky, but I’m sure you can find other ideas online, like adding it to salads or pasta. Have fun creating!
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week!
nutrition
Provided by: 1waiter | calorie: 270kcal | carbohydrates: 5g | protein: 46g | fat: 9g | Saturated fat: 5g | cholesterol: 0mg | sodium: 3821mg | fiber: 0g | sugar: 1g
