Sous Vide Octopus

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For perfectly tender octopus, this Sous Vide Octopus recipe is a must try! It’s slow cooked for 5 hours, then crisped up in a hot skillet and served with sauce and freshly squeezed lemon juice. So good!

Cooking octopus can be a little intimidating, but I promise the sous vide method makes it so easy. You only need 6 ingredients and it’s pretty much a foolproof way to prepare octopus!

If you’ve ever experienced tough and chewy octopus, this recipe is the complete opposite! Slow cooking octopus in a sous vide water bath helps break down its tough connective tissue, yielding perfectly tender results every time!

While we’ve been enjoying this octopus as an appetizer, you can serve it chilled as part of a salad, or enjoy it as a main meal with crispy roasted potatoes or this Instant Pot Spanish rice.

Check out the sous vide octopus web story!

Why this recipe works

1. This sous vide octopus is restaurant quality without the high price and made in the comfort of your own home! 
2. Since octopus can be tough, it’s well suited to the long cooking time of the sous vide, which breaks down the connective tissue and collagen for a tender texture.
3. The octopus is cooked with Mexican chorizo for a spicy and smoky flavor.
4. It’s seared in a hot skillet before serving for a subtle charred flavor and crispy texture.

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator. This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking."

What is the Water Displacement Method?

The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).

Use a clip (I use binder clips) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

• Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker
• 12 quart container
• Vacuum sealer
• Vacuum seal bags

Other sous vide seafood recipes

• Sous Vide Scallops
• Sous Vide Cod
• Sous Vide Halibut
• Sous Vide Lobster Tail
• Sous Vide Shrimp

Ingredients

For the detailed list of ingredients, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.

You’ll need 1 pound of octopus for this recipe and you’ll want to make sure it’s cleaned. This means removing the internal organs, beak and even the head (if you prefer). 

Most times, an octopus is already cleaned when you purchase it, especially if you’re buying frozen. You’ll just want to double check, however, and give it a good rinse to remove any lingering sand or debris.

For an added spicy flavor, the recipe calls for 2 ounces of Mexican chorizo. This is a type of raw, fresh pork sausage. I don’t recommend substituting Spanish chorizo as it’s cured and has a firm texture. 

To round out the flavors for this dish, you’ll need a simple seasoning of salt, pepper and smoked paprika.

And don’t forget the fresh lemon for serving!

Step by step instructions

Heat a sous vide water bath to 172F degrees.

Mix the seasonings together and rub all over the octopus.

Place in a vacuum seal bag with the chorizo and vacuum seal.

Cook for 5 hours. Remove from the bag and pour the bag juice into a saucepan.

Simmer the sauce for 3-5 minutes.

Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat.

Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or any high smoke point oil) and sear the octopus for 1-2 minutes a side, until it's slightly crisped.

Slice and serve drizzled with the sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Expert tips

1. You can use any size octopus for this recipe, as long as you’re using about 1 pound and it fits in your sealable bag.
2. To make it easier to handle and seal in the bag, you can cut the octopus into pieces.
3. Since octopus is naturally salty, and it’s paired with chorizo in this recipe (which is also salty), be careful adding more salt. That’s why the recipe only calls for ⅓ teaspoon of salt.
4. To avoid bacteria entering the bag while the octopus cooks, make sure the bag is sealed properly.
5. For safe and even cooking, the bag should be completely submerged in the water bath. If it starts to float, use something heavy to weigh it down like a wet towel or a sous vide sinker weight. 
6. If air gets in the bag, you can just open it, let the air out and reseal it. 
7. For a good sear, use a paper towel to pat the octopus dry after it comes out of the water bath.
8. The skin may start to come off as the octopus sears. To prevent this, you can chill the octopus in an ice bath first. (This is optional).
9. To crisp up quickly without overcooking, make sure your skillet is smoking hot. Only sear for 1-2 minutes as you don’t want the octopus to burn or dry out.
10. You can also sear the octopus on the grill for even better results. Heat the grill on high and cook on both sides for about 2 minutes, until browned and slightly crisped.

Common questions

Make ahead instructions

You can sous vide octopus in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To do this, once the octopus comes out of the water bath, place it in an ice bath until it’s completely cooled. Then, store the sealed bag in the fridge until ready to enjoy.

When ready to eat, reheat it in the sous vide water bath until warmed through and then follow the recipe to sear the octopus and make the sauce. You can also serve the octopus cold.

Serving options

• Pair it with potatoes like garlic mashed potatoes or sous vide potatoes.
• Cut it into bite sized pieces and serve it cold in a salad or warm in this seafood rice.
• Serve it with other rice recipes like Instant Pot wild rice or Instant Pot Spanish rice.
• Add another sauce like spicy Cajun remoulade sauce or red chimichurri.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!