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Tacos de pulpo

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Taco type
Also known as: Octopus tacos, Tacos de pulpo enchilado

Tacos de pulpo are tacos filled with octopus that has been simmered until tender and then sautéed, grilled or spit-roasted, a seafood taco found along both of Mexico's coasts and especially in the marisquerías of Baja California.

Contents
  1. Overview
  2. Baja California styles
  3. Home versions
  4. Serving
  5. Recipe
  6. Where to try it
  7. Reviews
  8. See also
  9. References

Overview

Octopus is tough when raw, so nearly every version of the taco starts the same way: the whole animal is simmered gently in water until a knife slides into the thickest part of a tentacle. Once tender, it is cut into bite-size pieces and finished quickly over high heat so that it browns without going rubbery. From that common base, cooks take the dish in very different directions depending on region and restaurant.

Baja California styles

In Tijuana, the octopus taco at Mariscos El Ángel became well known enough that the cook Pati Jinich adapted it for home kitchens on PBS. In her version the cooked octopus is sautéed in butter with a chile seasoning powder and a little barbecue sauce, then set on a tortilla pressed onto a layer of melted, crisped Oaxaca cheese and finished with salsa bandera, cabbage, crema, mayonnaise and lime. Jinich presents it as a contrast to the Cali-Baja battered fish taco.

Ensenada has seen playful variations as well. In 2021 the news site SDP Noticias reported on a taquería in the city, Le Taquié, that cooked octopus on a vertical trompo in the manner of tacos al pastor, marinated in a house adobo of chiles and herbs.

Home versions

Simpler home recipes, such as one published by Tortilla Digital, sauté the cut octopus in olive oil with onion, tomato, cilantro, garlic and chile in the style of a mexicana sauce, spoon it into warm tortillas and top it with avocado and sliced tomato. Octopus is also frequently grilled a las brasas in coastal restaurants and served in tacos or on tostadas.

Serving

Octopus tacos are usually eaten as part of a seafood meal rather than as a late-night street snack. Toppings tend to borrow from the Baja fish taco, with shredded cabbage, a fresh tomato and onion salsa, crema or mayonnaise and lime, though spit-roasted versions are dressed more like tacos al pastor. Because the octopus is already cooked through, the final sear or grill only needs a few minutes.

Recipe

Makes 8 tacos · Time: About 1 hour 30 minutes, mostly simmering

Ingredients

  • 1 whole octopus, about 1 kg, cleaned
  • 1/2 white onion, plus 1/2 onion finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
  • 1 tsp chile powder or ground chile de árbol
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • Salt
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded cabbage
  • 1 cup pico de gallo
  • Mexican crema, lime wedges and avocado to serve

Steps

  1. Put the octopus in a pot with the half onion, garlic and bay leaf, cover with water and bring to a bare simmer. Cook 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a knife slides easily into the thickest tentacle.
  2. Let it cool in the liquid for 15 minutes, then drain. Cut the tentacles and body into 1 cm pieces.
  3. Heat the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook 2 minutes.
  4. Add the octopus, chile powder and a pinch of salt and sauté 3 to 4 minutes until the edges brown. Finish with the lime juice.
  5. Warm the tortillas on a comal. Fill each with octopus and top with cabbage, pico de gallo, a drizzle of crema and avocado. Serve with lime.

For a cheese-crusted version, melt a layer of shredded Oaxaca cheese in a nonstick pan, press a tortilla onto it and fill once the cheese has crisped.

Where to try it

Reviews

Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.

See also

References

  1. "Pulpo Tacos". PBS Food (Pati Jinich). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "Tacos de pulpo al pastor conmocionan Ensenada". SDP Noticias. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "Tacos de pulpo". Tortilla Digital. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Baja California cuisine Seafood tacos Taco types