By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 6
25 min
Pressure-Cooker Octopus
Recipe GLPR6061ec542f164a
A tender, protein-rich octopus dish prepared quickly in a pressure cooker with minimal seasoning. The gentle high-pressure steam renders the octopus meat tender and succulent in just minutes, creating an elegant main course suitable for Caribbean-inspired menus or Mediterranean fare. This simple preparation highlights the natural briny flavor of fresh octopus.
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Ingredients
1 (2½ pounds / 1 kg) Whole octopus, rinsed well including inside head cavity
Kosher salt
Directions
Rinse the whole octopus thoroughly under cold running water, paying special attention to cleaning the inside of the head cavity and between the tentacles to remove all sand and debris.
Add 1 cup of water to the pressure cooker pot and place the trivet inside.
Season the cleaned octopus generously with kosher salt, coating it inside and out.
Coil the octopus and place it on the trivet in the pressure cooker, folding the tentacles as needed to fit.
Close the pressure cooker lid and bring to high pressure. Cook for 15 minutes at high pressure.
Once the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then release any remaining pressure using the quick-release valve.
Carefully remove the octopus from the pressure cooker and transfer to a cutting board. The meat should be very tender and easily separated from the skin.
If desired, peel away the grayish skin from the octopus body and tentacles while still warm. Cut into serving pieces and serve hot or at room temperature.
Comments
Octopus is a specialty item absent from the seafood cases of Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, and ALDI across Charlotte—you'll need an ethnic market or a specialty fishmonger, a real detour for a weeknight. The ingredient list itself is honest and minimal, and a pressure cooker does genuinely tenderize octopus in 25 minutes where stovetop would take hours, so the time claim holds up. At $12 to $18 per pound depending on where you source it, the cost per serving lands around $2 to $3 per person on the ingredient side alone, reasonable for seafood but not budget-friendly. This is a same-night dish best served immediately after cooking, so plan to eat it fresh rather than rely on leftovers.
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