🐙 Pulpo a la Gallega (Galician Octopus)
Pulpo a la gallega is tender boiled octopus sliced into coins and served over waxy boiled potatoes, finished with good olive oil, salt and paprika. The octopus is soft yet springy, the potatoes absorb the oil, and the paprika adds colour and a smoky warmth. It is one of Spain's best-known tapas and is often shared at the table.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg octopus, cleaned
- 4 medium waxy potatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika (sweet, hot or smoked)
- Coarse salt
Method
- Boil a large pot of water and dip the octopus three times before submerging it.
- Simmer for 40–50 minutes until tender, then rest it in the water for 10 minutes.
- Cook the potatoes in the same water until tender and slice them.
- Slice the octopus into coins and lay over the potatoes on a plate.
- Dress with olive oil, salt and paprika, and serve warm.
How to make it lighter
- Keep olive oil to about 1 tbsp per serving or less; 1 tbsp oil ≈ 120 kcal.
- Make the octopus the main part of the plate and the potatoes a small base.
- Pair with grilled peppers or a salad on the side.
History
Pulpo a la gallega is the name used across Spain for Galicia's classic octopus dish, known locally as pulpo á feira. Octopus has long been central to Galician cooking, and the dish spread to tapas bars throughout the country.
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Point your camera at the table — Me Nutrition recognises Pulpo a la Gallega (Galician Octopus) and every other dish, with calories and macros for each. Ate only half? Slide it.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →