Octopus

Q: When can babies eat octopus?

From around 6 months, once your baby is ready for solids, served in a safe shape and texture for their age.

Iron-rich and mild once it's slow-cooked until very tender, then minced small.

Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review

Quick answer

Babies can eat octopus from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.

From 6 monthsMedium choking risk as servedAllergen: ShellfishIron-rich

How to serve octopus by age

6 months+

Minced octopus or octopus cakes

Simmer cleaned octopus gently until it is very tender, then mince it very finely and stir into mashed potato, rice or a soft vegetable mash, or shape the mixture into finger-sized cakes.

Size: Finely minced into soft food, or octopus cakes shaped like a finger, about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
Check before serving: Rub the minced octopus between your fingers before mixing it in: you shouldn't feel any rubbery bits or hard pieces. Octopus cakes should flatten when you squash them gently.

US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.

Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.

How to prepare octopus

1
Buy cleaned octopus, or ask the fishmonger to remove the hard beak at the center of the tentacles, the eyes and the ink sac. Thaw frozen octopus in the fridge overnight, then rinse it.
2
Simmer it gently in unsalted water until a knife slides easily into the thickest part of a tentacle and the flesh is opaque all the way through. This can take a long time: tough octopus needs longer, not a hotter pan.
3
Let it cool, peel off any loose skin if you like, then mince finely (6 months) or chop small (9 months+), and mix into a soft food or shape into cakes.
4
First time? Pick a day your baby is well, at home, when you can watch them for a couple of hours afterward.

How much to offer

For the very first taste, offer a small amount: a teaspoon of minced octopus mixed into a food your baby already eats. If there's no reaction, offer more next time. For ages 1 to 3, the FDA suggests a fish or shellfish serving of about 1 oz (28 g), twice a week. Octopus isn't on the FDA's fish chart, so our suggestion is to rotate it with seafood that is, rather than serving it every week. Your baby decides how much to eat.

Common mistakes

Serving slices of tentacle

Octopus is chewy and rubbery, and the CDC lists tough or large chunks of meat as a choking hazard. Mince it for babies and chop it small for toddlers, even when it's well cooked.

Not cooking it long enough

Quickly cooked octopus can stay tough. Simmer it gently until a knife slides in easily, and if it still feels rubbery, mince it very finely before serving.

Serving raw or lightly cooked octopus

The CDC lists raw or undercooked shellfish, including sushi, sashimi and ceviche, as riskier choices for children under 5, and the NHS says to avoid giving raw shellfish to babies and children. Skip octopus sashimi, carpaccio and ceviche for young children.

Using salty prepared octopus

Cooked octopus already has about 460 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 1.2 g of salt), FoodData Central lists. Marinated, canned, grilled and restaurant octopus often has more salt added. The NHS says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day. Cook plain octopus in unsalted water for your baby, and keep portions small.

Where US and UK guidance differ on octopus

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

Octopus isn't on the FDA's fish chart. The CDC lists raw or undercooked shellfish as a riskier choice for children under 5. In the US, mollusks like octopus don't have to be named as an allergen on food labels.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says to avoid giving raw shellfish to babies and children, and sets no maximum for shellfish other than brown crab meat. Molluscs are one of the 14 allergens that must be labeled in the UK.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

Questions parents ask

Can octopus be a choking hazard for babies?

Octopus is chewy and rubbery, and tentacle slices are a choking risk for young children. Cook it until very tender, mince it for babies and cut it into small pieces for toddlers. Remove the hard beak before cooking. Never offer raw or undercooked octopus. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to octopus?

Shellfish is a common allergen. Octopus is a mollusk, like squid, clams, mussels and oysters, not a crustacean like shrimp, crab and lobster (FARE). The ACAAI says crustaceans cause the most shellfish reactions and many people with a shellfish allergy can eat mollusks, but FARE says most people allergic to one group of shellfish are allergic to other types, and the ACAAI says anyone who has reacted to shellfish should see an allergist before eating any other kind. Shellfish can be introduced from around 6 months, like other foods: start with a small amount on its own and watch for signs of a reaction. A shellfish allergy is different from a fish allergy: one doesn't mean the other. In the US, food labels don't have to name mollusks such as octopus (FARE); in the UK, molluscs are one of the 14 allergens that must be labeled (GOV.UK).

Are octopus healthy for babies?

Rich in iron, vitamin B12 and selenium: FoodData Central lists about 9.5 mg of iron, 36 µg of vitamin B12 and 90 µg of selenium per 100 g of cooked octopus, so even a 1 oz (28 g) serving gives about 2.7 mg of iron. It is also a lean source of protein.

When can babies eat octopus?

From around 6 months, simmered until very tender and minced finely. The CDC lists shellfish among the allergenic foods to introduce when you introduce other foods, and the NHS says to avoid giving raw shellfish to babies and children.

My baby is allergic to shrimp. Can they have octopus?

Talk to your pediatrician or allergist first. Shrimp is a crustacean and octopus is a mollusk. The ACAAI says many people allergic to crustaceans can eat mollusks, but FARE says most people allergic to one group of shellfish are allergic to other types. An allergist can test and advise.

Is octopus high in mercury?

Octopus isn't on the FDA's fish chart, so the FDA gives no mercury advice for it either way.

If your baby refuses octopus

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Mix minced octopus into foods your baby already likes, such as rice, pasta or mashed potato.
Try octopus cakes: they're easier to hold than loose pieces.
If your baby keeps refusing octopus and you're relying on it as an early allergen, mention it to your pediatrician.

Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.

Buying and storing octopus

Keep raw octopus in the fridge and cook it within 2 days, or freeze it.
Cooked octopus keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
Octopus cakes can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Reheat them only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving.
Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).

When to talk to your doctor

Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:

Your baby has had any reaction to octopus, even a mild one. Stop offering it, and talk to your pediatrician before trying other shellfish such as squid, clams or shrimp.
You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Offered octopus?

Add it to your first 100 foods.

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