Homemade Tempura Shrimp that’s crispy and delicious! Good batter and deep-frying techniques are vital to making a light, crispy coating that doesn’t absorb oil when fried.
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There are countless Japanese restaurants serving tempura, but it’s also a really fun and easy thing to do at home, as it’s made with vegetables, seafood, and a light batter.
You may also like another fried recipe on my blog – Tandoori Paneer samosa (Best Samosa Recipe), Beer Battered Fish With Tartar Sauce, Chicken Mayo Bread Balls, Homemade Chicken Popcorn (Secret Recipe of Spice Mix).
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Japanese recipes like Shrimp Tempura can seem really intimidating because they have to be so light and crispy to be enjoyable.
Recipes like this one can be cooked instantly, so prepare your dinner beforehand and fry the chicken while the batter is still hot.
My first few attempts at making Shrimp Tempura at home resulted in disappointment. The batter always seemed too soggy and I also couldn’t get the shrimp to stay straight like in Japanese restaurants.
The secret to keeping the shrimp straight during the cooking process lies in cutting and preparing them the right way. I’m going to share this below!
What’s the secret to keeping shrimp from curling up almost immediately after they hit the hot oil? Follow the steps below which I will tell you guys to maintain the straightness of the shrimp.
About Tempura Shrimp Recipe
Tempura shrimp refers to a traditional Japanese dish that consists of several vegetables and seafood well battered and deep-fried into crispy bits. However, you may be unaware that tempura is not the only rice-based dish in Japan, as its origins are Portuguese.
The art of deep-frying was carried to Japan by Portuguese traders during the 1600s, where it became a popular vegetable dish in Buddhist temples. As a result, it soon became a favorite street food in old Tokyo (called Edo) and has since continued to be so.
Shrimp Tempura is known in Japan as Shrimp Tempura or Ebi Ten. Ebi means shrimp and ten refers to the tempura. Tempura is frequently made with seafood, with vegetables as the main ingredients. Shrimp is one of the most popular seafood ingredients.
It might be scary to fry food in general, but using a light batter that isn’t heavy? Besides being popular in Japanese restaurants worldwide, this dish is also easy to make from scratch at home. The tempura batter is made with regular flour and corn starch and it is extremely easy to make.
Prepare your dinner before you begin – it is best eaten straight after the batter is mixed and fried. This is a quick recipe that is best eaten immediately, right after the batter is mixed.
It doesn’t take much to produce restaurant-quality tempura. Egg, flour, and ice water make up the batter. However, there are several separate elements that are essential to get delicious results. Crispy tempura is made with sifted flour, hot oil, and ice water.
I prefer using club soda as it’s a lighter alternative to ice water in this mixture since it creates a lighter texture.
Shrimp tempura is usually rolled in crispy tempura batter in Japanese restaurants.
Hanaage is the traditional Japanese cooking method for deep-frying tempura balls. Hana means flower and age mean deep-fry. Why flower? Because the batter blooms when stirred in the hot oil.
This tempura shrimp is :
- Easy to make
- An affair of 15 minutes
- Perfect to serve as an appetizer
- Made with limited ingredients
- A great side dish for your brunch parties
Check Out Tempura Shrimp Recipe Video :
Cleaning Prawns – How do I do this?
Getting prawns clean is easy! Simply start by rinsing them in cold water, and then discard anything that is discolored, slimy, or damaged in some way.
Ensure they are cleaned properly.
The prawns should be tightly held and twisted firmly in your hand.
After removing the outer shell, peel away the legs from the underside of the shell while holding the tail.
Take a knife and make a thin cut running down the length of the prawn’s back.
The vein will be visible once the cut is made.
Discard the vein by pulling it out with a knife’s tip. Make sure the intestines were cleaned well and rinse them again with cold water.
You can use your prawns right away once you’ve done it.
Ingredients
Fresh or frozen shrimp or prawns: Thawed shrimps or prawns (fresh or frozen) with thick flesh. Investing a little more in good shrimp is well worth it since they’re more flavorful and healthier for the environment.
The dish can be prepared with any shrimp. Since shrimps are a good source of protein, you can include this in your diet on a regular basis.
Egg – Whisked egg, one large egg, used to make the batter.
Ice Cold Club Soda – 1 cup of Ice cold Club Soda. Using very cold Soda water makes the gluten more stable, the oil absorption slows down, and you get a crunchy flavor and texture.
All-Purpose Flour – You can make this recipe with self-rising flour because it has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour. A batter that is enriched with water and protein should result in a more crispy batter (water mixed with protein causes gluten). I have used all-purpose flour.
Alternatively, you can use cake flour, which also has minimal protein content.
Cornstarch – It is cooked with cornstarch, which works to prevent the batter from sticking to the shrimp. Potato starch can be substituted for cornstarch.
Oil – You can use any vegetable or corn oil with a high smoke point.
How to make Tempura Shrimp step by step with photo:
- Begin by prepping the shrimp by making sure that they are de-veined, cleaned, peeled, cut the tail edge, and thawed.
- To straighten out the shrimp you then need to make small slits on its back and front.
- The shrimp will be separated just enough so they don’t curl up when they’re fried.
- Make sure to mix the all-purpose flour, cornflour, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk nicely.
- Then crack an egg and beat it nicely, later adding the ice-cold club soda. Mix only enough to combine. Take care not to overmix.
- Once all the batter is prepared, just add the dry ingredients immediately with the help of a strainer so that if any lump remains you can discard it. Mix nicely. If the batter is not required right away and you intend to use it later, simply cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Add a little more ice-cold club soda to make a smooth batter.
- Add half tsp of baking soda and mix gently. Don’t over mix.
- Then heat a large pan, or heavy bottom frying pan, with vegetable, avocado, or corn oil.
- After the oil reaches medium heat, dip the shrimp tail into the batter and fry for about 2 minutes, then transfer them to a paper towel-liners dish to absorb any excess oil. Make sure not to overcook the shrimp as they will become tough and chewy.
- Make a tartar sauce of your own by mixing ketchup and plain mayonnaise. You can also use your imagination here. Serve tempura shrimp hot with tartar sauce
Important Suggestions To Keep In Mind
- You need to make and fry the batter correctly to make a deliciously light and crispy tempura.
- A good shrimp tempura recipe relies on a number of factors, including timing, oil temperature and texture, batter temperature and texture, and organization.
- Cleanliness and organization are a must when peeling shrimp and dipping and deep-frying them.
- Just as planning is the key to a successful cooking process, correct timing is important to get the batter right.
- When dipping the shrimp into the batter and adding them to the oil, you want to make sure that the batter is ice cold to prevent the batter from absorbing too much oil, which will result in lighter and crispier tempura.
- To make shrimp tempura, the ideal temperature is 360F. Keep a close eye on the temperature with a kitchen thermometer, but there is another way to test the temperature if you don’t have one.
- Drop a drop of batter into the oil, If a small drop of batter will sizzle right away, then it is too hot. If it sinks to the bottom after a few seconds, then it is too cool. Test until the batter sinks halfway and pops back up. Only then can you start deep frying.
- Almost before deep frying, the batter must be ice cold. This is best achieved by making the batter right before the deep-frying process begins.
- Make your batter near the area where you intend to fry in by placing all of your ingredients in one location. Keep water nearby in a bowl with a few ice cubes and discard them right before using them.
- Lastly, dip the shrimp lightly in the batter (remember – gluten isn’t to be activated!) and try not to shake it around in the batter.
- If you want crisp tempura, use ice water instead of tap water or room temperature water.
- It is best to consume shrimp tempura immediately. If you would like to keep leftover shrimp for later, store them in an airtight container at room temperature in the refrigerator. They should keep it for one day.
- It is best not to prepare the tempura batter in advance, because it will yield unsatisfactory results.
Frequently Asked Questions
My Tempura Isn’t Crispy, Why?
Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or potato starch to every cup of all-purpose flour to make the batter crispier. Another option is to use cake or pastry flour.
Additionally, make sure that the water is as cold as possible, the batter is not overmixed, and that the oil is at the appropriate temperature.
Is it possible to thicken the batter?
The thicker the batter, the thicker the coating on the fried food. Start with about 3/4 cup cold water, blend for about 30 seconds, and fry a veggie. If it doesn’t seem thick enough, add more water. Do not overmix.
Is it possible to make Tempura Batter without the use of eggs?
A tempura batter is usually made with just an egg. Some recipes just include the yolk. If you prefer a crisp batter, try the batter without the egg.
Can you please suggest the best oils for tempura?
Deep-frying can be done with any oil with a smoke point that is high enough to handle high temperatures. Canola or vegetable oils are popular, and peanut oil is also used in some places.
How do Panko breadcrumbs differ from Tempura?
In Japanese cuisine, both ingredients are used for deep-frying foods, but they produce different results. Tempura batter results in a light, airy, crispy exterior, while panko is a crisp, flaky, coarse coating.
Serving Suggestion
Japanese food is good if it’s served with a good bowl of Japanese rice. First, you must learn to make good Japanese rice, and the good news is that it’s not complicated once you know what rice to buy and how to cook it.
I prefer dipping this shrimp in low-sodium soy sauce or my Sweet Chili Orange Sauce or Sweet and Sour Sauce. I also occasionally find it served in Japanese restaurants with Tempura Dipping Sauce.
Storage Suggestions
After the tempura has been fried, serve right away with a dipping sauce and dig in. Tempura can become mushy if it sits for too long.
I will not recommend storing the tempura shrimp as it will become soggy. Instead, you can store the batter and when you are ready to eat then take it out from the fridge and after 5 minutes you can again deep-fry them and have it as soon as possible.
Print
Tempura shrimp
- Total Time: 35 minutes
Description
Crispy shrimp tempura, made at home! A light batter and proper frying technique are the secrets to creating a light crisp coating that doesn’t absorb oil when fried.
Ingredients
- 6to7 – Tiger shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 cup – All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup – Cornflour or cornstarch
- 1 tsp – Salt
- 1 – Egg large
- 1to1/2 cup – Ice Cold club soda
- 1/2 tsp – Baking soda Any vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Begin by prepping the shrimp by making sure that they are de-veined, cleaned, peeled, cut the tail edge, and thawed.
- To straighten out the shrimp you then need to make small slits on its back and front.
- The shrimp will be separated just enough so they don’t curl up when they’re fried.
- Make sure to mix the all-purpose flour, cornflour, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk nicely.
- Then crack an egg and beat it nicely, later adding the ice-cold club soda. Mix only enough to combine. Take care not to overmix.
- Once all the batter was prepared, just add the dry ingredients immediately with the help of a strainer so that if any lump remains you can discard it. Mix nicely. If the batter is not required right away and you intend to use it later, simply cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Add a little more ice-cold club soda to make a smooth batter.
- Add half tsp of baking soda and mix gently. Don’t over mix.
- Then heat a large pan, or heavy bottom frying pan, with vegetable, avocado, or corn oil.
- After the oil reaches medium heat, dip the shrimp tail into the batter and fry for about 2 minutes, then transfer them to a paper towel-liners dish to absorb any excess oil. Make sure not to overcook the shrimp as they will become tough and chewy.
- Make a tartar sauce of your own by mixing ketchup and plain mayonnaise. You can also use your imagination here. Serve tempura shrimp hot with tartar sauce.
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[equipments]Notes
- You need to make and fry the batter correctly to make deliciously light and crispy tempura.
- A good shrimp tempura recipe relies on a number of factors, including timing, oil temperature and texture, batter temperature and texture, and organization.
- Cleanliness and organization are a must when peeling shrimp and dipping and deep-frying them.
- Just as planning is the key to a successful cooking process, correct timing is important to get the batter right.
- When dipping the shrimp into the batter and adding them to the oil, you want to make sure that the batter is ice cold to prevent the batter from absorbing too much oil, which will result in lighter and crispier tempura.
- To make shrimp tempura, the ideal temperature is 360F. Keep a close eye on the temperature with a kitchen thermometer, but there is another way to test the temperature if you don’t have one.
- Drop a drop of batter into the oil, If a small drop of batter will sizzle right away, then it is too hot. If it sinks to the bottom after a few seconds, then it is too cool. Test until the batter sinks halfway and pops back up. Only then can you start deep frying.
- Almost before deep frying, the batter must be ice cold. This is best achieved by making the batter right before the deep-frying process begins.
- Make your batter near the area where you intend to fry in by placing all of your ingredients in one location. Keep water nearby in a bowl with a few ice cubes and discard them right before using them.
- Lastly, dip the shrimp lightly in the batter (remember – gluten isn’t to be activated!) and try not to shake it around in the batter.
- If you want crisp tempura, use ice water instead of tap water or room temperature water.
- It is best to consume shrimp tempura immediately. If you would like to keep leftover shrimp for later, store them in an airtight container at room temperature in the refrigerator. They should keep it for one day.
- It is best not to prepare the tempura batter in advance, because it will yield unsatisfactory results.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Deep- Fry
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 people
- Calories: 345 Kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 1192 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 327 mg
Note: A rough estimate of nutrition is provided.
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