Description
Golden, crunchy, and delicately coated—Crispy Shrimp Tempura brings restaurant-quality texture and flavor straight to your home. With light batter and quick frying, this Japanese classic is perfect as an appetizer or a main course, and comes together in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
1 egg (cold)
1 cup ice-cold water
1 tbsp cornstarch
3 to 4 cups vegetable or canola oil
Optional: chopped scallions or parsley
Optional: tempura dipping sauce (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
1. Clean and devein the shrimp, leaving tails on. Make 2–3 shallow cuts on the underside to keep them straight while frying. Pat dry.
2. Lightly dust the shrimp with cornstarch and set aside.
3. In a chilled bowl, mix the cold egg with ice-cold water. Add flour and cornstarch. Stir gently with chopsticks; the batter should remain lumpy.
4. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 340–360°F (170–182°C).
5. Lightly coat each shrimp with flour, then dip into the cold batter.
6. Fry shrimp in small batches (4–5 at a time) for 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp.
7. Remove and drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
8. Serve immediately with dipping sauce and garnish if desired.
Notes
Use cold ingredients and minimal mixing for the crispiest batter.
Don’t overcrowd the fryer—fry in small batches.
Best served immediately for peak crispiness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3–4 pieces
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 380mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
Keywords: shrimp tempura, crispy shrimp, Japanese tempura