These Shrimp Tempura have a light crisp batter and are absolutely delicious! Here's how to make the popular Japanese dish at home with easy steps so you can impress everyone and even yourself 😊
I absolutely love shrimp tempura and they're always a non negotiable when we go to a Japanese restaurant. They're quite different to standard fried shrimp as they have a lovely light crisp batter which is not too heavy. You can serve them as a fun appetizer, a main meal with rice or noodles and even in sushi. They're even great just on their own with a dipping sauce or sriracha aioli, you really can't go wrong.
Whilst I eat a predominantly vegetarian and plant based diet, I still try and incorporate seafood occasionally. My husband and I love having date nights at home where we cook new dishes with a glass of wine. Sushi has become a fun date night idea that we love experimenting with. I recently made a shrimp tempura sushi roll which turned out so good and not as hard as I've always thought. I used the same tempura recipe here.
Tempura is a very typical Japanese dish that consists of coating foods in a light batter, then deep frying them. Whilst shrimp and other seafoods are quite popular when making tempura, vegetables are also used to make vegetable tempura which is just as delicious and also very common in Japanese cuisine. The key to making the perfect shrimp tempura (also known as ebi tempura or ebiten), is the batter itself.
Tempura batter is made with ice cold water which is a crucial component, along with flour, eggs, and sometimes baking powder or baking soda and cornstarch. These days however, tempura flour is an easy option and readily available at many asian grocers and supermarkets. I've tested it with both the homemade batter and tempura flour and found the tempura flour much easier with a better end result on the shrimp tempura. There's also a few special Japanese techniques for getting the crispy edges that I've shared in my recipe.
Some other Japanese inspired dishes I've shared are my miso eggplant, teriyaki tofu and tofu katsu.
Table of Contents
What makes this recipe special
- Easy Steps: With just a few simple ingredients and easy steps, you can make this!
- Light & Crispy: The signature light tempura batter with the perfect crisp
- Versatile: Perfect on its own with a dipping sauce, or in sushi rolls, rice bowls and goes well with a creamy fish taco slaw on the side
- Family-Friendly: Everyone loves shrimp tempura, and it’s fun to make together!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Shrimp, also known as prawns, are of course the star and key ingredient. Large shrimp or jumbo shrimp works best. Ensure they're peeled and deveined however leaving the tails on. If you prefer, use veggies like sweet potato or zucchini for a vegetarian option
- Tempura flour is a much easier option for the tempura batter as it has already been mixed for the perfect light, crispy coating. You can purchase tempura flour from Asian grocers and most supermarkets also sell them. If you don’t have tempura flour, you can make a mix of all-purpose flour, cornstarch and eggs to make it from scratch
- All-purpose flour or cornstarch is used to light coat the shrimp before they are dipped into the batter
- Ice-cold water is crucial to making the perfect batter and keeps it light and slows gluten development to make the tempura airy. To help keep the batter cold, you can place a bowl of ice underneath the batter bowl
- Oil for frying, you’ll need a neutral oil, such as canola oil or sunflower oil that can withstand hot oil frying
How to make Shrimp Tempura
Make the popular Shrimp Tempura at home with my easy to follow steps below.
Wash and pat dry the shrimp - ensure to peel and devein, however leaving the tails on
Straighten the shrimp by cutting 6 small slits lengthways on the inside (make sure not to cut all the way through)
Turn the shrimp over and using your finger, gently but firmly press down the back of the shrimp all the way to the tail. The shrimps should be flat and longer in length
Using scissors to trim the tips of the tails to clean them up
Dip shrimps in a bowl of all purpose flour to make a light coating
In a bowl, sift in the tempura flour and add ice cold water - refer to package instructions for the correct water to flour ratio. Lightly stir the batter with chopsticks (small lumps are ok)
Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat (check oil is ready by adding a touch of the tempura batter to the oil. It should rise to the top)
Dip each shrimp into the batter and allow the excess to drip off then drop into the oil
Optional - to make the crunchy bites on the outside, dip chopsticks into the batter and pour a squiggle zig zag of the batter over the top of the shrimp. Then use chopsticks to push shrimp to the top so that it sticks to the batter
Cook a few shrimps at a time and work in batches for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden
Remove from the pot and place on a plate with paper towels to remove excess oil. It's ready to serve!
Tips and Tricks
- Ensure to use ice cold water for the batter to slow the gluten forming and keep the tempura batter light and airy
- Keep the batter cold especially in the summer months by placing a bowl of ice underneath the batter bowl
- Don’t overmix the batter, a quick stir with chopsticks is all you need as small lumps are ok and actually recommended to leave
- Ensure shrimp are straightened to prevent them curling up when cooked - steps within the recipe card below
- Fry in batches as overcrowding the pot drops the oil temperature, resulting in soggy tempura
Storage Instructions
- Shrimp tempura is best enjoyed fresh when they're nice and hot, as this is when they are most crispy
- You can however store leftover cooked shrimp tempura in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days
- Reheat in the oven or in an air fryer for a few minutes until heated though
- Tempura can be frozen, arrange on a baking sheet and freeze for an hour before transferring to an airtight container or freezer bags. Reheat directly from frozen
What can I serve with shrimp tempura?
You can simply enjoy as is, or serve with these suggestions:
- Delicious dipping sauce
- Shrimp tempura sushi roll
- Spicy sriracha aioli
- Tempura dipping sauce made with mirin, dashi, soy sauce and sugar
- Daikon radish
- Steamed white rice or noodles
- Rice bowl such as my salmon bowl
- Topping to soup such as miso noodle soup
- Salad topper such as edamame salad or chopped asian salad
FAQs
Shrimp tempura is a popular Japanese recipe for deep fried shrimp with a light crispy tempura batter. Great for appetizers, in sushi rolls and rice bowls
Yes you sure can. Just make sure to thaw them completely and dry them thoroughly before coating in the batter
Ensure your water is ice-cold and don’t over mix the batter. This helps the coating stay light and crisp. Also try the additional step to add the squiggle of extra batter on top for the perfect crunch
The issue could be that you didn't straighten them properly. Cut slits along the inside of the shrimp, then flip it over and press down firmly along its back to straighten which will prevent it from curling during frying
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Shrimp Tempura:
More Japanese Inspired Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your photo on Instagram so I can share the love!
Recipe
Shrimp Tempura (Light and Crisp - Easy Steps)
Ingredients
- 8 large shrimp/prawns - shelled and deveined with tails on
- 1 cup tempura flour
- 1 cup ice cold water - refer to tempura flour package instructions for the amount of water noted
- ¼ cup plain all purpose flour or cornstarch
- Oil for frying - I've used sunflower oil
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the shrimps, making sure they have been shelled and deveined but have their tails on
- Straighten the shrimps by cutting 6 small slits lengthways on the inside of the shrimp - don't cut all the way through
- Turn the shrimp over so the slits are facing down on the cutting board. Using your finger, gently but firmly press down along the length of the shrimp all the way down to the tail. The shrimps should now be flat and longer in length
- Cut the very tips of the tails along the angles to clean them up, still keeping the tails intact
- Place the all purpose flour in a bowl and dip the shrimps in the flour for a light coating
- In a new bowl, sift in the tempura flour and pour in the ice cold water - refer to your tempura flour package for the correct water to flour ratio. My package has a 1:1 ratioLightly whisk the tempura batter with chopsticks, making sure not to over mix. Some small lumps are ok to be left
- Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Check the oil is ready by adding a touch of the tempura batter to the oil. It should rise to the topDip each shrimp into the batter and allow the excess batter to drip off. Carefully drop into the hot oil
- Cook a few shrimps at a time and work in batches so you don't overcrowd the potOptional - to make the crunchy bites on the outside, dip chopsticks into the batter and pour a squiggle zig zag of the batter over the top of the shrimp. Then using chopsticks, push shrimp to the top so that it sticks to the batter poured in
- Cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden brown then remove with a slotted spoon, place on a plate with paper towels to remove the excess oil and sprinkle with saltContinue with the remaining shrimp and when ready enjoy your Shrimp Tempura with soy sauce, a dipping sauce or make shrimp tempura sushi and enjoy!
Notes
- Nutritional table does not account for oil used for frying the shrimp tempura
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