Shrimp Tempura

🍤 What Makes This Recipe So Good

In the mood for take-out, but trying to cook at home more often? You’re in luck! This recipe delivers light, crispy, restaurant-style shrimp tempura in roughly 30 minutes, without needing to leave the house. With this combo of ease & flavor, you’ll want to make this dish over and over again. We’ve even included a simple recipe for warm tempura sauce to really complete the meal. Of course, you’re welcome to replace it with a sweet and sour sauce, eel sauce, or any other sauce you like! Shrimp tempura is delicious all on its own, but it’s also great in a sushi roll, on top of miso or udon soup, or with a side of hibachi-style fried rice, lo mein, or stir-fry veggies.

👩‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

The key to perfectly light and crispy fried tempura is to keep the batter cold. Chill the ingredients before getting started, and put the batter in the fridge whenever needed to keep it from warming up. You’ll also have to work quickly. The shrimp need to go in the fry oil as soon as they’ve been dipped in batter. The temperature of the fry oil is really, really important. I highly recommend using a candy thermometer or a deep-fry thermometer that clips to the side of the pot. That way you can monitor the temperature the whole time you’re cooking. Remember – adding the shrimp tempura to the oil will cool it off a bit. Make sure you let it come back up to 350°F before adding the next batch. If you don’t have a thermometer, you’ll need a wooden spoon instead. Dip the handle end of the spoon in the oil, and if you see bubbles rapidly form around the wood, your oil should be good to go. Ever seen shrimp tempura and wondered how they managed to get the shrimp so straight? It’s because of the slits cut into the belly of the shrimp! By cutting 4 or 5 shallow, horizontal slits in the shrimp, you make the shrimp flexible enough to bend backwards and straighten out. This way, you’ll get a nice, even coating that fries evenly, too.

🐟 More Seafood Recipes You’ll Love

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