Crispy, crunchy shrimp with a delicate, flaky batter? Yes please! This easy pan-fried Shrimp Tempura is about to become your new favorite seafood recipe.
Crispy Homemade Shrimp Tempura
Pretty much anything that’s got “tempura” in the name is fine by me, especially shrimp! If you take a quick look around the blog, you can see how much I love shrimp. Cooked properly, they’re tender and flavorful, like lobster, but bite-sized! Shrimp are the chicken nugget of seafood! 😊
And, shrimp tempura is the best thing since EVER. The ultra-delicate, light and crisp batter is the perfect match for the shrimp’s mild flavor. I love serving these lightly fried shrimp as a succulent appetizer, or making a double batch for a light dinner entree.
These go perfectly with any kind of dip, from cocktail sauce to sweet chili sauce. They also make an awesome addition to a seafood platter, or you can pile them onto a po’ boy, just make sure to take off the tails.
What is Tempura?
Tempura is a Japanese method of deep-frying foods in a light, crispy batter. There aren’t any breadcrumbs – just a silky coating of batter that gets nice and flaky when fried.
Seafood is really popular to fry tempura-style, but everything from mushrooms to chocolate chip cookies can be tempura!
What You’ll Need
Making the light, delicate tempura batter is easy. Cornstarch helps keep the batter stick to the shrimp, while bubbly club soda adds lightness.
- Shrimp: This recipe makes one pound of shrimp. Make sure they’re peeled and deveined. You can use any size shrimp.
- Cornstarch: I like to use non-GMO or organic cornstarch whenever possible.
- Salt: You’ll need ½ a teaspoon of salt to season the batter.
- Egg: One whole egg adds flavor and improves the texture of the tempura.
- Flour: This recipe uses one cup of all-purpose flour.
- Club Soda: Have ready one cup of cup club soda, cold from the refrigerator.
- Oil: For frying.
How To Make Shrimp Tempura
All right! Let’s get cooking. It’s best to line up all of your items (shrimp, batter, tongs, platter, etc.) before cooking, so that you don’t have to stop in the middle to find something!
- Prep Shrimp: Lay the shrimp out in a single layer and dust both sides with cornstarch.
- Mix Batter: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the salt, egg, flour and club soda. Do not overmix – it’s okay if there are a few small lumps in the batter.
- Heat Oil: Place a heavy-bottomed pot over high heat and add about 2 inches of oil. Allow the oil to heat up to 340-360°F. (You can use a candy thermometer or other similar thermometer to make sure the temperature is correct.)
- Batter & Fry Shrimp: Dip the coated shrimp into the prepared batter using a pair of tongs. Add it to the hot oil and fry for 2-5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining shrimp, if working in batches.
- Drain & Serve: Transfer the cooked shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil, then enjoy!
Tips for Success
Want to know more about making shrimp tempura? Read below for my handy tips on doing it right. Bon appetit!
- Chill Out: If you’re frying more than one batch of tempura, put the batter in the fridge while you’re waiting to fry the next batch. Cold batter works best for tempura!
- Heat Up: The batter needs to be cold, but the oil should be hot! Be sure to give it time to reach the correct temperature before you add the next batch of tempura.
- Remove Excess Batter: From the hot oil, that is. You may notice flakes and crumbs of batter floating in the oil. To prevent it from burning, use a clean, dry strainer or slotted spoon to gently scoop it out. That way, the oil will taste clean and not burned as you continue cooking. Plus, the little crispies are tasty!
What to Serve with Shrimp Tempura
What should you make to go with your yummy, crispy shrimp? You really can’t go wrong with anything, but here are a few great serving suggestions for inspiration!
- Surf n Turf: Shrimp and steak just work, don’t they! Try my Grilled Flank Steak with Bleu Cheese Butter for an easy way to make perfectly cooked steak.
- Pasta: How about Creamy Baked Pasta with Zucchini and Mushrooms to go with your delicate shrimp? So delicious!
- Soup: My easy homemade version of Egg Drop Soup makes a yummy side for this delicious shrimp tempura.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- To refrigerate, gently place leftovers in a shallow container. The pieces shouldn’t touch. You can use parchment to separate layers of tempura, if necessary. Store for up to two days.
- To reheat, place on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350°F oven until heated through and crispy. Do not overcook.
Shrimp Tempura
Equipment
- Stove
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup club soda, cold
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Lay the shrimp out in a single layer and dust both sides with cornstarch.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the salt, egg, flour, and club soda. Do not over mix – a few small lumps in the batter is fine.
- Place a heavy-bottomed pot over a high heat and add about 2 inches of oil.
- Allow the oil to heat up to 340°F-360°F.
- Dip the coated shrimp into the prepared batter using a pair of tongs.
- Add to the hot oil and allow to fry for 2 – 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a paper-lined plate to soak up any excess oil and then enjoy.
Notes
- Makes 6 to 8 servings.
- Frying Oil not included in nutritional analysis.
Nutrition
More Asian-Inspired Recipes to Try
If you like this Japanese-style recipe, you have to check out these other Asian dishes next!
15 Comments
Amanda
Apr 6, 2021 at 5:20 pmI cannot recommend this recipe enough, so easy to make and very delicious!
Katerina Petrovska
Apr 7, 2021 at 10:21 amThank you so much! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Catalina
Apr 7, 2021 at 9:16 amI am drooling over this shrimp! I would like to make it at home!
Katerina Petrovska
Apr 7, 2021 at 10:20 amI hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Beth
Apr 7, 2021 at 1:27 pmWow! My daughter and I are going to love this recipe! Looks so delicious and very tasty!
Katerina Petrovska
Apr 8, 2021 at 3:01 pmThank YOU! I hope you and your daughter enjoy them! 🙂
Amanda Livesay
Apr 7, 2021 at 1:30 pmLove the light crispy batter on these! So delicious!
Katerina Petrovska
Apr 8, 2021 at 3:00 pmI hope you enjoy them! Thank YOU! 🙂
Toni
Apr 8, 2021 at 10:59 amSuch a really delicious appetizer! Everyone at my house loved it!
Katerina Petrovska
Apr 8, 2021 at 2:58 pmI’m very glad everyone enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Donna Drinkwater
Apr 26, 2021 at 2:39 pmLooking forward to trying 🙂 what did you use for a dipping sauce as pictured? Thanks for yet another awesome recipe 🙂
Katerina
Apr 26, 2021 at 5:46 pmHi!
It’s called Tempura Dipping Sauce and it’s by Kikkoman. 😊
Ivy Jo Rezak
Sep 2, 2021 at 7:09 pmThis is the first time I’ve gotten a recipe off of this site. I love Chinese food but have NEVER had success with other recipes. Today I decided to give your Tempura Shrimp a try. I am so glad I did…….wonderful!! I’m a very experienced cook but sometimes Chinese recipes have lots of ingredients and are hard to follow the sequence of getting it all together. Your recipe is right on point and the end result is what is expected. Our dinner tonight was wonderful. Thank you!
Laura
Jan 28, 2022 at 5:39 pmThese worked great! I tried a different recipe before and they were a mess! But these were a hit! Thanks!
Katerina Petrovska
Jan 31, 2022 at 2:12 pmThat’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂