This Crispy Tempura Shrimp is crunchy, golden brown, and bursting with flavor. With just five simple ingredients, you can have this light, airy, and crunchy dish on your table in no time.
Have you ever tried making your own tempura batter? I tried my hand at it just recently with this crispy tempura shrimp, and now I'm not sure I'll be able to stop! It's incredibly easy (much easier than I thought!) and takes almost no time at all. This crunchy batter is perfect for shrimp, but I'm also using this tempura mix to make tempura veggies and anything else I can think of. I can't wait for you to try it!
In This Post
Why This Recipe Works
There are many reasons to love this recipe.
- Light and crispy batter. Tempura batter tends to be much lighter and airier than your typical fried food. By using a combination of flour, egg yolks, and cold ice water, you'll create a batter that forms a delicate shell around each shrimp, ensuring a satisfying crunch with every bite.
- Simple ingredients. Just a handful of ingredients are needed for these crispy shrimp.
- Fast. Sure, frying can be a hassle, but these tempura shrimp come together quickly and cook in just 5-6 minutes.
- Versatile. This dish works great as an appetizer but you can easily turn it into a main dish tool in so many ways - add to sushi bowls, toss with boom boom sauce to create boom boom shrimp, or even stuff it into sushi rolls!
Key Ingredients
One of the best things about this recipe is that it requires so few ingredients, almost all of which you likely already have.
- Peeled Shrimp: Opt for large shrimp, ensuring they're peeled and tails removed to make them easy to eat. I love using the wild-caught shrimp from Costco that can be found in the freezer section. (Note: Some people slice the shrimp in half lengthwise, or make shallow cuts on the shrimp which helps them to fry a bit faster, and also straightens the shrimp out a bit. I don't usually bother with this, but feel free to try it.)
- Peanut Oil: Ideal for frying due to its high smoke point, which helps achieve that crispy texture without burning.
- Flour: Some recipes call for rice flour for tempura batter, but all-purpose flour plus cold ice water works just fine to make tempura batter's light and airy texture.
- Egg Yolks: Adds richness and helps bind the batter together.
- Ice Water: Cold water is essential for achieving the perfect tempura batter consistency. The cold water slows down the gluten formation and prevents the crust from absorbing too much oil which would turn your tempura into a typical fried food. Using the cold water method results in a light and crispy coating.
How To Make Tempura Shrimp
This popular dish is easy to make, and you'll have it finished faster than if you had these delivered from one of your favorite Japanese restaurants! Here's how to make this easy shrimp tempura recipe:
- Make the ice water. Begin by preparing a bowl of cold ice water and allowing it to sit for a few minutes.
- Mix the batter. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, egg yolks, and 1 ½ cups of ice water to create the shrimp batter.
- Heat oil. Heat peanut oil in a pot or fryer to 350 degrees F.
- Coat the shrimp. Dredge each shrimp in the remaining flour, then dip it into the batter. Shake any excess batter from the shrimp before placing it in the fryer.
- Fry. Fry the shrimp in batches in the hot oil for about 2-3 minutes until the exterior is golden brown and has a crisp coating, flipping halfway through. If you don't have a fryer, using a large pot with tall sides can help prevent splatter.
- Cool and drain. Remove the shrimp from the oil with a slotted spoon and let them cool on a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet. This will also allow any excess oil to drain off the shrimp.
Variations And Substitutions
This is a simple and easy recipe, but here are a few ways to change it up and some substitutions you can use.
- Vegetable oil. While I like using peanut oil for frying best, you could also use vegetable oil if that's what you have. (It's also much more affordable!)
- Vegetable tempura. Substitute shrimp with your favorite vegetables like sweet potatoes, zucchini, or bell peppers.
- Air Fryer: For a healthier alternative, try air frying the shrimp tempura instead of deep frying. This creates a super crispy shell without the oil!
Frequently Asked Questions
Tempura is a Japanese dish where ingredients are coated in a light batter and fried quickly at a high temperature, resulting in a crispy yet delicate texture. Unlike traditional frying, which often involves heavier breading or thicker coatings, tempura batter is much lighter, resulting in a crispier and less greasy finish.
Absolutely! While the recipe calls for large or jumbo shrimp, you can adapt it to use whatever kind of shrimp you prefer or have on hand. Just ensure they're peeled and the tails removed to make them easier to eat.
A deep-fry thermometer is a handy tool to ensure your oil reaches the optimal temperature of 350 degrees F. If you don't have a thermometer, you can test the oil's readiness by dropping a small piece of bread or a wooden spoon into the oil. If it bubbles and floats to the surface, the oil is ready for frying.
Frying the shrimp in small batches ensures they cook evenly and maintain their crispy texture. Overcrowding the pot or fryer can cause the oil temperature to drop too quickly, resulting in soggy tempura. By frying in small batches, you can maintain the oil's temperature and achieve perfectly crispy shrimp every time.
Achieving the right consistency for the tempura batter is crucial for a light and crispy coating. If the batter is too thick, add a little more ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. Conversely, if the batter is too thin, gradually add more flour until you achieve the desired thickness. You want it to be a thin enough consistency to coat the shrimp easily, but not so runny that it's easily dripping off the shrimp.
While shrimp tempura is best enjoyed fresh and crispy, you can prepare it ahead of time and reheat it for later consumption. To maintain its crispiness, store the cooked shrimp tempura in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
When ready to serve, reheat the shrimp in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes until heated through. I've also had great luck reheating the already-fried shrimp in the air fryer, which makes it extra crispy!
How To Serve Shrimp Tempura
Tempura shrimp is great as a main course, but can also be used as a side or even an app. Here are a few ways to enjoy it:
- With dipping sauce! Crispy shrimp tempura pairs perfectly with a variety of dipping sauces. Serve it alongside your favorite sauce, such as soy sauce, boom boom sauce, sweet chili sauce, garlic parmesan sauce, or tempura dipping sauce.
- With veggies or noodles. Serve alongside steamed rice, noodles, or a fresh salad for a complete meal.
- Shrimp tempura roll. Stuff the tempura-fried shrimp into a sushi roll for an easy sushi dinner. (This is a great way to get your sushi fix in if you're craving something but don't want to mess with raw fish.)
- Sushi bowls. Add the crunchy tempura shrimp to a bowl filled with sushi rice, steamed veggies, and sauce for a delicious and easy sushi bowl.
- Boom Boom Shrimp! Turn the dish into boom boom shrimp and serve alongside rice for a delicious main meal!
- In a bento box! For a traditional Japanese experience, enjoy shrimp tempura as part of a bento box or alongside a bowl of tempura udon.
Mastering homemade shrimp tempura is easier than you think with this simple and delicious recipe. If you make this Tempura Shrimp Recipe, let me know what you think in the comments below! And please tag me with a pic @frontrangefed on Instagram so that I can see your masterpiece!
More Easy Asian Recipes
- Chicken And Shrimp Stir Fry With Garlic Ginger Sauce
- Easy Smoked Salmon Sushi Bowls
- Sheet Pan Miso Honey Chicken Thighs And Drumsticks
- Easy Firecracker Meatballs
- Crispy Rice With Spicy Shrimp Salad
- Easy Kung Pao Tofu Recipe
- Creamy Coconut Shrimp
- Boom Boom Shrimp Recipe
Recipe
Crispy Tempura Shrimp (Easy 5-Ingredient Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 1 lb large, peeled shrimp, tails removed
- 2 cups peanut oil *see note
- 1 ½ cups water with ice
- 2 cups flour divided
- 2 egg yolks
Instructions
- Make a bowl of cold ice water by combining 1 ½ cups water with the ice and allow it to sit for two minutes.
- Make the shrimp batter. In a medium bowl, add 1 cup flour, 2 egg yolks, and 1 ½ cups ice water from the mixture above.
- Heat the oil. Heat the peanut oil in a high-sided pot or fryer until it reaches 350 degrees F.
- Fry. Place the remaining cup of flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge each shrimp piece in the flour, then dip it into the batter. Add the shrimp to the hot oil and fry for about 3 minutes, flipping halfway through. (Work in batches if you need to - don’t crowd the pan.)
- Remove the shrimp from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate. All the shrimp to cool for 2 minutes.
- Toss with boom boom sauce, add to a taco, stuff into a crispy shrimp tempura roll, or just serve with rice and veggies!
Notes
- You'll want enough oil to have about 2 inches of oil in the pan you're using to fry the shrimp. The actual amount may vary based on the size of the pan/pot you're using.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to two days.
- Heat leftovers in the oven or in the air fryer to help the shrimp coating crisp up again.
- Toss with boom boom sauce, serve alongside vegetables or sushi rice, or add to a sushi bowl or roll.
Sarah Jenkins says
Yum....the perfect amount of crispy and tastes great. Served these as an app with your boom boom dipping sauce and they were a hit!