Go Back
Delicious Crispy Tempura Shrimp with light, flaky batter served with dipping sauce.

Crispy Tempura Shrimp

A quick and easy recipe for making restaurant-style crispy tempura shrimp at home, perfect for satisfying that crunchy craving.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer, Dinner
Cuisine: Japanese
Calories: 300
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Shrimp
  • 1 lb Raw shrimp (medium to large, peeled and deveined) Leave tails on for presentation.
  • 1 pinch Salt For seasoning.
  • Optional Flour or cornstarch For a light dusting.
For the Tempura Batter
  • 1 cup All purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp Cornstarch Optional but recommended for added crispiness.
  • 1 large Egg
  • 1 cup Very cold water or sparkling water Essential for a light batter.
  • Some Ice cubes To keep the batter cold.
For the Dipping Sauce
  • 1/2 cup Dashi or chicken broth
  • 3 tbsp Soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Mirin Or a small pinch of sugar as a substitute.

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on.
  2. Rinse the shrimp quickly and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
  3. Make 3 to 4 shallow cuts on the inside curve of each shrimp to prevent curling.
  4. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and a dusting of flour or cornstarch on the shrimp.
Make Tempura Batter
  1. Whisk the egg with cold water in a bowl just until combined.
  2. Add flour and cornstarch, stirring gently with chopsticks or a fork without overmixing.
  3. Set the bowl with batter inside a larger bowl filled with ice to keep it cold.
Frying
  1. Heat neutral oil in a pot to 350-365°F.
  2. Dip the shrimp in the batter, letting excess drip off, and carefully lower into the oil.
  3. Fry in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes until pale golden and crisp.
  4. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a wire rack or paper towels to drain.
Serving
  1. Serve hot with lemon wedges and dipping sauce.

Notes

Keep everything cold for best results. Avoid overcrowding the pot while frying and season with salt immediately after frying to keep the coating crispy.