Shrimp Tempura

Have you ever wanted to make restaurant quality shrimp tempura at home? This recipe will teach you all the secrets for making a light and crispy shrimp tempura batter. It is easier than you think. I also made enough batter to make some asparagus tempura afterwards! This recipe is truly delicious and I know you will love it!

What is Shrimp Tempura?

Shrimp tempura is a really well known Japanese dish consisting of large shrimp dipped into a light and crispy batter, and then deep fried. The result is light and crispy fried shrimp that isn’t oily or heavy tasting. Using this same type of batter to make vegetable tempura is also very popular in Japanese cuisine. And if you love shrimp, check out some of my other delicious recipes that use shrimp.

Shrimp tempura is usually served alongside a dipping sauce called Tentsuya. The sauces vary, but a common sauce ingredients are dashi powder, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce.

I used to always order shrimp tempura from a restaurant but it can get pricey, mostly because I would order more than one order. Making them at home is really affordable and you end up making so much. Invite some friends over and spoil them with some homemade shrimp tempura and tempura vegetables. They will love it! Full disclosure: I bought my dipping sauce when I made this recipe because I could not find dashi powder, but I will be looking for this so that I can make it myself next time.

Shrimp Tempura Ingredients

The main three ingredients to make a good tempura batter are flour, egg, and water. Growing up my mom always used seltzer in place of water which creates an even lighter batter when fried. If you are making shrimp tempura, you will also need shrimp. I used frozen jumbo shrimp that I bought at a grocery store. If you want to make vegetable tempura, you will also need to buy some vegetables. My two favorite vegetables to use are asparagus and broccoli.

Shrimp – I bought my shrimp frozen. Look for jumbo shrimp, as this is the size that is used when you order these at a restaurant. Shrimp normally uses a shrimp count on the bag to tell you the size of them. The jumbo shrimp I buy have about 23 in the bag.

Flour – All purpose flour is good. If you are looking for a grain free option, you can use tapioca flour although the batter will be different.

Egg – Use one large egg for every 10 pieces of shrimp. Also, if you want to make extra batter to use on some vegetables, you will need an additional egg.

Seltzer – I use this in place of water to create a lighter batter. Make sure to use seltzer water, and not tonic water as they are not the same thing.

Vegetables – If you would like to double your batter recipe so that you can also make tempura vegetables, you should buy asparagus and broccoli as well. Fresh vegetables work best here, not frozen.

Shrimp Tempura Recipe Tips

There are actually a lot of tips and tricks to ensure that you make a successful batch of shrimp tempura.

1. Straightening out the shrimp: If you do not want your shrimp to curl up while frying you have to break up the muscles in the shrimp. This may not sound fun, but it is very easy and if you want your shrimp to be straight this is what you should do. In order to do this you first must make 4-5 slits a centimeter apart, crosswise, on the shrimp’s belly. Then, turn over the shrimp and using your pointer finger and thumb, gently push up the back of the shrimp until you hear a popping sound. You can break it in a few places and then you will see the shrimp look long and straight.
2. Dry off the shrimp: Before frying the shrimp, you should use a paper towel to dry the shrimp off. This will allow the starch to stick to the shrimp better.
3. Keep the batter cold: Once you make the tempura batter, you should keep it cold by either putting it in the refrigerator or putting the bowl in an ice bath.
4. Create a frying station: Before you start frying, it is a good idea to make sure you have everything lined up and ready to go so that the frying process can go smoothly. Also, make sure to have a rack or paper towel lined up so that you can put your shrimp there once they are done frying.

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 lb jumbo frozen shrimp Should be about 23 in the bag
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch you can use arrowroot or corn starch too
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup plain seltzer it has to be very cold`
• 2 cups oil It needs to come up about 2″ in the heavy pot that you use to fry the shrimp

INSTRUCTIONS 

Preparing the Shrimp

• Thaw, peel, and devein your shrimp. Pat them dry
• Flip the shrimp over so you have the underside facing you. Make 4-6 slits, crosswise. 
• In order for the shrimp to not curl up while you are frying them you have to break the muscles, which sounds a lot more difficult than it is. Flip the shrimp over so that the back is facing up and gently push up on the back in a few places. You will hear a few popping sounds as the muscles break and then the shrimp will be able to straighten out. 

Making the Tempura Batter

• Work fast because you want the batter to be ice cold for your shrimp. This ensures a nice light and crispy batter.
• In a small to medium bowl, combine the egg and seltzer. Mix it until nice and frothy.
• Slowly pour the flour in to the egg batter and gently combine. It is ok if the batter is a little lumpy, so no need to over mix it. Keep the batter very cold until you are ready to use it. You can keep it in the refrigerator or lay it in an ice bath. 

Frying the Shrimp

• Heat up 2″ of oil in a heavy bottom pot or pan on medium heat. The heat should be about 365F.
• Working with one shrimp at a time, lightly coat the shrimp in tapioca starch or corn starch, shake off the excess and then dip it in the tempura batter. Let the excess drip off slightly and then carefully lower the shrimp into the pot with the hot oil. Add up to 5 shrimp at a time, and cook them for about 2-3 minutes or until both sides are golden in color. 
• Remove the shrimp and lay them on a wire rack or paper towel so that the excess oil can drip off. 
• Repeat with the rest of the shrimp.