The Quickest, Easiest Tempura Batter Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to perfect tempura? ›

Choosing the Right Ingredients: Cake Flour and More

To make crispy tempura batter, use low-protein flour. It is low in gluten, a protein that negatively affects the texture of the batter. Cake flour is one of the best for making the batter. All-purpose flour works too, but not as well.

A simple and traditional tempura batter is typically made of ice water, flour, and egg yolks. Variants of tempura batter are sometimes made with soda water, baking soda, cornstarch, potato starch, or rice flour to enhance the crispy texture.

Most tempura batter is made with wheat flour. Cake flour has a lower protein content and therefore less gluten than all-purpose flour, making it a better choice for tempura—but both options will work.

The batter consistency should be light and watery when it's ready. This is all you need to make the Tempura batter! Hint: You can adjust the batter thickness after a test fry, by adding a touch more flour (thicker coating) or water (thinner coating), just remember to keep it cold!

Traditionally, no tempura batter isn't suitable for vegans as the batter usually contains eggs.

Most tempura restaurants use untoasted sesame oil or their own special blend of oil. At home, you can also use a neutral-flavored oil such as vegetable or rice bran oil or canola oil, and simply add a touch of sesame oil for a deliciously nutty aroma. Use clean, new oil instead of used oil.

Other possibilities: your oil isn't hot enough, you're putting too much into the oil at one time, or you're not frying the items quite long enough.

Setting the fried tempura on a rack will keep it crisp and it'll keep nicely hot in the oven while you cook the rest of the food. You can also prepare the tempura in advance (or keep leftovers) by letting it cool completely on the rack, then storing it in an airtight container in the fridge.

The cold temperature of the batter is also critical, creating a shock when ingredients immerse in the hot oil that contributes to the creation of hana. Chef Kono adds a couple of ice cubes to the batter make sure it stays cold. Final note about batter: Prepare it just before frying the tempura.

Tempura is a specific method of deep-frying, where the food is dipped in a batter made of water, egg, and a lower-gluten starch like cake flour or rice flour. It produces a lighter, crisper shell than beer-batter, cornbread batter, or panko breading.

Can you shallow fry tempura batter? ›

The batter will work for shallow pan-fry or deep fry. For proteins, make sure to cook thoroughly before serving.

Rice Flour: Rice flour can be used to create a gluten-free alternative to tempura batter. The resulting tempura will have a lighter, crispier texture compared to using all-purpose flour. Additionally, rice flour can add a delicate, slightly sweet flavor to the tempura.

Once the batter is ready, let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes: if you have chosen to prepare a tempura like the real Japanese masters then you will have to be Zen just like them.

If the oil isn't at the correct temperature, your fish will absorb the oil while it's frying, causing some of the batter to drop off. To prevent this, your oil should be around 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

All You Need: 1 cup Batter Mix 3/4 Cup Ice Cold Water 1 lb. Seafood or Vegetables* Vegetable Oil Pour oil into deep fryer, large heavy skillet or saucepan, filling no more than 1/3 full. Heat oil to 375degF on medium heat.