Light Crispy Chicken Tempura (Printable)
Golden battered chicken strips fried until perfectly crispy, paired with a tangy Japanese dipping sauce.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Chicken
01 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1/2 tsp salt
03 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
→ For the Tempura Batter
04 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 3/4 cup ice-cold sparkling water
08 - 1/2 tsp baking powder
→ For Frying
09 - 4 cups vegetable oil for deep frying
→ For the Dipping Sauce
10 - 1/4 cup soy sauce
11 - 1/4 cup mirin
12 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
13 - 1 tbsp sugar
14 - 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
# How-to Steps:
01 - Cut the chicken breasts into thin strips measuring approximately 1/2 x 2 inches. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels and season evenly with salt and pepper.
02 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder until well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg, then mix it with the ice-cold sparkling water. Keep this mixture chilled.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir very briefly with chopsticks or a fork, leaving the batter slightly lumpy. Do not overmix to maintain the light, crispy texture.
05 - Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan or fryer to 350°F. Use a thermometer to ensure proper temperature.
06 - Dip the seasoned chicken strips into the batter, allowing any excess to drip off.
07 - Carefully add the battered chicken to the hot oil. Fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and crisp, turning once. Do not overcrowd the pan to maintain oil temperature.
08 - Transfer cooked chicken to a wire rack or paper towels to drain excess oil.
09 - Combine soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, sugar, and grated ginger in a small saucepan. Heat gently over low heat until the sugar completely dissolves, then remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
10 - Arrange the chicken tempura on a serving plate and serve immediately with the dipping sauce on the side.
# Expert Pointers:
01 -
- The sparkling water creates those legendary airy bubbles that make restaurant tempura so distinctive
- You can have restaurant-quality Japanese comfort food on your table in under 40 minutes
02 -
- Overworking the batter develops gluten and makes the coating tough instead of light
- Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature dramatically, leading to greasy, soft chicken
03 -
- Skip the fork entirely and use chopsticks to mix your batter, minimizing gluten development
- Room-temperature chicken will drop your oil temperature, so keep pieces chilled until the last moment