Ebi Tempura is always a crowd pleaser. Who can say no to a light, airy, deep-fried coating around a juicy, perfectly cooked shrimp? I’ll show you how easy it is to make restaurant-style Shrimp Tempura at home with the signature flaky, airy batter.
For many, Ebi Tempura (Shrimp Tempura) is their introduction to Japanese cuisine. The ever so popular dish is a staple at most Japanese restaurants.
Its often served with udon noodles, with rice in bento boxes, or even in sushi rolls. However, I love it alone as an appetizer with a side of tempura dipping sauce.
The star of the tempura show is the shrimp, but the supporting cast also has a lot to offer. Vegetable tempura on the side can include a lot of different things, like broccoli, carrots, onions, sweet potatoes, eggplant, and kabocha squash, to name a few.
You can use any variety of shrimp for Ebi Tempura. The shrimp just needs to be uncooked. Precooked cocktail shrimp will not work. I buy bags of frozen shrimp from Costco. They come with the tail on, deveined and with the shell removed. They still require a bit of prep but theyre perfect for Ebi Tempura.
Technically, any size shrimp would work. However, I prefer a slightly larger shrimp, something around the 21/25 size. A little bigger or smaller would work just as well. Just try not to go too much smaller. As you go smaller, your batter to shrimp ratio becomes disproportional. Going bigger would be better than going smaller, however, only to a certain point. Shrimp tend to be tougher as you go up in size and lack the tender succulent bite. I find the 21/25 size to be a happy medium. NOTE: Shrimp sizing is an important aspect to buying shrimp. When you buy shrimp, you usually pay by the pound. The number of shrimp in a pound tells you how big they are. This is known as the shrimp count. The smaller the number, the larger the individual shrimp. Big shrimp, on the other hand, cost 16 to 20 dollars a pound, which is sometimes written as 16/20 or 16-20. Small shrimp, on the other hand, cost 71/90 or 71-90, which means there are 71 to 90 shrimp per pound.
Shrimp tempura is a beloved Japanese appetizer consisting of shrimp coated in a light, airy batter and then deep fried until golden brown and crispy. When done right, the batter is delicate and flaky, almost like a lace covering over the plump shrimp inside. The sweet shrimp pairs perfectly with the light tempura batter. No wonder shrimp tempura is so addictive!
But making restaurant-quality shrimp tempura at home can seem daunting for many home cooks. Between figuring out the batter and frying technique, there are a few tricks needed to get it just right. In this article, I’ll share all my tips and step-by-step instructions so you can make the best shrimp tempura with a light and crispy coating that will wow your family and friends.
The Keys to Perfect Shrimp Tempura
Here are the main things to focus on for light and crispy shrimp tempura:
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Use the right shrimp – Go for large shrimp with the shell removed but tail left on. Around 21-25 per pound is a good size
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Prep the shrimp properly – Slice the belly and straighten the shrimp so they stay straight when fried.
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Make a light, bubbly batter – Use ice-cold water and don’t overmix to prevent gluten formation.
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Fry at the right temperature -375°F is ideal
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Use the drizzle technique – Drizzle batter over the shrimp as it fries to get an airy, irregular coating.
Follow the steps below and you’ll get restaurant-worthy shrimp tempura every time!
Ingredients Needed
- Shrimp – peeled, deveined with tails left on
- Flour – for dredging
- Tempura batter – flour, cornstarch, egg, ice cold water
- Oil for frying – vegetable, peanut or canola
Prep the Shrimp
It’s important to prep the shrimp properly so they stay straight when fried. Here’s how:
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Rinse shrimp and pat very dry with paper towels. Moisture makes the oil splatter.
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Make 4-5 shallow cuts on the underside of each shrimp. This helps them stay flat.
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Place shrimp on its back and press down firmly to break the muscles and flatten.
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Shrimp should now be straight and about 1.5 times longer than before prepping.
Make the Tempura Batter
To get a light, crispy coating, the batter needs to be mixed properly.
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In a bowl, whisk an egg with 1 1/4 cups ice cold water. This keeps the batter light.
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In another bowl, mix 1 cup AP flour with 1/4 cup cornstarch.
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Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined, don’t overmix.
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Some small lumps are ok. Too much mixing develops gluten, making the batter chewy.
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Place the batter bowl over an ice bath to keep chilled until ready to use.
Fry the Shrimp Tempura
Now it’s time for the fun part – frying! Follow these steps for perfectly cooked shrimp tempura:
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Heat at least 2 inches oil to 375°F in a heavy pot.
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Pat shrimp dry again before coating. Dredge in flour and shake off excess.
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Dip 2-3 shrimp at a time in batter, letting excess drip off.
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Slide shrimp into the oil carefully. They’ll sink then float up.
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Drizzle a little batter over each shrimp, letting it drizzle down irregularly.
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Fry, turning frequently, until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
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Drain on a wire rack. Enjoy immediately while hot and crispy!
Tips for Perfect Shrimp Tempura
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Make sure shrimp are very dry before battering to prevent splattering.
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Use a thermometer to maintain oil temperature at 375°F.
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Work in small batches of 2-3 shrimp at a time to maintain oil temp.
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Let batter drizzle randomly over shrimp as it fries for an airy, lacy texture.
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Fry different veggies separately since they cook at different rates.
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Drain fried tempura on a wire rack instead of paper towels to stay crispy.
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Eat immediately before the crisp coating has a chance to get soggy.
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Pair with tempura dipping sauce, tentsuyu or just a squeeze of lemon.
Common Shrimp Tempura Problems and Solutions
The batter comes out gummy and chewy: You overmixed the batter, developing too much gluten. Mix just until combined next time.
The batter doesn’t stick to the shrimp: The shrimp wasn’t dried properly before battering. Make sure shrimp are patted very dry.
The shrimp curls up: You didn’t properly prep the shrimp by slicing and flattening before frying. This is a key step for straight shrimp.
The coating is blond, not golden brown: The oil wasn’t hot enough. Use a thermometer and keep the temp at 375°F.
The tempura is greasy: You didn’t drain it properly on a wire rack. Paper towels absorb the crispy coating.
The batter falls off in the oil: The batter was too thin. Add a touch more flour next time.
The coating is uneven: You didn’t drizzle extra batter over the shrimp as it fried. This creates the lacy texture.
The tempura gets soggy: You didn’t eat it fast enough! Tempura is best hot and crispy right out of the oil.
Now you’re ready to make restaurant-quality shrimp tempura at home! Follow the tips above for perfectly cooked shrimp in an irresistibly light, crunchy coating. Feel free to mix up the protein too. In addition to shrimp, chicken, fish and veggies also make tasty tempura. Once you get the technique down, you can tempura-fy almost anything! Now get cooking and enjoy this classic Japanese favorite.
How to Prepare the Shrimp for Ebi Tempura
Preparation is one of the key steps to making great Ebi Tempura. The shrimp should have the head and shell removed (except for the tail), deveined, patted dry and straightened.
For Ebi Tempura, having the tail on is a must. Not only does it create a beautiful end product, its tasty too. Once the tail is fried, its edible, and one of my and my youngest daughters favorite part.
Clean the shrimp by rinsing it under cold water. You can cut the shrimp in half along the back with a sharp knife to get rid of the vein if it hasn’t already been done. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.
1) To straighten the shrimp, place the shrimp bottom side up as shown above.
2) Make 4-6 shallow slits on the underside side of the shrimp.
3) The shrimp should now stay relatively flat on its own.
4) Flip the shrimp over and lay it flat, slit side down.
5) With your index finger, firmly press down on the back of the shrimp to break the muscles.
Use your thumb and middle finger to keep it in place while you push.
6) Youll feel and hear popping sounds as you press along the length of the shrimp.
The shrimp should now be straight and about 1.5 times longer.
How to Make Tempura Batter
In order to achieve the signature light and flaky texture of tempura, we want to minimize gluten formation. Gluten is what makes bread chewy, the exact opposite of what we want here.
We want to minimize the amount of gluten that is developed in the batter. Here are the steps to achieving this.
- Use a low protein flour. For this recipe, I used all purpose flour. Because it has less protein, cake flour will work well instead, and the results will be better.
- Use cornstarch. As cornstarch is naturally gluten-free, adding it to the batter will help it rise and become light and airy.
- Use ice cold water. The colder the better. It will be easier to make less gluten if you use cold water.
- Don’t overmix. Stir the batter slowly with a whisk or chopsticks until the dry and wet ingredients are mixed together. Lightly mix then stop. Some lumps are okay. It’s better to not work them out than to work them out. The more you mix, the more gluten is formed.
1) Whisk together the egg and cold water.
2) Combine the flour and cornstarch.
3) Add the egg/water mixture to the dry ingredients and gently mix to combine. Dont over mix, some lumps are ok.
4) The resulting batter should be light and pretty running. Not much sticks to a pair of chopsticks.
How To Make Classic Shrimp Tempura At Home
How do you make shrimp tempura in a frying pan?
Shrimp Tempura is the perfect Japanese appetizer made with a light batter and fried super crisp in just 15 minutes. Set a pot of oil (3 inches deep) on medium high until it reaches 375 degrees. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, kosher salt, and white pepper in a bowl together. Dredge the shrimp lightly in the mixture and set aside.
How to make Japanese tempura shrimp?
To make Japanese tempura shrimp, first peel and clean the shrimp, keeping the tails. Next, make a batter by mixing flour, cornstarch, cold water, club soda, and egg. It might be lumpy, but that’s okay.
How do you cook tempura shrimp in a wok?
To cook tempura shrimp in a wok, heat enough oil to deep-fry the shrimp in a wok to medium-high heat (about 350 – 375 degrees F). Use an oil that can withstand high heat, such as vegetable oil, palm oil, or canola oil. Pour 1 cup of all-purpose flour on a plate.
Is shrimp tempura easy?
Shrimp Tempura is one of the Japanese recipes that can seem really intimidating because it needs to be so light and crispy to be enjoyed. The idea of frying food in generally can be scary, but this recipe uses a cold batter that isn’t heavy and is really easy to make. YES, this tempura recipe is so easy it won’t scare you away.