Description
A recipe for making light and crispy chicken tempura, a popular Japanese fried dish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup ice-cold sparkling water
- Vegetable oil, for deep frying
- Dipping sauce (Tentsuyu) ingredients: 1/2 cup dashi stock, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons mirin
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt for the batter.
- In a separate small bowl, lightly beat the egg.
- Add the beaten egg to the dry ingredients. Pour in the ice-cold sparkling water. Mix briefly with chopsticks or a fork until just combined; do not overmix. Lumps are acceptable.
- Pour about 2 inches of vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer. Heat the oil to 340°F (170°C).
- Dip the chicken pieces into the batter, allowing excess to drip off.
- Carefully place the battered chicken into the hot oil, working in small batches to avoid overcrowding the pot.
- Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally, until light golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove the tempura with a slotted spoon and place on a wire rack set over a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain excess oil.
- To make the dipping sauce, combine dashi stock, soy sauce, and mirin in a small saucepan. Heat gently until simmering, then remove from heat.
- Serve the chicken tempura immediately with the warm dipping sauce.
Notes
- Keep the batter cold; the temperature difference between the batter and the hot oil creates the crispiness.
- Do not stir the batter once mixed.
- Maintain the oil temperature; if it drops too low, the tempura will absorb too much oil and become soggy.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Deep Frying
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 12
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 25
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 30
- Cholesterol: 90
Keywords: chicken tempura, Japanese fried chicken, light batter, crispy chicken, deep fry