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Chicken Tempura Pin It!
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5 from 1 vote

How to Cook Chicken Tempura

Chicken tempura is tender, juicy chicken strips coated in a light, airy batter and fried until golden, crisp, and delicious.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time2 minutes
Total Time12 minutes
Course: Chicken Recipe
Cuisine: Filipino/Japanese
Keyword: chicken recipe, chicken tempura, tempura recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 260kcal
Author: Manny

Ingredients

  • 1/2 kilo chicken breast cut into 1/2" x 1/2" strips.
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • cooking oil for deep frying

For the Tempura Batter Ingredients:

  • 1 pc raw egg separate the yolk from the egg white
  • 1 cup ice cold water
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 tsp. baking powder

Tempura Sauce Ingredients::

  • 1/2 cup fish or shrimp broth
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/8 cup rice wine
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup grated radish labanos

Instructions

How to Cook Chicken Tempura:

  • In a bowl, beat the egg white until stiff and set aside. In a separate bowl, pour a cup of cold water and beat in egg yolk.
  • Mix the flour on the beaten egg yolk and add baking powder. Fold in beaten egg whites then refrigerate the batter for 2 hours.
  • In a deep frying pan, heat (medium heat) cooking oil just enough for deep frying.
  • Dip each of the chicken strips in batter then fry for one minute on each side or until golden brown.
  • Drain in an colander or paper towels. Serve with any dipping sauce you wish or you can also use the shrimp tempura sauce. To make the tempura sauce, just mix all the ingredients above.

Video

Notes

Cooking Tips:

Keep the Batter Cold

Use cold water and refrigerate the batter before frying to help create a lighter, crispier coating. The temperature difference between the chilled batter and hot oil helps the coating set quickly without becoming too greasy. Avoid leaving the batter at room temperature for too long while you’re frying.

Don’t Overcrowd the Pan

Fry the chicken in small batches so the oil temperature stays steady. Adding too many pieces at once can cool the oil and leave the coating soft and greasy instead of crisp. Give each strip enough space to cook evenly and turn golden brown.

Slice the Chicken Evenly

Cut the chicken into thin, similar-sized strips so they cook at roughly the same rate. Thick pieces may take longer to cook through, while very thin pieces can become dry before the coating turns golden. If you’re using chicken breast, slice across the grain for more tender bites.