Chicken Tempura Recipe

Name: Sakeba Asian Pub & Grills Chicken Tempura Recipe
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; 0.25 cup cornstarch; 1 unit egg; 1 cup ice water; 0.5 tsp baking powder; 0.5 tsp salt; 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" strips; 1 unit sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4" rounds; 1 unit zucchini, cut into 1/4" rounds or sticks; 0.5 cup shishito peppers or green beans (optional); 1 tsp kosher salt; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 6 cups neutral oil for deep frying (vegetable, canola, peanut); 2 tbs rice vinegar (for dipping sauce); 2 tbs soy sauce (for dipping sauce); 1 tsp mirin or honey (for dipping sauce); 0.5 tsp grated ginger (for dipping sauce); 1 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced (optional garnish)

Inspired by Sakeba Asian Pub & Grill

Time45m

Serves4

Crispy battered chicken & vegetable

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Ingredients

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Tempura Batter

1 cup 00 bread flour

1/4 cup Cornstarch

1 unit Egg

1 cup ice water

1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

Chicken & Vegetables

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" strips

1 unit sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4" rounds

1 unit zucchini, cut into 1/4" rounds or sticks

1/2 cup shishito peppers or green beans (optional)

Seasoning & Frying

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

6 cups neutral oil for deep frying (vegetable, canola, peanut)

2 tbs rice vinegar (for dipping sauce)

2 tbs soy sauce (for dipping sauce)

1 tsp mirin or honey (for dipping sauce)

1/2 tsp grated ginger (for dipping sauce)

1 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced (optional garnish)

Method

Prep

Prepare chicken and vegetables

Pat the chicken strips dry with paper towels; season lightly with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Slice sweet potato and zucchini into even 1/4" rounds so they cook at the same rate. If using shishito peppers or green beans, rinse and dry them.

Set up stations

Place a wire rack over a sheet tray lined with paper towels for draining fried pieces. Have a shallow bowl for batter and a tray for battered pieces.

Make Tempura Batter

Chill the ice water in the refrigerator beforehand if possible. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the ice water to the beaten egg and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg-water and fold gently with chopsticks or a fork just until combined; the batter should remain lumpy and slightly chilled. Do not overmix — small pockets of flour are fine. Keep the batter chilled over an ice bath if your kitchen is warm.

Fry

Heat neutral oil in a deep pot or Dutch oven to 350°F (175°C). If you don't have a thermometer, test by dropping a little batter into the oil — it should sizzle and rise immediately without browning too fast.

Dry each piece of chicken and vegetable thoroughly. Lightly dust chicken and vegetables with a tablespoon of flour (this helps the batter adhere).

Working in small batches (4–6 pieces at a time to avoid crowding), dip chicken strips and vegetables into the chilled tempura batter, letting excess drip off briefly, then gently lower into the hot oil. Fry until light golden and crisp — about 3–4 minutes for vegetables and 4–5 minutes for chicken strips, depending on thickness. Turn as needed so pieces cook evenly.

Remove with a slotted spoon or spider to the wire rack to drain. Season immediately with a light sprinkle of remaining salt and pepper to taste. Repeat with remaining pieces, keeping finished pieces in a warm oven (200°F / 95°C) if needed to serve all at once.

Dipping Sauce & Finish

While frying, whisk together rice vinegar, soy sauce, mirin (or honey), and grated ginger in a small bowl. Taste and adjust — add 1 tsp sugar or honey if you prefer sweeter, or 1/2 tsp water if too strong.

Transfer fried chicken and vegetables to a serving platter. Garnish with sliced scallions if using. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce on the side.