Light and Crispy Japanese Chicken Tempura

Close up of Chicken Tempura with a slice of lemon on a wooden board.

5 from 1 vote

Light and Crispy Japanese Chicken Tempura

Perfectly light and crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. Make the best Japanese Chicken Tempura at home with this easy-to-follow recipe.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Servings:

Calories: 237kcal

Author: Helen

Equipment

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts (approx 5oz or 150g each) (Note 1)
1 tsp ginger grated
1 clove garlic grated
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sake or water
¼ tsp white or black pepper
3-4 cups neutral oil (Note 2)
⅓ cup all-purpose (plain flour) (Note 3)
⅓ cup cornstarch (cornflour)
1 egg fridge temperature
⅓ cup sparkling water chilled (Note 4)
ice
ponzu sauce to serve (Note 5)

Instructions

Pound the chicken breasts with a meat tenderiser or the back of a knife until ¼-1/3 inch (5-7mm) thick. Then cut into pieces (roughly 1x3 inch or 2 x 7cm)
Mix the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sake, and white / black pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken and leave to marinate while you prepare the batter.
Pour the oil into a pan or deep-fat fryer and heat to 180C or 350F while you prepare the batter.
You'll need two mixing bowls for the tempura batter one for the batter and the other to contain icy water to keep the batter chilled. This is the secret to get it to crisp up nicely. Pour 1-2 cups of water into one bowl with water and ice. Place the other bowl on top. There should be enough water to touch the bottom of the second bowl.
Sift the cornstarch/cornflour, all purpose flour/plain flour into the bowl and whisk together.
Whisk in the egg, then pour in the chilled sparkling water and whisk until a smooth batter is formed.
Add the marinated chicken pieces to the batter, using kitchen paper to remove any excess marinade first so extra moisture from the marinade does not alter the consistency of the batter.
Add no more than 4-5 pieces of batter-coated chicken to the hot oil one at a time using tongs. Glide each one through the hot oil for a few seconds to get the best texture on the batter and fry for 2-4 minutes until crisp and slightly golden.
Remove from the pan and set aside on a wire rack.
Repeat with the remaining chicken and serve immediately with ponzu dipping sauce.

Notes

Chicken: You can use chicken thigh meat instead of breast. They may need to cook for a little longer, and their richer fattier flavour won't complement the light batter as well as breast, but you'll still get good results. Ensure you cut off the fat first.
Oil: Use a neutral oil with a high burn point, like sunflower or vegetable oil.
Flour: Y can substitute with gluten-free flour.
Sparkling water: Still water can be used, but it won't get the batter quite as crispy. Ensure you chill it in the fridge or quickly in the freezer before adding it to the batter.
Ponzu: A Japanese sauce made from citrus juice (such as yuzu or lemon), soy sauce, and other ingredients like vinegar, mirin, and dashi. You might not find ponzu in your local store, but most Asian grocery stores will have it or you can order online. You can also substitute with soy sauce mixed with an equal amount of lemon juice.

Nutrition