Tempura prawns are my favorite! They have this delicate and light texture with a crispy outer coating that's just perfect. When you bite into them, you get this tender, juicy prawn inside. Learn how to make tempura without the greasy, oily residue!
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Choosing the Right Prawns for Tempura
When making tempura, I find that the best type of prawns for tempura are those that are fresh, large, and have a firm texture.
What About Frozen Prawns?
I typically avoid using frozen prawns for tempura. Thawing them can be time-consuming, and even when properly thawed, they often retain excess moisture, affecting the texture of the tempura batter. It's crucial to have the prawns as dry as possible before coating them in batter to achieve that perfect crispy texture.
While frozen prawns can be convenient, I find that fresh prawns yield the best results in terms of flavor and texture for my tempura.
For something a little less indulgent, but just as naughty try my Garlic Prawn Fettucine, or Garlic Prawn Risotto. Both are delicious and on the lighter side.
Ingredients
Tempura and Oil
Choose a plain oil like vegetable or canola, and just add a bit of sesame oil for a tasty nutty smell. Make sure to use fresh oil, not the stuff you've already fried in.
The amount of oil you'll need depends on the size of your pot and the number of prawns you're cooking. Generally, you'll want enough oil to fully submerge the prawns while they fry. For a typical batch of tempura prawns, you might need around 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 centimeters) of oil in your pot.
It's important to avoid overcrowding the prawns in the oil, as this can lower the oil temperature and result in soggy tempura. So, make sure you have enough oil to comfortably fry the prawns in batches if needed.
How To Make
- Prepare Prawns and coat in cornstarch: Peel and devein prawns, leaving leave rails intact. Add cornstarch to a small bowl. Dip each shrimp in cornstarch to coat. Shake them to release any excess. Set aside on a plate.
- Heat Oil in pot: Add about 1 inch of cooking oil into a saucepan and heat it. Check its temperature by dropping a drop of the tempura batter. If it bubbles, it's ready to use.
- Prepare Batter: Prepare the tempura batter by mixing all the ingredients into a bowl. Using a whisk to combine to get air into the batter.
- Fry Prawns: To fry prawn tempura, first, ensure the oil is hot. Dip each prawn in tempura batter, then fry for about a minute until golden. Avoid overcrowding the pot to ensure even cooking; fry in batches if necessary. After frying, use tongs to remove prawns and drain excess oil on paper towels.
Top Tip
The number one tip for achieving super crispy tempura is to ensure that both the ingredients and the batter are kept cold before frying.
Peeling and Deveining Prawns
- Hold the prawn firmly in one hand.
- Use your other hand to grasp the shell near the head and gently twist it off.
- Peel the shell off the prawn by starting from the underside (where the legs are) and pulling it off in segments, working your way up to the tail.
- Once the shell is removed, use your fingers to make a small incision along the back of the prawn to expose the vein.
- Gently lift out the vein with your fingers and discard it.
- Rinse the prawn under cold water to remove any remaining debris.
Crispy Prawn Tempura
Ingredients
- 16 Large Uncooked Prawns
- ¼ cup Cornstarch (or cornflour)
Tempura Batter
- ¾ cup Cold water
- 1 cup Plain Flour (or All-purpose flour)
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda (NOT baking powder)
- 2 teaspoon Sea salt
- 1 large Egg
Instructions
- Prepare Prawns and coat in cornstarch: Peel and devein prawns, leaving leave rails intact. Next, add cornstarch to a small bowl. Dip each shrimp in cornstarch to coat. Shake them to release any excess. Set aside on a plate.16 Large Uncooked Prawns, ¼ cup Cornstarch (or cornflour)
- Heat Oil in pot: Add about 1 inch of cooking oil into a saucepan and heat it. Check its temperature by dropping a drop of the tempura batter. If it bubbles, it's ready to use.
- Prepare Batter: Prepare the tempura batter by mixing all the ingredients into a bowl. Using a whisk to combine to get air into the batter.¾ cup Cold water, 1 cup Plain Flour (or All-purpose flour), 1 teaspoon Baking soda (NOT baking powder), 2 teaspoon Sea salt, 1 large Egg
- Fry Prawns: Once the oil is hot enough, take each prawn by its tail and dip it into the tempura batter, gently letting go until it is submerged. Fry each prawn for about a minute or until nicely golden on the outside. Don't overcrowd the pot as they won't cook evenly. Fry the prawns in batches if needed to prevent them from sticking together and to ensure even cooking. Once cooked, remove from oil with tongs and set aside on paper towel to release excess oil.
- Serve: Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- I recommend using large, fresh prawns that have been peeled and deveined for best results - leaving tails intact.
- Pat the prawns dry with paper towels before coating them in cornstarch. This helps the cornstarch adhere better and ensures a crispier tempura coating.
- To check if the oil is at the right temperature, use a kitchen thermometer if available. The oil should be around 350°F (175°C) for frying tempura. Alternatively, you can test it by dropping a small amount of tempura batter into the oil. If it bubbles and sizzles immediately, it's ready.
- The number one tip for achieving super crispy tempura is to ensure that both the ingredients and the batter are kept cold before frying.
- Mix the tempura batter until just combined; it's okay if there are a few lumps. Overmixing can lead to a dense batter.
- Dip each prawn into the batter just before frying to ensure the batter stays cold and maintains its texture.
- Calories: calories have been calculated on 1 tablespoon of oil per prawn.
Nutrition
Note: Sugars contained in this recipe are from naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables or other natural sweeteners. Calories have been calculated for your convenience using My Fitness Pal and are based on the ingredients listed in the recipe card.
Soggy Tempura?
Soggy Coating: If the batter becomes soggy and doesn't crisp up during frying, it may be due to the batter being too thick or the oil temperature being too low. To fix this, try thinning the batter with a bit of ice-cold water until it reaches a pourable consistency. Also, ensure that the oil is heated to the correct temperature (around 340-360°F or 170-180°C) before frying.
Oily Tempura?
Oil Absorption: If the prawns absorb too much oil during frying, resulting in greasy tempura, it could be because the oil temperature is too low or the prawns were overcrowded in the pot. To fix this, make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the prawns, and fry them in small batches to maintain the oil temperature. Additionally, drain the cooked tempura prawns on paper towels to remove excess oil after frying.
Peta A. says
I'm a big fan of seafood. will have to try this one. Looks nice and simple.