Air Fryer Tempura: Is It Possible?

Tempura is a Japanese dish that consists of shrimp and/or vegetables dipped in a batter and then deep-fried. It is usually served as a side dish in Japanese restaurants or as part of bento boxes. While it is possible to make tempura at home, achieving the perfect lacy, crispy batter can be challenging. An air fryer offers a convenient alternative to deep frying, but can it produce the same crispy texture for tempura?

Air fryer tempura shrimp

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails left on
• 1 cup flour, separated in half
• 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
• 1 sweet potato or other vegetable
• 1/2 cup club soda
• 1 beaten egg
• Salt
• Canola oil spray
• Tempura dipping sauce

Method:

• Prep the shrimp by making shallow slices crosswise along the underside. Then, use your fingers to stretch out the shrimp so that it lies straight, instead of curled. This is an optional step, but traditional shrimp tempura is always straight.
• Peel and slice the sweet potato (or other vegetable) into rounds no thicker than 1/4 inch. Soak the root veggies in water to wash off excess starch.
• Make the tempura batter by mixing water, mayonnaise, and 1/2 cup of the flour in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, mix salt and the remaining 1/2 cup flour.
• Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees F.
• Dip the shrimp and vegetables into the wet batter. Then, dip them into the dry flour/salt mix.
• Place the tempura into the preheated air fryer basket, ensuring you do not overcrowd the basket. You will need to cook the tempura in batches.
• Spray the tempura with canola oil spray and air fry at 350 degrees F. Shrimp tempura will take around 8 minutes, while root vegetables will take around 10 minutes.
• Serve hot with tempura dipping sauce and rice, or as a side dish to noodle dishes.

Tips:

• To prevent the batter from dripping off the shrimp, you can place the battered shrimp in the freezer for a few hours before air frying.
• Use ice-cold water in the batter to slow down the gluten formation process, which will make the batter lighter and puffier.
• Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket, as this will prevent the hot air from circulating properly.
• Continue battering the second batch of shrimp while the first batch is in the air fryer, so they are ready to go in as soon as the first batch is done.

Air fryer tempura vegetables

Tempura is a Japanese dish that traditionally consists of seafood or vegetables that are lightly battered and deep-fried. The light and crispy coating is typically made with a combination of flour, egg, and water. While deep frying is the traditional method, it is possible to achieve a similar result using an air fryer. This method is healthier and more convenient, as it requires less oil and does not leave a lingering fried smell.

Ingredients and Preparation

The key to successful tempura in an air fryer is the batter. Unlike deep frying, where a thin batter is suitable, air-fried tempura requires a thicker batter that will not drip off the food or be blown away by the circulating air. One way to achieve this is by using a batter that is not too liquidy and then dipping the battered vegetables in flour before placing them in the air fryer. It is also important to slice root vegetables thinly, about 1/4 inch thick, to ensure they cook through.

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• Assorted vegetables (e.g., green beans, asparagus spears, red onion rings, sweet pepper rings, avocado wedges, zucchini slices)

To prepare the tempura vegetables, follow these steps:

• Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Combine flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.
• Whisk eggs and water together in another shallow dish.
• Stir panko and oil together in a third shallow dish.
• Sprinkle vegetables with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and dip them in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and finally the panko mixture to coat.
• Arrange the vegetables in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle with additional salt if desired and serve hot.

Tips and Variations

When making tempura vegetables in an air fryer, it is important not to overcrowd the basket, as this will prevent the hot air from circulating properly. You may need to cook the vegetables in batches. Additionally, you can experiment with different seasonings and dipping sauces to create your own customized tempura veggies. Here are some ideas for variations:

• Curry powder, bell pepper strips, and peanut sauce.
• Ground ginger, green beans, and wasabi sauce.
• Chinese five spice, broccoli and/or cauliflower florets, and sweet chili sauce.

The best tempura batter for an air fryer

Air fryers are best for breaded foods, not battered. However, you can still make tempura in an air fryer by using a batter that's not too liquidy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour, separated into halves
• 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, head off
• 1 sweet potato or other vegetable
• Water
• Salt
• Canola oil spray

Optional ingredients

• Sake
• Japanese dipping sauce (tentsuyu)

Steps

Prepping tempura fillings

• Peel sweet potato (or other vegetable) and slice into rounds no thicker than 1/4 inch.
• Soak root veggies in water while you prep other foods to wash off excess starch.
• Make shallow slices crosswise along the underside of the shrimp. Using your fingers, stretch out the shrimp so that it lies straight, instead of curled. Traditional shrimp tempura is always straight, but you can skip this step if you don't care for it. The taste will be the same.
• Soak prepped shrimp in sake while you make the batter to remove fishy smells prior to cooking.

Make the tempura batter

• In a bowl, mix water, mayonnaise, and 1/2 cup of the flour.
• Mix salt and remaining 1/2 cup flour in a separate bowl.
• While you preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees F, dip your fillings into the wet batter.
• Take your battered shrimp or vegetables and dip them into the dry flour/salt mix. Add more flour as necessary to lightly coat the outside of your tempura. The flour coating helps prevent the battered food from sticking to each other or to the air fryer basket. A thicker, dryer batter also prevents it from completely flying off the food when you air fry.
• Place tempura into the preheated air fryer basket, taking care to not overcrowd the basket. You will probably need to do this in batches.
• Spray with canola oil spray and air fry at 350 degrees. Shrimp tempura takes 8 minutes. Root vegetables take 10.

Serve

Serve hot with tempura dipping sauce (can be purchased or homemade) and rice, or as a side to noodle dishes and bentos.

How to stop air fryer tempura from sticking

Making tempura in an air fryer can be tricky because the batter can fly off the food or drip to the bottom of the basket. To stop air fryer tempura from sticking, you can use a batter that is not too liquidy. Then, dip the battered food in flour to dust the outside. This will help to prevent the battered food from sticking to each other or to the air fryer basket.

Another tip is to make sure to slice your root vegetables thinly, no thicker than 1/4 inch. This will ensure that your veggies cook through by the time your batter is done frying.

Additionally, you can spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray before adding the battered food. This will create a non-stick surface that will help to prevent sticking.

Finally, make sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket. Cook the tempura in batches if needed, so that there is enough space between each piece of food.

Air fryer tempura cooking times and temperatures

Air fryer tempura is best cooked at around 350°F (175°C) for 7–10 minutes. However, some recipes suggest cooking at 370°F or even 400°F for 7–8 minutes, or 12–15 minutes if cooking from frozen.

Cooking Times and Temperatures for Air Fryer Tempura Shrimp

Air fryer tempura shrimp will take around 7–8 minutes to cook at 370°F. If cooking from frozen, increase the cooking time to 12–15 minutes.

Cooking Times and Temperatures for Air Fryer Tempura Vegetables

Air fryer tempura vegetables will take around 7–10 minutes to cook at 350°F. If you're cooking at a higher temperature of 400°F, reduce the cooking time to 8–10 minutes.

Tips for Perfect Air Fryer Tempura

• Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. Cook in batches if necessary.
• Use a thicker, dryer batter to prevent it from flying off the food when you air fry.
• Slice root vegetables thinly (no thicker than 1/4 inch) so they cook through.
• Pre-freeze battered shrimp for one hour before cooking to flash-freeze.
• Use ice-cold water in the batter to slow down gluten formation, which makes the batter light and puffy.

Frequently asked questions