Chicken Tempura Dinner is my go-to when I want crispy chicken and a mix of lightly fried vegetables with a simple bowl of rice. It’s that classic tempura thing where everything stays pale and crisp, and the dipping sauce does the heavy lifting.
This version tastes clean and savory, with tender chicken strips and vegetables that still have some bite. I like using sparkling water batter here because it fries up airy and doesn’t feel heavy.
I usually serve this as a full dinner with steamed short-grain rice and a little extra dipping sauce on the side. If I have them, lemon wedges and grated daikon are nice to keep on the table for anyone who wants it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Dinner Decider: It’s a full plate situation—crispy chicken, vegetables, sauce, and rice—so you’re not hunting around for extra sides.
Light, crisp batter: The sparkling-water tempura batter fries up airy and crunchy, not thick or bready.
Restaurant-style at home: The quick tentsuyu-style dipping sauce makes the whole thing taste like what you actually order out.
Pick-your-veg friendly: You can swap in whatever vegetables you need to use up, as long as you cut them to a fry-friendly size.
Works for picky eaters: The chicken strips are simple and familiar, and everyone can choose their favorite vegetables to dip.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken
- Chicken breast: I like boneless skinless breast cut into strips because it cooks evenly and stays neat for dipping. Chicken thighs work too if you want it a little juicier.
- Soy sauce: This gives the chicken a little seasoning all the way through. Regular soy sauce is fine.
- Mirin (or rice vinegar): Mirin adds that mild sweetness you get in a lot of Japanese cooking. If you’re using rice vinegar, it’ll be a little sharper, but still good.
- Garlic powder: I use powder here because it won’t burn off in the oil the way fresh garlic can.
- Ginger powder: Same idea as the garlic powder—easy, clean flavor without any bits that can darken too fast.
- Cornstarch: This helps the chicken stay dry on the outside so the batter clings better.
- Salt: Go easy since soy sauce is already salty, but don’t skip seasoning the chicken.
- Black pepper: Just a little is nice with the ginger and garlic.
Vegetables
- Sweet potato: Thin slices are key so they cook through before the batter gets too dark.
- Zucchini: I cut it into sticks so it fries fast and is easy to dip.
- Bell pepper: Any color works. I like strips so they stay flexible and don’t break apart in the batter.
- Broccoli florets: Keep the florets on the smaller side so they cook in the same time as everything else.
- Mushrooms: Halved mushrooms are great here—meaty, quick to cook, and they soak up dipping sauce.
- Green onions (optional): These are fun as a quick tempura add-on. They fry fast, so keep an eye on them.
Tempura Batter
- All-purpose flour: I use regular flour here. A gluten-free blend can work if you need it, but the texture will be a little different.
- Cornstarch: This is part of what keeps the tempura crisp and light.
- Baking powder: A small amount helps the batter puff slightly so it doesn’t fry up dense.
- Egg: Keep it cold. It helps the batter hold together without getting heavy.
- Ice-cold sparkling water (or ice water): Sparkling water gives a lighter texture, but plain ice water works too. Cold matters more than anything.
- Ice cubes: I keep a few in the bowl to keep the batter cold while I fry in batches.
Frying
- Neutral oil: Use something like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil. You want a clean flavor and a high smoke point.
Dipping Sauce and Serving
- Dashi (or chicken broth): Dashi is the classic choice for tempura dipping sauce, but chicken broth is an easy swap and still tastes good.
- Soy sauce: This is where the sauce gets its savory base.
- Mirin: Adds sweetness and that familiar tempura-sauce flavor. If you skipped mirin in the chicken, I’d still try to use it here.
- Sugar: Just enough to round out the sauce so it tastes balanced.
- Cooked short-grain rice: Short-grain rice is what I like with tempura. It soaks up a little sauce and makes the meal feel complete.
- Lemon wedges (optional): A squeeze of lemon is nice on the vegetables, especially the broccoli and mushrooms.
- Grated daikon (optional): This is classic with tentsuyu. It keeps things tasting light, especially if you’re making a big plate.
- Toasted sesame seeds (optional): I sprinkle a few over the rice sometimes. Totally optional.
Recipe Instructions
- Season the chicken: Pat the chicken strips dry, then toss with soy sauce, mirin (or rice vinegar), garlic powder, ginger powder, salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Let it sit for about 10 minutes while you prep everything else.
- Prep the vegetables: Cut the sweet potato, zucchini, bell pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, and green onions (if using) into pieces that will fry quickly and evenly. Pat everything dry so the batter sticks.
- Make the dipping sauce: In a small saucepan, simmer the dashi (or chicken broth), soy sauce, mirin, and sugar for about 2 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it cool to warm or room temp.
- Heat the oil: Pour oil into a deep pot and heat to 350°F. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan for draining.
- Mix the batter: Whisk the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder in a bowl. Lightly whisk in the cold egg and ice-cold sparkling water, leaving small lumps, then keep the bowl cold with a few ice cubes.
- Batter the chicken and vegetables: Dip pieces into the batter, let the excess drip off, and get them into the oil right away so the coating doesn’t slide off.
- Fry in batches: Fry chicken strips for about 4 to 5 minutes, until pale golden and crisp and the chicken is cooked through. Fry vegetables for about 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the type and thickness.
- Drain and serve: Transfer fried pieces to the wire rack, bring the oil back to 350°F between batches, and keep going until everything is done. Serve right away with dipping sauce and steamed rice.
Some of my tips!
This is the part that really makes a difference. If you only read one section, make it this one because this is where I share the little trick that helps the recipe turn out so well.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Keep the batter cold. Cold batter hitting hot oil is what gives you that light, crisp coating. I keep a few ice cubes in the batter bowl the whole time.
Don’t overmix it. Stir just until you don’t see big pockets of dry flour. Small lumps are fine and actually help keep the tempura from frying up tough.
Dry the chicken and vegetables well. If the surfaces are wet, the batter can slide off and the oil can spit more. A quick pat with paper towels makes a difference.
Fry small batches. Overcrowding drops the oil temp fast, and that’s when tempura starts to soak up oil and get heavy. Give each piece a little room.
Watch the color, not just the clock. Tempura should be pale golden, not deep brown. If it’s browning fast, your oil is running hot.
Make some touches!
There are plenty of easy ways to serve this depending on the occasion. Keep it simple, or add a few small touches to make it feel a little more special.
Serving Suggestions
- Rice: I like this with short-grain rice and a little extra sauce spooned over. It’s simple and it keeps the meal feeling like a real tempura set.
- Garnishes: Put lemon wedges, grated daikon, and toasted sesame seeds on the table so everyone can finish their plate their own way. A squeeze of lemon on the vegetables is especially nice.
- Soup: A small bowl of miso soup on the side makes this feel more like a Japanese dinner at home. Keep it light since the tempura is the main event.
- Extra veg: If you want something fresh, serve sliced cucumbers (or a quick cucumber salad) on the side. The cold crunch is good with fried food.
Save it for later
This section covers how to store leftovers and what parts of the recipe you can prepare ahead of time.
Storage and Make Ahead
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Tempura is always crispest right after frying, but leftovers are still good the next day.
For reheating, I use a hot oven or toaster oven until the coating crisps back up. The microwave works in a pinch, but it softens the batter.
You can make the dipping sauce ahead and keep it in the fridge, then warm it slightly or serve it cool. I also like to cut the vegetables ahead so frying goes faster.
If you want to prep early, keep the batter ingredients measured and ready, but mix the batter right before frying. The cold, lightly mixed batter is the whole point.
A few quick answers
This section covers a few extra details that may help before you head to the recipe card.
Recipe FAQs
Why does my tempura turn out heavy instead of light and crisp?
Most of the time it’s a temperature issue: batter warmed up too much, oil not hot enough, or frying too many pieces at once. Keep the batter cold, fry in small batches, and bring the oil back to 350°F between batches.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast?
Yes. Boneless skinless thighs are great here and stay a little juicier. Just cut them into similar-size strips so they cook evenly.
What oil should I use for frying tempura?
I stick with a neutral oil like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil. Olive oil has too strong of a flavor for tempura and doesn’t handle the heat as well.
Can I make this gluten-free?
You can use a gluten-free flour blend plus cornstarch in the batter. The texture won’t be exactly the same as classic tempura, but it still fries up nicely if you keep the batter cold and don’t overmix.
Is air frying a good option for tempura?
I don’t recommend it for classic tempura texture. Air fryers can crisp breaded foods, but a wet tempura batter really needs hot oil to puff and set properly.
You might also like
Before you go, take a look at a few other recipes below the recipe card. They use similar ingredients in a different way and are worth saving too.
MORE DINNER RECIPES TO TRY
Chicken Tempura Dinner
INGREDIENTS
Chicken
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin or rice vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste.
Vegetables
- 1 small sweet potato thin slices
- 1 zucchini sticks
- 1 bell pepper strips
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 8 oz mushrooms halved
- 2 green onions optional.
Tempura Batter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 large egg cold
- 1 cup ice cold sparkling water or ice water
- 6 to 8 ice cubes.
Frying
- 6 cups neutral oil for frying.
Dipping Sauce and Serving
- 1 cup dashi or chicken broth
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 cups cooked short grain rice
- lemon wedges optional
- grated daikon optional
- toasted sesame seeds optional.
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
- Pat chicken dry then toss with soy sauce
- mirin
- garlic powder
- ginger powder
- salt
- pepper and cornstarch and rest 10 minutes
- Cut vegetables into fry friendly pieces and pat dry
- Mix dipping sauce by simmering dashi
- soy sauce
- mirin and sugar 2 minutes then cool warm.
Batter and Frying
- Heat oil in a deep pot to 350 F and keep a wire rack ready
- Whisk flour
- cornstarch and baking powder then lightly whisk in egg and ice cold sparkling water leaving small lumps and keep batter cold with ice
- Dip chicken and vegetables in batter letting excess drip then fry in small batches until pale golden and crisp with chicken about 4 to 5 minutes and vegetables about 2 to 4 minutes
- Drain on rack and return oil to 350 F between batches and serve immediately with dipping sauce and rice.
