Chicken Tempura Strips are crispy chicken strips coated in a light tempura batter and fried until golden and airy. They’re not heavy like some fried chicken tenders, and that’s exactly why I keep coming back to them.
The coating stays thin and crackly, with a clean, simple flavor that’s great with a squeeze of lemon and a good dipping sauce. I like this version because the batter comes together fast and fries up consistently, as long as you keep it cold and don’t overmix.
For me, these are best as a quick dinner with rice and something fresh on the side, or as a snack-style plate for sharing. I usually set out both tempura dipping sauce and sweet chili sauce so everyone can pick their favorite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Light, crisp coating: Tempura batter gives you that thin, delicate crunch instead of a thick breading. It fries up airy and stays crisp while you eat.
Fast dinner: The prep is quick and the fry time is short, so you can get these on the table without a long project.
Really good with sauces: The flavor is simple (in a good way), so it works with classic tempura dipping sauce, sweet chili, or even just lemon and salt.
Works with tenders or breasts: Chicken tenderloins are easy, but chicken breast strips work just as well if that’s what you have.
Reliable crunch: The flour dredge helps the batter cling, and that makes a big difference in getting an even coating that doesn’t slide off.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken
- Chicken: I usually grab tenderloins because they’re already the right shape, but chicken breast cut into strips works fine too. Try to keep the strips similar in thickness so they cook evenly.
- Kosher salt: Simple seasoning is all you need here. It also helps the chicken taste seasoned all the way through, not just on the outside.
- Black pepper: Regular ground pepper is perfect. Freshly ground is nice, but I don’t stress about it for this.
- Garlic powder: This gives the chicken a little more flavor without fighting the tempura vibe. I prefer powder here instead of fresh garlic.
Dredge
- All-purpose flour: Don’t skip the flour dredge. It’s what helps the batter stick to the chicken instead of sliding off in the oil.
Tempura Batter
- All-purpose flour: I use regular flour here and keep it simple. If you want extra crispiness, swapping a little of it for rice flour works well.
- Cornstarch: This helps the coating fry up lighter and crisper. It’s a small ingredient that really matters for texture.
- Baking powder: This gives the batter a little lift so it fries up airy, not dense.
- Kosher salt: Batter needs seasoning too. It keeps the coating from tasting flat.
- Egg: Just one egg helps the batter hold together. It also adds a little color as it fries.
- Ice-cold sparkling water or water: Cold liquid is key for tempura. Sparkling water gives you a slightly lighter, bubblier coating, but plain ice-cold water works too.
Frying and Serving
- Vegetable oil: Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point. I like a deep pot so you get steadier heat and less splatter.
- Lemon wedges: A squeeze of lemon right before eating wakes the whole thing up. I almost always serve them this way.
- Tempura dipping sauce or sweet chili sauce: Either one is great, and having both on the table is even better. Tempura sauce is more savory; sweet chili is more snacky.
Recipe Instructions
- Prep the chicken: Pat the chicken dry, then season it with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Set it aside while you get everything else ready.
- Heat the oil: Pour the vegetable oil into a deep pot and heat it to 350°F. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet so the chicken can drain without getting soggy.
- Dredge the chicken: Put the flour for dredging in a shallow bowl. Lightly coat the chicken strips in flour, then shake off the excess.
- Mix the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and kosher salt. Whisk in the egg and ice-cold sparkling water (or ice-cold water) until just combined; small lumps are fine.
- Coat the chicken: Dip each floured chicken strip into the batter and let the excess drip off for a moment. Don’t worry about a perfectly smooth coating.
- Fry: Fry in batches without crowding the pot, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to the wire rack to drain, and keep the oil around 350°F as you repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Serve: Serve right away with lemon wedges and your dipping sauce of choice.
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 is what gives you that lighter tempura-style coating. If your kitchen is warm, I’ll even chill the mixing bowl for a few minutes first.
Don’t overmix the batter. Stop whisking as soon as you don’t see big pockets of dry flour. Lumps are normal for tempura, and overmixing can make the coating tougher.
Flour the chicken first. That quick dredge is what helps the batter grab on and fry up evenly. If you skip it, the coating can slide right off in the oil.
Fry in small batches. Crowding drops the oil temperature fast, and that’s when the coating starts soaking up oil instead of crisping. Give the pieces room to move.
Watch the oil temperature. If it dips, let it come back up before starting the next batch. A thermometer makes this much less annoying.
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
- Lemon wedges: Serve extra lemon on the side and let everyone squeeze their own. It cuts through the fried coating and makes the chicken taste brighter.
- Rice: Steamed white rice turns this into an easy dinner. I like a simple bowl situation with rice, shredded cabbage, and lots of sauce.
- Crunchy veg: Thin-sliced cabbage, cucumber salad, or quick pickles are great next to fried tempura. Something cold and crisp is nice here.
- Dipping sauces: Tempura dipping sauce is classic, but sweet chili sauce is great too. If you have Kewpie mayo, it’s also really good for dipping.
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. The coating will soften in the fridge, which is normal with tempura.
To reheat, I prefer the oven or air fryer so they crisp back up. A hot oven (around 400°F) for a few minutes usually does it, depending on thickness.
You can prep the chicken strips and season them ahead, then keep them covered in the fridge until you’re ready to fry. I’d wait to mix the batter until right before frying so it stays cold and bubbly.
If you want to freeze them, freeze the cooked strips in a single layer first, then transfer to a bag or container. Reheat from frozen in the oven or air fryer until hot and crisp.
A few quick answers
This section covers a few extra details that may help before you head to the recipe card.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use chicken breast instead of tenderloins?
Yes. Just cut the chicken breast into strips that are similar in thickness so they fry in the same amount of time. If the strips are thick, they’ll need a little longer in the oil.
Why does tempura batter need to be cold?
Cold batter hits hot oil and puffs up into a lighter coating. If the batter warms up too much, the coating tends to fry up heavier and not as crisp.
How do I know the chicken is cooked through?
The outside should be golden and the bubbling will slow down a bit once the chicken is cooked. If you want to be sure, check the thickest strip with a thermometer; you’re looking for 165°F.
Can I swap in rice flour for extra crispiness?
Yes, that works well. Replace part of the all-purpose flour in the batter with rice flour for a slightly crispier, lighter crunch.
What oil should I use for frying?
Any neutral, high-heat oil is fine, like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil. I avoid olive oil here because the flavor and smoke point aren’t ideal for deep frying.
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 Strips
INGREDIENTS
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins or chicken breast cut into strips
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder.
Dredge
- ½ cup all purpose flour.
Tempura Batter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup ice cold sparkling water or ice cold water.
Frying and Serving
- 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
- lemon wedges for serving
- tempura dipping sauce or sweet chili sauce for serving.
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
- pat chicken dry and season with salt
- pepper
- and garlic powder
- heat oil in a deep pot to 350 F and set a wire rack over a baking sheet.
Dredge and Batter
- place 0.5 cup flour in a shallow bowl and lightly coat chicken strips then shake off excess
- whisk batter dry ingredients in a bowl then whisk in egg and ice cold sparkling water until just combined with small lumps.
Fry
- dip floured chicken into batter letting excess drip off
- fry in batches without crowding until golden and cooked through about 3 to 4 minutes per batch
- transfer to rack to drain and repeat with remaining chicken while maintaining oil temperature.
Serve
- serve immediately with lemon wedges and dipping sauce.
