Crispy Tempura Chicken Tenders Strips are my favorite kind of fried chicken: light and crunchy, not bready, and not weighed down by a thick coating. The outside stays shatter-crisp while the chicken inside stays juicy, which is exactly what I want from a tender.
The batter here tastes clean and simple, with that classic tempura-style finish and a little extra lift from sparkling water. I also like that it fries up a pale golden color instead of turning dark and heavy.
For me, these are best as a quick dinner with a couple of easy sides, or as a snack platter with lemon wedges and a dip like soy sauce or sweet chili sauce. They’re also great when you want fried chicken tenders that feel a little less “fast food” and a little more at home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Light, crisp coating: The tempura batter fries up airy and crunchy, so you get a crisp bite without a thick layer of breading.
Weeknight friendly: This is fast from start to finish, and you don’t need any fancy ingredients to make it work.
Not greasy: When the oil temp stays steady, the coating sets quickly and stays light instead of soaking up oil.
Easy dipping: These are made for sauces. I usually put out soy sauce and sweet chili sauce and let everyone pick.
Great for batches: It’s simple to fry in rounds, and the wire rack keeps the finished tenders crisp while you cook the rest.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken
- Chicken tenderloins: I like tenderloins because they cook quickly and stay juicy. If you only have chicken breast, slice it into even strips so everything fries at the same pace.
- Kosher salt: Seasoning the chicken itself matters here since the batter is intentionally mild and clean-tasting.
- Black pepper: Just enough to give the chicken a little bite without turning it into “pepper chicken.”
- Garlic powder: This adds a simple savory background. I prefer powder here so it seasons evenly and doesn’t burn in the oil.
Dredge
- Cornstarch: This dry layer helps the batter cling, and it also keeps the coating light. Don’t skip it, especially if your chicken still has a little surface moisture.
Tempura Batter
- All purpose flour: I use regular flour here. Nothing fancy, and it fries up nicely with the rest of the batter mix.
- Cornstarch: This is part of that crisp tempura texture. It helps the coating fry up crunchy instead of bread-like.
- Baking powder: A small amount gives the batter a little lift and keeps it from feeling dense.
- Kosher salt: Lightly seasons the coating so it doesn’t taste flat next to the chicken.
- Egg: Helps the batter hold together and cling to the tenders without turning into a thick pancake coating.
- Ice cold sparkling water: Cold is the point, and sparkling water keeps the batter light. Club soda works the same way if that’s what you have.
Frying and Serving
- Neutral oil: Use something with a higher smoke point like canola, vegetable, peanut, or avocado oil.
- Lemon wedges: A squeeze of lemon wakes everything up. I like it especially if you’re dipping in soy sauce.
- Soy sauce or sweet chili sauce: Either one is great, and having both on the table makes these feel like a real snack spread.
Recipe Instructions
- Season the chicken: Pat the chicken tenderloins dry with paper towels, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Set up the bowls: Put cornstarch in a shallow bowl for dredging. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
- Heat the oil: Pour oil into a deep, heavy pot and heat to 350°F. Use a thermometer if you have one, and adjust the heat as needed to keep it near 350°F.
- Mix the batter: Whisk the egg into the dry batter mix. Gently stir in the ice-cold sparkling water until just combined, leaving a few small lumps.
- Dredge the chicken: Coat each tender lightly in cornstarch, shaking off the extra. This step helps the batter stick and fry up crisp.
- Batter the chicken: Dip each dredged tender into the batter and let the excess drip off for a couple seconds so it doesn’t get too thick.
- Fry in batches: Fry a few tenders at a time without crowding the pot, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch, until golden and cooked through.
- Drain and serve: Drain on a wire rack (not paper towels), and let them rest about 2 minutes to set the crust. Serve hot with lemon wedges and your dipping sauce.
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 tempura that light, crisp shell. I keep the sparkling water in the fridge until the last second.
Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until you don’t see big pockets of dry flour, and let it stay a little lumpy. If you whisk it smooth, the coating tends to fry up heavier.
Use a thermometer if you can. Around 350°F is the sweet spot for this. If the oil runs cool, the coating soaks up oil; if it runs too hot, it browns before the chicken is done.
Fry on a wire rack. A rack keeps air moving around the tenders so they stay crisp. Paper towels trap steam, and you’ll notice the crust soften faster.
Try a quick refry for extra crunch. If you want that extra-crisp bite, let the tenders rest 2 minutes, then refry them for 30 to 60 seconds. It works surprisingly well for tempura-style batter.
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
- Dipping sauces: Set out soy sauce and sweet chili sauce, then add something creamy like Japanese mayo or a quick sriracha-mayo if you like heat.
- Rice: Plain steamed rice or fried rice makes this feel like dinner fast. I also like sushi rice with a little extra rice vinegar.
- Vegetables: Simple cucumber salad, shredded cabbage with a little sesame dressing, or quick pickled carrots are all good with the crispy coating.
- Noodles: Serve alongside a cold sesame noodle salad or simple stir-fried noodles. Something not-too-saucy keeps the tenders crisp.
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 for tempura-style batter.
To reheat, I skip the microwave and use the oven or air fryer instead. A hot oven (around 400°F) for a few minutes brings back a lot of the crunch.
If you want to make parts ahead, season the chicken and keep it covered in the fridge, and keep the dry batter mix ready in a bowl. Mix the wet batter right before frying so it stays light.
You can freeze cooked tenders, but they won’t be quite as delicate and crisp as day one. Reheat from frozen in the oven or air fryer until hot all the way through.
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 club soda instead of sparkling water?
Yes. Club soda is a straight swap for sparkling water here, and it still gives you that lighter tempura-style crust.
Why is my tempura batter not crispy?
The usual reasons are warm batter, overmixed batter, or oil that’s running too cool. Keep the liquid very cold, stir until just combined, and try to hold the oil around 350°F.
Can I make these in an air fryer instead of deep frying?
I wouldn’t use this exact wet tempura batter for air frying. Air fryers do better with a drier breading that can crisp up without being submerged in oil.
How do I know the chicken is cooked through?
The tenders should be golden and firm, with no translucent spots in the thickest part. If you use a thermometer, aim for 165°F in the center.
Can I do the extra-crunch double fry?
Yes, and it’s a nice trick for these. Let the tenders rest about 2 minutes after the first fry, then refry for 30 to 60 seconds and drain on the rack again.
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
Crispy Tempura Chicken Tenders Strips
INGREDIENTS
Chicken
- 1 1/2 lb chicken tenderloins
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder.
Dredge
- 1/2 cup cornstarch.
Tempura Batter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup ice cold sparkling water.
Frying and Serving
- 6 cups neutral oil for frying
- lemon wedges for serving
- soy sauce or sweet chili sauce for dipping.
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
- pat chicken dry and season with salt
- pepper
- and garlic powder
- set up a dredge bowl with cornstarch and a batter bowl with flour
- cornstarch
- baking powder
- and salt.
Batter and Fry
- heat oil in a deep pot to 350 F
- whisk egg into the dry batter mix then gently stir in sparkling water until just combined with small lumps
- dredge each tender in cornstarch then dip into batter letting excess drip off
- fry in batches without crowding until golden and cooked through about 3 to 4 minutes per batch
- drain on a wire rack and return oil to 350 F between batches.
Serve
- rest 2 minutes to set the crust
- serve hot with lemon wedges and dipping sauce.
