Tempura Chicken Strips are my go-to when I want light, crunchy fried chicken that doesn’t feel heavy. The batter is airy and crisp, and it stays that way long enough to get everyone to the table.
The flavor is simple on purpose: well-seasoned chicken with a clean, delicate crust. I like this tempura style more than a thick breading because you get more chicken and less coating, but it still has that real fried chicken tender satisfaction.
I usually serve these as an easy dinner with rice and something fresh, or as a snacky platter with a quick mayo dipping sauce. They’re also a solid pick for a casual weekend lunch when you want something hot and crispy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Light and crunchy: The tempura batter fries up crisp without that thick, bready coating. It’s the kind of crunch that stays delicate, not dense.
Fast dinner: Once your oil is hot, these cook quickly. I like this for nights when I want something fried, but I don’t want a big project.
Simple ingredients: Nothing complicated here—basic pantry flour and cornstarch do most of the work. The ice-cold water is what makes the crust feel more “tempura” than regular batter.
Great with sauces: You can keep it classic with lemon, or go spicy and creamy with the quick mayo sauce. Either way, the strips are mild enough to dip in just about anything.
Kid and adult friendly: These eat like chicken tenders, but with a lighter crunch. They’re easy to serve with a couple sides and call it dinner.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken
- Chicken tenderloins: I like tenderloins here because they’re already the right shape and thickness. Chicken breast cut into strips works too—just try to keep the pieces similar so they fry evenly.
- Kosher salt: Don’t skip seasoning the chicken itself. The batter is mild, so the salt on the chicken matters.
- Black pepper: Just enough for a little bite. Fresh cracked is nice, but regular ground pepper is fine.
- Garlic powder: I prefer garlic powder instead of fresh garlic in the batter or seasoning here. It blends in and won’t burn in the oil.
Tempura Batter
- All-purpose flour: Regular flour works best for a classic tempura-style crust. I wouldn’t use bread flour here.
- Cornstarch: This is what helps the coating fry up lighter and crispier. If you’ve made tempura before, you know this is the little trick that really helps.
- Baking powder: Gives the batter a bit of lift so it doesn’t fry up tight and heavy.
- Salt: A little in the batter keeps the coating from tasting flat.
- Egg: Helps the batter cling and gives it structure. One large egg is plenty.
- Ice-cold water: Cold batter is a big part of that light tempura texture. Sparkling water works too if you want an even crispier finish.
Dredge and Frying
- All-purpose flour: This quick flour coat helps the batter stick to the chicken instead of sliding off.
- Canola oil: Neutral oil is what you want for frying tempura chicken strips. Vegetable oil or peanut oil also work.
Optional Dipping Sauce
- Mayonnaise: This makes the sauce creamy and rich, which is really nice with the light crispy batter.
- Soy sauce: Adds salt and that savory edge. I usually use regular soy sauce, but low-sodium is fine.
- Lemon juice: Brightens the sauce and keeps it from tasting too heavy.
- Sriracha: Easy heat and a little tang. Add more or less depending on who you’re feeding.
- Scallions: Totally optional, but I like the fresh bite on top.
Recipe Instructions
- Dry the chicken: Pat the chicken tenderloins dry with paper towels so the seasoning and batter stick better.
- Season the chicken: Season the chicken all over with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, then set aside.
- Mix the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in the egg and ice-cold water just until combined; keep it a little lumpy and don’t overmix.
- Set up the dredge: Put the dredge flour in a shallow dish. Line a tray with a rack or paper towels for draining.
- Heat the oil: Pour the canola oil into a deep pot and heat to 350°F. Keep a thermometer handy so you can bring the oil back to temperature between batches.
- Coat the chicken: Working with a few pieces at a time, lightly coat the chicken in dredge flour and shake off the excess, then dip into the tempura batter.
- Fry the chicken: Fry in batches until golden and the chicken reaches 165°F, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Don’t crowd the pot or the temperature will drop too much.
- Drain: Transfer the fried chicken strips to the rack or paper towels to drain. Let the oil come back to 350°F before starting the next batch.
- Serve: If using the dipping sauce, stir together the mayonnaise, soy sauce, lemon juice, and sriracha. Serve the tempura chicken strips hot with sauce and sliced scallions on top.
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 hits hot oil and puffs up lighter. If your kitchen is warm, set the batter bowl inside a bigger bowl of ice.
Don’t whisk the batter smooth. A few small lumps are good here. Overmixing can make the coating tougher.
Fry in small batches. Crowding drops the oil temp fast, and that’s when you get greasy coating. I usually do just a few strips at a time.
Use a thermometer. Tempura is fussy about temperature, and it’s hard to guess by sight. Aim for 350°F and give it a minute or two to recover between batches.
Sparkling water works. If you want extra crisp, swap sparkling water for the ice water. Keep it cold, same idea.
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: Steamed white rice or sushi rice makes this feel like a full meal. I like adding a little soy sauce and lemon on the side.
- Cabbage salad: A simple shredded cabbage salad with rice vinegar (or even a bagged slaw mix) is really good with fried tempura chicken. Something crunchy and fresh works well here.
- Pickles: Japanese pickles, quick cucumber pickles, or even dill pickles are nice on the plate. The acidity cuts through the fried coating.
- Extra sauces: Besides the mayo dipping sauce, these are good with ponzu, sweet chili sauce, or a little tonkatsu-style sauce. I usually put out two options and let everyone pick.
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 as it sits, which is normal for tempura-style batter.
To reheat, I prefer the oven at 425°F on a rack set over a sheet pan until hot and crisp again. An air fryer also works well for reheating if you have one.
You can prep a little ahead by seasoning the chicken and mixing the dry batter ingredients earlier in the day. Add the egg and ice-cold water right before frying so the batter stays light.
If you want to freeze them, you can freeze the cooked strips in a single layer and then transfer to a freezer bag. Reheat from frozen in a hot oven until heated through, but expect the crust to be a bit less delicate than fresh.
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. Slice chicken breast into even strips so they cook in the same amount of time. If the pieces are thick, they’ll brown before the inside hits 165°F.
Why does tempura batter need to be cold and lumpy?
Cold batter helps you get that light, crisp coating instead of a heavy one. And leaving small lumps keeps you from developing too much gluten, which can make the crust chewy.
Can I bake or air fry these instead of deep frying?
For true tempura texture, deep frying is the way to go. If you still want to bake or air fry, cook at 425°F with a good oil spray until the chicken reaches 165°F, but the coating won’t be the same light crunch.
What oil works best for frying tempura chicken strips?
I like canola oil because it’s neutral and handles frying well. Vegetable oil and peanut oil also work; I’d avoid strongly flavored oils like olive oil.
How do I know when the chicken is done?
Go by temperature if you can—165°F in the thickest part of the strip is the safest check. Timing is usually about 3 to 4 minutes per side, but it depends on the size of your chicken pieces and how steady your oil temperature stays.
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
Tempura Chicken Strips
INGREDIENTS
Chicken
- 1.5 lb chicken tenderloins
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder.
Tempura Batter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup ice cold water.
Dredge And Frying
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 6 cups canola oil.
Optional Dipping Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- sliced scallions for garnish.
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
- Pat chicken dry then season with salt pepper and garlic powder
- whisk batter dry ingredients in a bowl then whisk in egg and ice cold water just until combined leaving small lumps
- place dredge flour in a shallow dish and line a tray with a rack or paper towels.
Fry
- Heat oil in a deep pot to 350 F
- lightly coat chicken in dredge flour shaking off excess then dip into tempura batter
- fry in batches until golden and chicken reaches 165 F about 3 to 4 minutes per side
- drain on rack and return oil to temperature between batches.
Serve
- Mix dipping sauce ingredients if using
- serve chicken hot with sauce and garnish.
