Crunchy Air Fryer Tempura Shrimp Recipe

Shrimp tempura, with a light and crispy batter on the outside and perfectly cooked shrimp on the inside, is a favorite at Japanese restaurants. It's commonly found on menus alongside sushi tempura and tempura made from vegetables such as green beans, sweet potato, kabocha squash, and mushrooms. Tempura is served with a rich, slightly sweet sauce called tentsuyu, also known as tempura dipping sauce, which provides an excellent complementary flavor. Shrimp tempura, along with the other kinds of tempura, is battered in a simple mixture of flour, egg, and water and then deep fried. While deep frying provides a traditional flavor, it's not the only way to make it.

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Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a recipe for air fryer shrimp tempura that contains less oil than the original and can easily be made at home in under an hour with simple ingredients. A significant part of the prep time includes deveining the shrimp and scoring the undersides to straighten them into the shape found in restaurants. If you're pressed for time, purchase frozen shrimp that's sold already peeled and deveined, and you can skip the straightening steps and leave the shrimp curled up. They'll have the same great taste.

Air frying allows us to create new versions of many of our favorite fried foods, and this is no exception. We found these air-fried shrimp tempura to have a satisfying crunch and a juicy interior we'll be happy to reach for again and again.

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Gather your air fryer tempura shrimp ingredients

For this recipe, you will need shrimp. You can use fresh raw shrimp or defrost frozen shrimp ahead. The other ingredients are all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, an egg, and ice-cold plain seltzer. Finally, have tentsuyu sauce on hand for dipping.

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Step 1: Peel the shrimp

Peel and de-vein the shrimp, leaving the tail shells on.

Step 2: Straighten the shrimp

Slit the curled underside of each shrimp with a sharp knife and stretch the shrimp out straight. Pat them dry with paper towels.

Step 3: Preheat the air fryer

Preheat an air fryer to 350 F.

Step 4: Whisk the flour mixture

In a shallow bowl, whisk together ½ cup of the flour with the cornstarch and salt.

Step 5: Beat the egg and water

In a separate bowl, beat the egg and seltzer together.

Step 6: Whisk the batter together

Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until just combined.

Step 7: Place flour in a second bowl

Prepare a second shallow bowl with the other ¾ cup of flour.

Step 8: Coat the shrimp

Dip each shrimp into the first bowl of wet batter, let them drip, and then dredge them in the second bowl of flour to seal the batter. Set the shrimp aside on a dish. Give the shrimp a second pass in the flour if they still look wet.

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Step 9: Place the shrimp in the air fryer

Place the shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Do this in two batches to avoid overcrowding them.

Step 10: Cook the shrimp

Air fry for 7-9 minutes until lightly browned and crispy.

Step 11: Serve the air fryer tempura shrimp

Serve immediately with tentsuyu dipping sauce.

Crunchy Air Fryer Tempura Shrimp Recipe

5 (1 ratings)

These air fryer tempura shrimp have a tender interior and a light crispy exterior with a satisfying crunch, and they're perfect for dipping in tentsuyu sauce.

Prep Time
40
minutes
Cook Time
14
minutes
servings
4
Servings
shrimp tempura arranged on table
Total time: 54 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound shrimp
  • 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, divided
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup ice cold plain seltzer
  • Tentsuyu dipping sauce

Directions

  1. Peel and de-vein the shrimp, leaving the tail shells on.
  2. Slit the curled underside of each shrimp with a sharp knife and stretch the shrimp out straight. Pat them dry with paper towels.
  3. Preheat an air fryer to 350 F.
  4. In a shallow bowl, whisk together ½ cup of the flour with the cornstarch and salt.
  5. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and seltzer together.
  6. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
  7. Prepare a second shallow bowl with the other ¾ cup of flour.
  8. Dip each shrimp into the first bowl of wet batter, let them drip, and then dredge them in the second bowl of flour to seal the batter. Set the shrimp aside on a dish. Give the shrimp a second pass in the flour if they still look wet.
  9. Place the shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Do this in two batches to avoid overcrowding them.
  10. Air fry for 7-9 minutes until lightly browned and crispy.
  11. Serve immediately with tentsuyu dipping sauce.

Nutrition

Calories per Serving 284
Total Fat 2.0 g
Saturated Fat 0.5 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 222.6 mg
Total Carbohydrates 37.2 g
Dietary Fiber 1.1 g
Total Sugars 0.1 g
Sodium 448.9 mg
Protein 28.2 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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What is tempura and is it normally deep fried?

Tempura is a Japanese dish made of certain foods, usually seafood and vegetables, that are coated in a light batter and quickly deep-fried. The batter is a mixture of flour, water, and egg. Some recipes call for plain water while others (like ours) require sparkling water or seltzer. Avoid overmixing tempura batter: It's meant to be light and crispy, but stirring too much can encourage extra gluten formation and make the batter tough. The water in the batter should be ice cold because the low temperature also keeps gluten formation down. Tempura is fried very quickly, which is another way it stays lighter than many deep-fried foods.

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Making shrimp tempura in the air fryer is a modern way to enjoy this popular dish while cutting back on oil. Air-fried shrimp tempura, like many air-fried foods, has a different taste and moisture level than traditionally fried foods, but it's still delicious. The main challenge with cooking a battered food in the air fryer is that batter that's too wet will drip down below the basket or cause the food to stick. We've included a step in this recipe to coat the battered shrimp in flour before air frying them. This helps seal the batter with a dry outer layer to avoid this problem. The batter also contains salt, which adds a little extra flavor that deep frying in oil would normally provide.

What is tentsuyu and where can I find it?

If you've ever wondered about the dipping sauce that's served with tempura, it's tentsuyu, also known as tempura dipping sauce. This sauce complements tempura dishes and gives each bite the signature flavor we love. Tentsuyu has a light and complex flavor. Dashi, a traditional Japanese broth and staple in Japanese cuisine, is one of the ingredients that gives tentsuyu its flavor. Dashi has a quintessential umami flavor from dried kombu (kelp) and dried bonito fish flakes. Besides dashi, soy sauce contributes a strong flavor and the signature brown color of tentsuyu, while mirin (sweet rice wine) and a little sugar add sweetness and additional flavor.

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Tentsuyu can be found in Asian grocery stores and online, but it can also be made at home. You'll need dashi, which you can make with dried kombu and dried bonito for the best flavor, or with dashi powder for a quick version. Mix the dashi with the other tentsuyu ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Once the sugar is melted, take it off the heat and let it cool. If you can't find all the ingredients or the process is more complicated than your time allows, you can purchase a bottle of mentsuyu, which may be easier to find. Mentsuyu is a versatile Japanese sauce that forms the base of many Japanese dishes. You'll just need to dilute it with water to make tempura dipping sauce.

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