Vegetable Tempura

This Vegetable Tempura is so quick and easy to make. It’s crispy, light, and perfect for any side dish!

A popular dish at sushi restaurants, vegetable tempura is an appetizer, side dish, main dish, and an ingredient all at once! It can be served on its own or inside of a sushi roll. It’s definitely one of my favourite items to order as it’s light, crispy, and absolutely addictive. Plus you can coat pretty much any vegetable with tempura batter!

Plate of mixed vegetable tempura with dipping sauce.

Ok so I titled this vegetable tempura but it’s actually vegetable tempura and a couple of imitation crab meat lol. I had some in my fridge and couldn’t help but coat some and fry it up. But it’s 95% vegetables!

Why You’ll Love This Mixed Tempura

It’s made with everyday ingredients. You can actually whip up a batch of tempura in no time. The ingredients are pretty much pantry staples at my house so it doesn’t require me to go out to buy anything so chances are, you won’t have to either!
It’s so easy to make as all you have to do is dip the cut vegetables in a batter then fry it. It also only takes a couple of minutes to fry as well so it cooks quickly!
It’s super addictive and tasty as I can literally eat a whole batch by myself!

Ingredients You’ll Need

vegetables of your choice: I used sweet potato, zucchini, oyster mushrooms, broccoli, and asparagus.
optional: imitation crab meat

For the Tempura Batter

flour — all purpose flour is perfectly fine for making tempura batter. No need to break out the fancy flours.
egg
ice cold water

How to Make Vegetable Tempura At Home

A cutting board with mixed vegetables and some imitation crab.

Prepare the vegetables by washing the vegetables, then slicing sweet potatoes, zucchini, and mushrooms into ⅛ inch slices and cutting the broccoli into florets. The asparagus can be kept whole, just remove the woody ends.
Add oil to a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot and bring it up to 340F/170C.
Prepare the tempura batter by mixing together the flour, egg, and ice water.

Vegetable tempura cooking in oil in a pot.

Add the batter-coated vegetables into the hot oil and allow the vegetables to cook for 3 to 4 minutes in small batches.
Transfer the fried vegetables to a cooling rack over top of a sheet pan to cool. Between batches, skim the crumbs in the oil with a fine-mesh strainer.
Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container once cooled.

Mixed tempura on a cooling rack on a sheet pan.

Recipe Tips

Avoid letting the batter sit for too long, you want to make sure the ingredients for the batter and the batter stays cold.
While I prepare the vegetables, I prepare the oil for frying. It takes time for the oil to come up to a temperature ideal for frying.
Don’t overload the oil with too much vegetables at once as it’ll bring the temperature down. Be sure to cook in batches. If the oil gets too cold, the batter will get soggy and if the oil is too hot, the exterior will burn before the inside cooks.

FAQs

Why does the batter have to be cold?

The cold ingredients helps the batter stay light and fluffy as the cold batter won’t absorb a ton of oil as it fries. It’s also important to use the batter ASAP as gluten will form if it sits around for too long.

What do I use to skim the oil?

I use a shallow fine mesh strainer to skim the oil. I find it must easier to maneuver than one that’s deeper.
Fine mesh strainer.

What do I do with the leftover oil?

Be sure to dispose of your leftover oil correctly. Do not pour it down the sink as it will clog your pipes. Where I live, the oil must be disposed in the trash once it has cooled.

Can I reuse frying oil?

Yes, you can! You can save the oil and reuse it by straining the oil through a fine-mesh sieve. Check out this post by Epicurious for tips on reusing frying oil. You should definitely try my Chicken Katsu or Shrimp Tempura if you’re looking for something else to fry with the oil.

What can I serve this with?

You can serve vegetable tempura on its own, with rice, with ramen, with sesame noodles, in sushi rolls, in a sushi bowl, in a sandwich, or more! I also like to serve my tempura shrimp with tempura dipping sauce.

Why is my tempura not crispy?

It’s important that the oil is at 340F/170C. If the oil is not hot enough, then the batter absorbs too much oil, causing it to be soggy. I use an instant-read thermometer and recommend you get one as it’s a super handy kitchen tool!

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: once cooled, store the cooked vegetable tempura in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat it in the oven or air fryer to keep it crispy. When storing the tempura shrimp, if it’s still hot, it will get soggy.
Freezer: allow the cooked vegetable tempura to cool before transferring them into an airtight container before storing them in the freezer. They can last for up to 2 to 3 months.