Hot-Honey Shrimp Tempura

Tempura shrimp is commonly seen as an appetizer at your local Asian restaurant. I’ve kicked things up a notch by coating these fried shrimp in a hot-honey buffalo sauce and it’s incredible.

What is Tempura?

Tempura is a common Japanese dish where seafood, vegetables, or even sushi is lightly battered and fried to create a light, crispy coating. Tempura batter is consists of flour, egg, and club soda; this batter combination allows the food to retain more moisture the results in a crispy and tasty shell. You’ll notice that the fried coating is more delicate, light and crispier than conventional fry batter.

How to make Hot-Honey Shrimp Tempura

1. Season shrimp with Cajun seasoning and set aside.
2. Whisk together the cornstarch, flour, Creole seasoning and Italian seasoning in a bowl; then whisk in the egg and then the club soda until well combined. It’s okay to have a few lumps in the batter. If you feel the batter is too thick, add more club soda to get the right consistency.
3. Add oil to a heavy-bottomed pot and heat up to about 350°F over medium-high heat.
4. Dip the shrimp into the batter and then add to the oil to fry for about 2-5 minutes, or until browned.
5. Transfer to a paper-lined plate to soak up any excess oil and repeat until all shrimp are fried.
6. Next, stir together the buffalo sauce, butter, and honey in a microwave-safe bowl.
7. Microwave for about 90 seconds or until butter is melted.
8. Stir in cayenne pepper and more Tony’s seasoning; taste and adjust per your spice preference.
9. Dump shrimp into a large bowl and pour shrimp over them; toss shrimp with sauce until they’re fully coated.

Why club soda?

The club soda/sparkling water is a critical ingredient tempura batter that can’t be omitted or substituted. It’s what makes the coating lighter and airy.

Print Recipe

Hot-Honey Shrimp Tempura

Author: Devin Smith Cuisine: Cajun-Asian Fusion

Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 10 min Total Time 20 mins Servings: 4

Ingredients

Servings

• 1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour
• ¹⁄₄ cups cornstarch
• 1 cup very cold club soda/sparkling water
• ¹⁄₄ cups honey
• ¹⁄₄ cups buffalo sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (to taste)
• Italian Seasoning (to taste)
• Cayenne pepper (to taste)
• vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Season shrimp with Cajun seasoning and set aside.

2. Whisk together the cornstarch, flour, Creole seasoning and Italian seasoning in a bowl; then whisk in the egg and then the club soda until well combined. It's okay to have a few lumps in the batter. If you feel the batter is too thick, add more club soda to get the right consistency.

3. Add oil to a heavy-bottomed pot and heat up to about 350°F over medium-high heat.

4. Dip the shrimp into the batter and then add to the oil to fry for about 2-5 minutes, or until browned.

5. Transfer to a paper-lined plate to soak up any excess oil and repeat until all shrimp are fried.

6. Next, stir together the buffalo sauce, butter, and honey in a microwave-safe bowl.

7. Microwave for about 90 seconds or until butter is melted.

8. Stir in cayenne pepper and more Tony’s seasoning; taste and adjust per your spice preference.

9. Dump shrimp into a large bowl and pour shrimp over them; toss shrimp with sauce until they're fully coated.

Keywords: shrimp tempura, shrimp, fried shrimp, seafood