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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.

Cuisine
Time
Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 10 min Total Time: 20 mins
Servings 4
Ingredients
  • 1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 cup very cold club soda/sparkling water
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup 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
Read it online: https://creoleseoul.com/recipe/hot-honey-shrimp-tempura/
Devin Smith

I’m a homegrown food lover, whom influenced by my mama and MoMo, grew into a self-taught foodmaker. Outside of my day job in tech,, I enjoy developing Cajun/Creole and Asian Fusion recipes, and taking pretty, mouth-watering photos of the food I make. When not in the kitchen, find me binge watching a true crime docuseries or collecting passport stamps across the globe!