{"id":32112,"date":"2022-02-01T12:08:05","date_gmt":"2022-02-01T17:08:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondflourblog.com\/?p=32112"},"modified":"2025-03-28T16:45:33","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T20:45:33","slug":"gluten-free-tempura","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondflourblog.com\/gluten-free-tempura\/","title":{"rendered":"Gluten Free Tempura"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Gluten Free Tempura batter is easy to make, and can be used for any kind of tempura you can imagine... and it's as good (or better!) than the real thing!<\/p>\n

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Tempura is Japanese dish that\u2019s a lot of fun, and makes for an easily customizable appetizer (or meal!) option. <\/p>\n

There is a wide variety of foods that you can batter and fry with this method. The beauty of going gluten free with the tempura batter is that you don't have the worry of over developing the gluten. <\/p>\n

With traditional tempura, overdeveloping the gluten (by stirring too much) causes the batter to be more doughy, rather than light and airy.<\/p>\n

While you still don\u2019t want to overhandle it (beating the carbonation out!), the gluten issue isn\u2019t there.<\/p>\n

Anyway, while it\u2019s super easy to make when you actually set about to do so, there\u2019s a bunch of surrounding information that\u2019s good to know.<\/p>\n

Here we go!<\/p>\n

Is Tempura Gluten Free?<\/h2>\n

Nope! Regular tempura is traditionally - and commonly, today - made with wheat flour. While some tempura-specific flours exist that are lower in gluten, they\u2019re still wheat flours.<\/p>\n

The beauty of gluten-free tempura is that rice flour crisps up REALLY nicely when deep fried. Not only does this batter have a great flavour and work up easily, it has a fantastic texture.<\/p>\n

As an additional warning, some tempura dipping sauces will contain gluten, especially any with soy sauce.<\/p>\n

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Gluten Free Tempura Batter Ingredients<\/h2>\n

This is a very simple, crispy tempura batter recipe with few ingredients:\t<\/p>\n

- White rice flour <\/a>
\n- Corn starch
\n- Salt
\n- Baking soda
\n- Egg
\n- Seltzer water or club soda <\/p>\n

The thing is, each one contributes a very specific function to the recipe. <\/p>\n

Working together, these ingredients create a great tasting batter that is light, airy, and crisp - exactly what you want in tempura.<\/p>\n

I would NOT advise swapping out the gluten free flour \/ starches for all-purposes mixes. I\u2019m sure it\u2019d work to some degree, but it definitely won\u2019t give you as nice of a final result.<\/p>\n

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How to Prepare Tempura Vegetables & Meats<\/h2>\n

Before making your batter, prepare a selection of vegetables and\/or seafood.<\/p>\n

Gluten-Free Tempura Vegetables:<\/h4>\n

Bell Peppers:<\/b> Sliced into strips.<\/p>\n

Broccoli:<\/b> Separated into florets<\/p>\n

Butternut Squash:<\/b> Thin slices or fingers<\/p>\n

Carrot, Eggplant, Sweet Potatoes:<\/b> Thinly sliced (\u215b\")<\/p>\n

Green beans:<\/b> Trim the ends if you want.<\/p>\n

Mushrooms:<\/b> Washed, whole or halved.<\/p>\n

Onions:<\/b> Sliced, separated into individual rings<\/p>\n

Zucchini<\/b> Cut into spears<\/p>\n

Gluten-Free Tempura Seafood:<\/h4>\n

Crab:<\/b> Whole soft shell crabs, or leg meat spears<\/p>\n

Fish:<\/b> Use firm, boneless fish cut into nuggets<\/p>\n

Sea scallops:<\/b> Split in half (2 thinner circles)<\/p>\n

Shrimp\/Prawn:<\/b> Peeled and deveined (usually with tail left on). For straight lengths of shrimp tempera, make a series of small cuts along the inside curve of the shrimp. Be careful not to cut all the way through!<\/p>\n

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How to Make Gluten Free Tempura Batter<\/h2>\n

Once your vegetables and seafood are prepared, whisk together dry ingredients. <\/p>\n

After that, you add your egg, whisking until it\u2019s smooth-ish.<\/p>\n

Then you\u2019ll add a bit of seltzer water, adding a little at a time, whisking until you have used up all of the water in the recipe.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s it!<\/p>\n

Cooking Gluten-Free Tempura<\/h2>\n

Heat vegetable oil to 350F (180 C) - I like to do this just before starting my batter. <\/p>\n

You can use a deep fryer<\/a>, or a heavy pan. If not using a deep fryer, use a deep, heavy pot, filled to at least 3\"deep. <\/p>\n

Once the oil temperature is right, gently dip your vegetable and seafood pieces in the batter one at a time, slowly removing from the batter and allowing excess to drip off. <\/p>\n

Carefully transfer to hot oil. Fry a few at a time - turning every few minutes - until very lightly golden, about 2-3 minutes. <\/p>\n

Transfer fried pieces to baking sheet lined with paper towels, to absorb excess oil. <\/p>\n

Salt lightly - if you'd like - and serve hot!<\/p>\n

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Tips for Making Gluten Free Tempura<\/h2>\n

Mixing the Batter<\/h4>\n

While you don't need to worry about overdeveloping gluten, you'll still want to stir it as little as possible. <\/p>\n

Don't use a whisk - use chopsticks<\/a> or a fork, and just enough to bring it together. Lumps are not a bad thing, leave em there!<\/p>\n

Temperature<\/h4>\n

The biggest thing to keep in mind is that you want the batter as cold as possible. The colder the batter, the better the tempura!<\/p>\n

Start with well chilled seltzer water. Ideally, use a metal bowl - you can even chill it ahead of time!<\/p>\n

For best results, set bowl of batter in another, larger bowl that is filled with ice.<\/p>\n

Also: Start with chilled ingredients. <\/p>\n

Temperature is also important when it comes to cooking.<\/p>\n

Keep an eye on it - allow the temperature to come back up between batches, and don\u2019t let it get too hot.<\/p>\n

While our stated temp is a good start, keep in mind that if your food pieces are quite thick, you\u2019ll want to lower the temp a bit, to allow it time to cook through before it overcooks the outside.<\/p>\n

On the other end of things, if the oil isn\u2019t hot ENOUGH, it\u2019ll absorb too much oil and be greasy \/ soggy.<\/p>\n

I recommend having a good deep fry thermometer<\/a> on hand to keep track of the temperature - don\u2019t rely on your deep fryer!<\/p>\n

GF Tempura Technique Tips<\/h4>\n

- Really allow excess to drip off each battered piece before putting your tempura in the fryer. You don\u2019t want a lot of extra batter in there.<\/p>\n

- You WILL still get extra batter in there - just use a slotted spoon to scoop out all the little bits of batter \/ vegetables floating around, between every batch. Anything left will overcook and affect the flavour of the oil.<\/p>\n

- Don\u2019t put too many pieces of food in the fryer at one time - this can cause multiple issues. <\/p>\n

Too much volume added at once can lead to the pieces sticking to each other, dropping the temperature too low (soggy food), and a lack of proper crisping. Take your time, get better results!<\/p>\n

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More Gluten-Free International Recipes<\/h2>\n

Looking for more recipes with an international flair? I\u2019ve got you covered...<\/p>\n

Gluten Free Banana Nutella Ebelskivers<\/a>
\nGluten-Free Beef Stroganoff<\/a>
\nGluten Free Beet Gnocchi<\/a>
\nGluten-Free Chicken Pakora<\/a>
\nGluten Free Chicken Satay<\/a>
\nGluten-Free Gougeres<\/a>
\nGluten-Free Jamaican Beef Patties<\/a>
\nGluten Free Lemon Mascarpone Ebelskivers<\/a>
\nGluten-Free Mango Shrimp Spring Rolls<\/a>
\nGluten Free Mixed Vegetable Pakora<\/a>
\nGluten-Free Paneer Pakora<\/a>
\nGluten Free Paska <\/a>
\nGluten-Free Pasta Salad<\/a>
\nGluten Free Perogies<\/a>
\nGluten-Free Piroshki<\/a>
\nGluten Free Ramen Recipe<\/a>
\nGluten-Free Samosa Recipe<\/a>
\nGluten Free Sopaipillas Pasadas<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

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Share the Love!<\/h2>\n

Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you post it to Bluesky, be sure to tag us - @CelebrationGen<\/a>. We're also on Pinterest<\/a>, so you can save all your favourite recipes to a board!<\/p>\n

Also, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense.<\/p>\n

Well, the published nonsense, anyway!\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Gluten Free Tempura Batter<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n
This Gluten Free Tempura batter is easy to make, and can be used for any kind of tempura you can imagine... and it's as good (or better!) than the real thing!<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Prep Time<\/span>10 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Cook Time<\/span>15 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Total Time<\/span>25 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Course: <\/span>Appetizer<\/span><\/div>
Cuisine: <\/span>Asian, Japanese<\/span><\/div>
Diet: <\/span>Gluten Free<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
Servings: <\/span>6<\/span> People<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Calories: <\/span>287<\/span>kcal<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n

Equipment<\/h3>