Air Fryer Vegetable Tempura
Description
Crispy, light vegetable tempura made with a real ice-cold batter and a panko finish — no deep frying required. Includes exact cut sizes and cook times for ten different vegetables.
Ingredients
Batter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 large egg, cold
- ½ cup club soda, ice cold
Coating
- 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil, canola or vegetable
- Oil spray, for the basket and tops
Vegetables — about 3 cups total, cut per the chart above
- ½ cup green beans, trimmed
- ½ cup asparagus spears, trimmed
- ½ cup onion, cut into ½-inch rings
- ½ cup bell pepper, cut into ½-inch strips
- ½ cup zucchini, cut into ¼-inch rounds
- ½ cup sweet potato, cut into ¼-inch rounds
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables. Cut each vegetable to size, keeping types separate. Soak sweet potato in cold water 10 minutes, then dry. Pat everything completely dry on towels.
- Mix the batter. Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and white pepper together. In another bowl beat the cold egg, then whisk in the ice-cold club soda. Combine wet and dry and stir just 10 seconds — the batter should stay lumpy and thin. Set over ice.
- Coat. Toss the panko with the oil in a shallow dish. Dip one vegetable piece at a time in the batter, let excess drip off for two seconds, then press gently into the panko to coat. Coat only enough for one basket at a time.
- Air fry. Preheat to 375°F for 3–5 minutes and spray the basket. Arrange pieces in a single layer without touching. Spray the tops until no dry panko shows. Cook 6–12 minutes depending on vegetable (see chart), flipping and re-spraying at the halfway point, until golden and fork-tender.
- Finish. Salt immediately, rest 2 minutes on a wire rack, and serve with tentsuyu or soy dipping sauce, topped with sliced green onion and black sesame seeds.
Equipment
- Oil spray bottle
- Wire cooling rack
Notes
- Cook one type of vegetable per batch — timings vary by up to 6 minutes.
- Hold finished batches on a wire rack in a 200°F oven, never stacked on a plate.
- Wipe loose panko from the basket between batches so it doesn't burn.
- Skip avocado — it collapses before the coating browns.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 165kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 5gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 460mgPotassium: 203mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2169IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 2mg