This egg free sweet potato tempura is light and crispy and so delicious. Serve it as a main dish over ramen or rice, or as a starter for a Japanese inspired meal. And, as an additional bonus, it takes under 30 minutes to make.
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This sweet potato tempura recipe is a revised version of my popular banana tempura. It's free from eggs, so it's the perfect recipe for vegans and allergy sufferers who still want to enjoy a light and crispy tempura.
Sweet potatoes have a lovely creamy texture and sweet flavor that make them perfect candidates for tempura. Crispy on the outside and melt in your mouth in the middle, sweet potato tempura is sure to become a regular in your dinner rotation.
Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
✅It's vegan! Unlike other tempura recipes, the batter in this recipe contains no eggs.
✅It only takes a few ingredients to make.
✅It's budget friendly, easy and delicious.
✅It's kid approved.
Sweet Potato Tempura Ingredients
- Sweet Potato: Choose a medium to large sweet potato. There's no need to peel it, but be sure to scrub the outside and dry it before slicing.
- Sparkling Water: If you want your tempura to come out extra light and crispy, the secret is to add ice to your sparkling water. Ice cold water yields fluffy and light tempura.
- Rice Flour: Rice flour is the traditional flour used in tempura batter, and I think it yields the best results. However, if you want to replace it with another flour, the recipe will still work.
- All Purpose Flour: A combination of rice flour and all purpose flour give the tempura batter just the right texture. If you want gluten free sweet potato tempura, it's ok to swap the all purpose flour for more rice flour.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder helps the tempura puff up, making it light and fluffy.
- Salt: Salt naturally enhances the flavor of all the other ingredients.
- Vegetable Oil: Canola oil is my top choice for deep frying. It has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor. Sunflower oil is also a good choice.
Dipping Sauce Ingredients
- Tamari or Soy Sauce: I like to use tamari sauce, but soy sauce works equally well.
- Sriracha Sauce: Add a little spice with a chili garlic sauce. Sambal Oelek also works here. Feel free to omit it if you're making this recipe for children, or simply prefer a less spicy dipping sauce.
- Mirin: Mirin often gets confused with rice wine vinegar. The difference is that mirin adds a sweeter flavor. However, rice wine vinegar will still work, if that's what you have on hand.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup adds a nice earthy sweet flavor that works perfectly in this recipe, plus it makes your sweet potato tempura dipping sauce refined sugar free.
dipping sauce 
frying sweet potato tempura
Instructions
- Make your dipping sauce by mixing together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside while you make the sweet potato tempura.
- Heat the oil in a deep pan, wok or deep fryer until it's shimmering.
- Clean the skin of the sweet potato. No need to peel it. Pat it dry and slice into ¼ inch rounds.
- Whisk together your rice flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, water, and salt in a bowl by hand. Do not over mix the batter. A few lumps are fine.
- Using tongs, one by one, coat the sweet potato pieces in the batter and carefully drop them into the oil. Make sure to leave space between each piece.
- Cook the sweet potato tempura for 4-5 minutes, turning once at the halfway point.
- Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the sweet potato pieces from the oil and transfer to a paper towel lined plate or a cooling rack with paper towels underneath it.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve over a big bowl of steaming ramen, and let the sweet potato tempura soak up the broth.
- Serve as with a batch of vegan sushi for a full Japanese inspired meal.
- Feel free to use your tempura batter with other veggies too. Throw in some broccoli, mushrooms, or onions for a mixed platter of tempura veggies.
- Instead of slicing your sweet potato into rounds, slice them into sticks or wedges.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds or chili pepper flakes.
- Serve with a side of Sriracho mayo.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If so, I'd love to see it. Tag me on Instagram @thisdailydish. Or, leave me a comment below. It makes my day, and your feedback helps other readers!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! It will stay fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Yes, you can. I suggest flash freezing them on a parchment lined baking tray for two hours. Transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. They will not be as crispy once defrosted as they are freshly fried.
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📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato Tempura
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 sweet potato cut into ¼ inch slices
- 1 cup rice flour
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup ice cold carbonated water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Sweet Potato Tempura Sauce
- 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons mirin or rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce optional
Instructions
- Make the dipping sauce by mixing together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside while you make the sweet potato tempura.
- Heat the oil in a deep pan, wok or deep fryer until it's shimmering. * see note 1
- Clean the skin of the sweet potato. No need to peel it. Pat it dry and slice into ¼ inch rounds.
- Whisk together the rice flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, water, and salt in a bowl by hand. Do not over mix the batter. A few lumps are fine. * see note 2
- Using tongs, one by one, coat the sweet potato pieces in the batter and carefully drop them into the oil. Make sure to leave space between each piece.
- Cook the sweet potato tempura for 4-5 minutes, turning once at the halfway point.
- Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the sweet potato pieces from the oil and transfer to a paper towel lined plate or a cooling rack with paper towels underneath it.
Notes
- Test the oil by carefully dropping a small piece of batter into the oil. It should descend slightly, and then pop back up and begin to bubble.
- Make the batter thinner if you like, by adding an additional ¼ cup of water.
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