Chicken Tempura

1. Place chicken on a flat work surface. Slice horizontally through the middle, being careful not to cut all the way through to the other side. Open the 2 sides and spread them out like an open book. Pound out the butterflied chicken breasts until thin, and slice them in half lengthwise.

2. Prepare a large bowl with some ice water. Place a shallow bowl, for the batter, inside the large bowl; this is to keep the batter cold while cooking the chicken.

3. Prepare batter: place beaten egg into a large mixing bowl. Sift flour and cornstarch into beaten egg. Add lemon juice, paprika, baking soda, and salt. Add club soda and mix until ingredients are fully incorporated; a few lumps in the batter will aid in creating an airy texture, so be careful not to overmix.

4. Transfer the batter into the shallow bowl sitting on ice water.

5. Fill a pan with 1 inch of vegetable oil and heat over medium heat until glossy, or until the temperature of the oil hits 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

6. Take the strips of chicken and fully coat them in the batter, adding them to the hot oil in sets of 2 or 3 at a time.

7. Cook chicken until golden brown and crispy and no longer pink in the centers, about 2 minutes per side, and transfer to a serving tray.

Editor's Notes:

Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of breading ingredients. The actual amount of breading consumed will vary.

We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature, ingredient density, and specific type of oil used.