5 from 2 votes

Here’s a great way to enjoy the taste of Japan at home. Learn how to quickly cook delicious, light Japanese Kabocha Tempura with this easy recipe!

Looking for simple kabocha dishes? Try these 16 easy kabocha recipes!

I’ll walk you through the ingredients and step-by-step instructions. I hope you enjoy it!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

This kabocha tempura is perfectly crispy!
It’s naturally sweet and incredibly delicious!
Plus, it’s simple to make!

What is Tempura?

Tempura is fried food made by battering and deep-frying ingredients such as shrimp, fish, and vegetables. It’s a classic Japanese dish that you will see on the menu at Japanese restaurants. It’s also one of the popular home-cooked dishes as you can quickly make a delicious dinner for the whole family with several simple ingredients.

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Kabocha Tempura:

Kabocha: Use Japanese kabocha squash in this recipe. You can substitute it with other similar squashes or pumpkins.
Oil: You can use any oil, such as vegetable oil or canola oil. I use non-flavored sesame oil in this recipe.
Tempura Batter: This recipe uses water, cake flour (or all-purpose flour), and baking powder—no egg is needed. For more variations, check out this post: 3 Easy Homemade Tempura Batter Recipes (Gluten-Free & Vegan).
Mentsuyu: This is for tempura dipping sauce. Mentsuyu is a multipurpose noodle soup base with a savory flavor made from dashi broth (Japanese soup stock), mirin, and soy sauce. I use store-bought one in this recipe, but if you like making it on your own, see this Homemade Mentsuyu Recipe.
Daikon radish: Make daikon oroshi and add it to the mentsuyu sauce. It is common to include grated daikon in the sauce as it helps to digest fatty foods like Tempura. You can also add a touch of lemon juice for digestion benefits.

How To Make Kabocha Tempura: STEP BY STEP

Here are some quick visual instructions! For the video and all the detailed ingredients and instructions, go to the printable recipe card below.

Step 1

Cut the kabocha into thin slices.

Step 2

Make tempura batter with flour, baking powder, and cold water.

Step 3

Dip the kabocha in the batter and deep-fry until cooked.

Step 4

Make a tempura sauce with mentsuyu and grated daikon.

Here you go! Our tempura kabocha is so crispy and tasty! Dip them in tempura sauce and enjoy this authentic Japanese dish!

Recipe Tips

Don’t mix the batter until it’s smooth. Overmixing can form gluten, making your tempura heavy and chewy. See ‘Homemade Tempura Batter Recipe‘ for more tips.
Also, avoid frying too many pieces at once to maintain a consistent oil temperature.
Don’t discard the leftover batter! You can make tenkasu (tempura flakes) and use them as a topping on noodles or rice bowls.

Dive Deeper into Cooking Kabocha!

To learn more about kabocha, you can explore these articles:

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I hope you enjoy this Kabocha Tempura! If you try it, don’t forget to leave a rating to share your thoughts—I love hearing from you!