5 from 4 votes

Learn how to make crispy Japanese Sweet Potato Tempura using only three ingredients! Tempura is one of the most iconic Japanese dishes and is easy to make. I’m sure your whole family will love it!

Looking for more tempura recipes? Try my Kabocha Tempura, Eggplant Tempura, or Okra Tempura!

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

Why You Will Love This Recipe

This sweet potato 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 Sweet Potato Tempura:

Sweet potato: If you can’t find Japanese sweet potatoes, you can substitute them with other types of sweet potatoes.
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 Sweet Potato 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 sweet potato into thin slices.

Step 2

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

Step 3

Dip the sweet potato in the batter and deep-fry until cooked.

Step 4

Make a tempura sauce with mentsuyu and grated daikon.

Here you go! Dip them in tempura sauce and enjoy these crispy sweet potato tempura for a delicious appetizer or main dish for dinner!

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.

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