Recipes

Avocado tempura

If you’re looking for a quick snack, starter or sharing dish that delivers maximum texture and flavour with minimal effort, this avocado tempura is hard to beat. A light, crisp tempura batter surrounds buttery avocado, creating the perfect contrast between crunchy and creamy. Finished with a squeeze of fresh lime, it’s a simple dish that feels surprisingly indulgent.

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

2–3 minutes

Serves

4 as a starter or snack

Ingredients

For the Tempura Batter

100g cornflour
100g self-raising flour
150ml cold water
2 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise (or any good-quality whole egg mayonnaise)

For the Avocado

2 firm avocados, peeled, stoned and cut into wedges
50g plain flour, for dusting
Vegetable oil, for deep frying

To Serve

1 lime, cut into wedges
Sea salt, to season

Method

Prepare the batter

In a bowl, combine the cornflour and self-raising flour. Add the cold water and mayonnaise, then whisk until you have a smooth batter.
Prepare the avocado

Cut the avocados into wedges. For best results, choose avocados that are slightly firm. They may be a little harder to peel, but they’ll hold their shape much better during frying.

Lightly dust the avocado wedges in the plain flour, shaking off any excess.
Heat the oil

Fill a deep saucepan or fryer with vegetable oil and heat to 180°C.

To check if the oil is ready, a small drop of batter should sizzle and float to the surface immediately.
Batter and fry

Dip the floured avocado wedges into the tempura batter, ensuring they’re evenly coated.

Carefully lower them into the hot oil and fry for 2–3 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Drain and serve

Remove the avocado tempura with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Season lightly with sea salt.

Serve immediately with fresh lime wedges for squeezing over the top.

Chef’s Tip

The secret to great avocado tempura is choosing a firm avocado. Avocados are naturally high in healthy fats, offering a buttery texture when cooked. Overripe avocados can become too soft and may break apart during frying.

These will stay crispy for a while, but they’re best served as soon as they come out of the fryer for the ultimate crunch.