If you’re wondering what to serve with your tempura shrimp, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I list 39 of the most popular side dishes for tempura shrimp.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best dishes to serve with tempura shrimp are veggie tempura, seasoned Japanese rice, curry udon, and sweet pickled daikon. You can also try Japanese spinach salad, Asian slaw, sweet potato fries, or stir-fried baby bok choy. For a fancyf twist, go for a wagyu beef sando.
Ready? Let’s jump right in.
Starches
Steamed rice is an excellent starchy side for your tempura shrimp, but don’t limit yourself!
Explore other options like a crusty hoagie roll for a delicious sandwich or a bed of creamy grits for a Southern twist.
Seasoned Japanese rice
When you think of a rice side, you probably thing of plain rice – but why not shake things up with this jazzed-up version?
It’s got additions like scallions and rice vinegar to give the rice a sharp, fresh flavor.
And it’s sprinkled with furikake just before serving, which brings a deliciously nutty, umami bite to the dish.
Why we love this recipe: it’s versatile.
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Seasoned Japanese rice
Make it fun
Japanese rice balls (onigiri)
Make it low-carb
Cauliflower fried rice
Hoagie roll
It’s not traditional, but crispy tempura shrimp is excellent in a sandwich.
Just load these homemade hoagie rolls with your tempura shrimp, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and remoulade for a fun twist on the classic po’boy.
Or go with some pickled vegetables and cilantro for a unique take on Vietnamese banh mi.
Why we love this recipe: it’s highly detailed and easy to follow.
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Hoagie rolls
Make a classic
Hawaiian sweet rolls
Ditch the oven
Homemade flour tortillas
Japanese sweet potato fries
Japanese sweet potatoes have lovely purple skins and white flesh.
They’re denser and less fibrous than normal sweet potatoes, meaning they make sturdier fries (or in other words, no more soggy sweet potato fries!).
Pair your tempura shrimp with these fries and a wasabi mayo dip for a fun and tasty spin on the British classic, fish and chips.
Why we love this recipe: you can indulge in these baked treats with less guilt.
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Japanese sweet potato oven fries
Make a favorite
Sweet potato wedges
Make it low-carb
Parmesan zucchini fries
Condiments and dips
A dipping sauce is a must-have for tempura shrimp. Tentsuyu is my go-to for its umami goodness, but you can stick with garlic aioli if you want a hint of creaminess.
Pickled veggies are a nice and refreshing condiment to pair with tempura shrimp. Daikon is the traditional option, but pickled onions work just as well.
Tentsuyu
Also known as tempura sauce, this is the go-to dip for tempura shrimp and vegetables.
It’s salty, with a subtle sweetness and lots of umami.
This sauce is normally served on its own, but I always add in some grated daikon.
It gives the sauce a light and refreshing bite to contrast your tempura’s greasiness.
Why we love this recipe: you can use this sauce for other Japanese recipes like soba and agedashi tofu.
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Tentsuyu
Add heat
Sweet-chili sauce
Make it creamy
Yum yum sauce
Sweet pickled daikon
Pickled daikon is an excellent side dish for your tempura shrimp.
It’s crunchy with a sweet-but-tangy flavor – the perfect palate cleanser between bites of your crispy fried tempura.
This pickled veg initially starts white, but it turns pale yellow once the pickling liquid is absorbed. It’s a visual clue that the pickles are ready to eat.
Why we love this recipe: there’s no cooking involved.
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Sweet pickled daikon
Make it different
Braised daikon
Skip the daikon
Japanese pickled cucumbers
Japanese classics
I always whip up a batch of veggie tempura to go with tempura shrimp but there are other Japanese classics you can make.
A bowl of piping hot ramen sounds lovely on a cold day or go with a wagyu katsu sando if you want something special.
Veggie tempura
It’s a no-brainer to have vegetable tempura with your tempura shrimp!
They use the same batter, so there’s no need to worry about making two batches.
Shiitake, kabocha squash, lotus root, and eggplant are the traditional vegetables used for tempura.
But you can also use broccoli, asparagus, green beans, or pumpkin. I also really like cauliflower tempura.
Why we love this recipe: they’re highly addictive.
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Vegetable tempura
Preheat the oven
Roasted root vegetables with miso glaze
Keep it fresh
Vegetable spring rolls
Curry udon
Not in the mood for rice? Pair your tempura shrimp with curry udon instead.
True to its name, this dish involves chewy udon noodles served in curry-flavored soup.
One of the most important elements in this soup is dashi, which you can easily buy at your local Japanese store.
But you can also make your own or use low-sodium chicken broth.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a great pick-me-up for those gloomy, chilly days.
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Curry udon
Make a favorite
Sesame miso ramen
Make it refreshing
Sesame-ginger cucumber soba noodle salad
Japanese spinach salad
Also known as spinach goma-e, the highlight of this simple dish is its sesame seed dressing.
Making it involves grinding the sesame seeds and mixing them with sugar, miso, and Japanese soy sauce. It’s that easy!
This salad is served cold, giving you a refreshing, umami-loaded side you won’t be able get enough of.
Why we love this recipe: it only calls for five ingredients.
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Japanese spinach salad
Make it different
Asian sesame broccoli salad
Skip the green veg
Japanese carrot kinpira
Garlic butter wagyu beef
Wagyu’s beef marbling gives it a luxurious texture and flavor, so you don’t need to do much to make it tasty.
Just sear the beef until it’s medium rare for maximum juiciness.
You can serve this as is, but this recipe tops the wagyu with garlic butter to make it extra decadent.
Enjoy your tempura shrimp alongside this seared wagyu beef for an elegant surf-and-turf.
Why we love this recipe: it’s restaurant-worthy.
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Garlic butter wagyu beef
Make it conic
Wagyu katsu sandwich
Fire up the grill
Grilled wagyu beef cube
Vegetables and salads
Veggie sides are an excellent nourishing addition to your tempura shrimp. You can for something warm like a vegetable stir fry.
Or try a crisp slaw for a refreshing bite.
Sesame garlic snap peas
These snap peas have your back if you’re not up for a leafy green side dish!
Blistering the snap peas over a high heat, gives them delicious smoky, charred spots.
And a drizzle of sesame oil brings a nutty flavor to round out the whole dish. This is probably my favorite option on the list… it’s yum.
Why we love this recipe: most of the ingredients are basic pantry staples.
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Sesame garlic snap peas
Skip the stovetop
Roasted sugar snap peas
Ditch the snap peas
Spicy garlic ginger edamame
Watercress salad with wasabi dressing
This watercress salad is an excellent addition to your salad repetiore.
You’d think pairing peppery watercress and spicy wasabi would be too much.
But combining it with soy sauce, lemon juice, and sugar offsets the bold flavors, and you also get a clean note from the cucumbers.
Prop pieces of your tempura shrimp over this leafy salad for a light one-bowl meal.
Why we love this recipe: a serving only has 168 calories.
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Watercress salad with wasabi dressing
Keep it simple
Asian cabbage salad
Make it hearty
Asian quinoa salad
Asian slaw
Give your tempura shrimp a nourishing boost with this Asian-inspired slaw.
It features a medley of fresh, colorful veggies and herbs tossed in an umami-packed sesame ginger dressing.
There’s zero cooking involved with this, but you do need to chop and shred lots of veggies.
Or you can use a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix if you’re in a rush.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a treat for the eyes and taste buds.
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Asian slaw with sesame dressing
Stick with the basics
Vinegar coleslaw
Add crunch
Asian ramen noodle broccoli slaw
Stir-fried baby bok choy
The best way to cook bok choy it is to stir-fry and then steam it.
This ensures the leaves will wilt nicely while the stalk still keeps a nice crunch.
Once cooked, a splash of soy sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes are added to the greens to create a finger-lickingly good sauce.
Serve this simple veggie dish alongside your tempura shrimp and rice for a nutritious meal.
Why we love this recipe: it’s impossible to mess up.
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Stir-fried baby bok choy
Fire up the grill
Grilled baby bok choy with hoisin honey glaze
Keep it fresh
Bok choy salad
The best side dishes for tempura shrimp
- Seasoned Japanese rice
- Hoagie roll
- Japanese sweet potato fries
- Tentsuyu
- Sweet pickled daikon
- Veggie tempura
- Curry udon
- Japanese spinach salad
- Garlic butter wagyu beef
- Sesame garlic snap peas
- Watercress salad with wasabi dressing
- Asian slaw
- Stir-fried baby bok choy
What To Serve With Tempura Shrimp – Japanese spinach salad
Ingredients
- 10 oz baby spinach
- 2 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp miso
- 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water and blanch the baby spinach for 1 minute.
- Drain and rinse and spinach under cold water. Set aside.
- Grind the sesame seeds until they look like coarse sand. Transfer the ground sesame in a bowl and add in the sugar, miso, and soy sauce. Mix well to combine everything.
- Once the spinach leaves have cooled, squeeze out the excess water. Toss them with the spinach mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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