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An all-purpose batter for deep frying to get a crispy fried food that stays crispy for a long time. All the tips you need to know. A gluten-free batter for frying is included.
We don’t deep fry food a whole lot, but now and then some recipes involve deep frying. I’ve tested out several recipes for crispy batter and using different kinds of flour. I think this crispy batter recipe is a keeper for us. It’s not overly complicated and using ingredients that you already have in your pantry. Just simple science!
WHAT CAN I USE THIS CRISPY BATTER RECIPE FOR?
I use it on pretty much anything that needs to be coated with batter like onion rings, fish and chips, seafood, fried chicken, fried tofu, fried vegetables, you name it! If I may suggest that you read through the post to get the best information and tips on how to make crispy batter, the one that stays crispy too!
ANY SECRET INGREDIENT THAT MAKES THE FRIED BATTER CRISPY?
No. You only need 5 ingredients to make this batter. All-purpose flour, rice flour, salt, ice cold water, and baking powder. I found this batter recipe is so crispy and not only that, it stays crispy even after one hour I let the fried food sit at room temperature.
WHY DOES THIS CRISPY BATTER RECIPE WORK?
If you look at the ingredients, they are nothing peculiar and seriously you don’t need to be a rocket scientist. It is all simple science.
1. Ice cold water
There are some arguments about using ice-cold water. Some said it will lower the temperature of the oil too much and resulted in a soggy batter. Some said that the cold batter prevents the flour to absorb the oil too much and therefore resulted in a light crispy batter. Using ice-cold water definitely makes the batter crispy and light (most importantly, stays crispy too!!)
2. Not over-stirring the batter
If you use all-purpose flour, it has gluten in it and if you over stir the batter, gluten will develop and makes the batter gummy and absorbs a lot of oil when you fry it and you know what’s next! SOGGY! This is not so much of a concern if you are preparing the gluten-free batter because the cornstarch doesn’t contain any gluten.
3. Baking powder
The baking powder provides that light and airy-ness to the batter
4. Double frying
It is no longer a secret that double frying will give you that super crispy texture you are looking for. Double-frying has been around for a long time and a common practice among the Chinese cooks. The first frying is usually done over medium heat to cook the food. The second frying is usually done at a higher temperature to crisp up the food
GLUTEN-FREE BATTER FOR DEEP-FRYING
My mom often used cornstarch, potato starch, or rice flour or combination of the three (depending on the recipe she’s trying to prepare) for deep frying. This is actually a pretty common thing to do in Asian cooking. Wheat flour wasn’t as common back in the old days. They were more expensive too. My first choice here for a really crispy batter will be a combination of rice flour and cornstarch. Not so keen about using rice flour alone for deep-frying. The combination of cornstarch and rice flour gives you that thin, light, and really crispy coating on the food. I used this combination to make this TWICE-FRIED CRISPY PEKING CHICKEN WINGS WITH JING DU SAUCE and they were sooo crispy.
Crispy Batter that Stays Crispy (for a long time)
Ingredients
- Cooking oil for deep-frying
Regular batter:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp rice flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cups ice-cold water add more as needed
Gluten-free batter:
- 1 cup rice flour
- 4 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup ice-cold water add more as needed
Instructions
Prepare the batter only when you are ready to fry (applicable to both regular and gluten-free batter):
- Please spoon and level when you measure with measuring cups. For accuracy, weigh your ingredients with a scale
- Place the flour/starch, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir to mix everything. Only prepare your batter when you are ready to fry your food.
- Pour about 1 1/2 to 2-inch of oil into a stainless steel pot or Dutch oven. Preheat the oil to 330 F. It helps if you have deep-fryer thermometer if not, dip a stick end of wooden spatula, bamboo skewer, or chopsticks into the oil. If there are steady bubbles around it, the oil is most likely more than 330 F, but the temperature will drop once you put in the things you are going to fry. As long as it doesn't bubble vigorously, if it is, lower the heat a bit and test again
- Pour in the ice cold water into the flour mixture and use a chopstick to stir. Do not over stir with all-purpose flour. It's okay to have some lumps in the batter. If you over mix the flour batter, it will turn out gummy and absorbs too much oil. If you are preparing gluten-free batter, this is not an issue because cornstarch doesn't have gluten in it. The batter will be thick but not like a paste. If it's like a paste, add a bit more liquid
First frying:
- If the ingredient you are going to fry has high water content, dredge the ingredient in a thin layer of all-purpose flour (or corn starch for gluten-free version) before dipping into batter and fry. The flour/starch helps to absorb the moisture
- Coat the food with the batter and fry the food. Another important note is not to overcrowd and frying too many. If you lower the oil temperature too much, the batter will be greasy, soggy, and almost definitely will not stay crispy (if at all). This step is to cook the food inside the batter. Depending on what you are frying, follow the instruction on the time
- Remove from the oil to a rack. Let them cool down for at least 10 minutes before you go for the second frying. You can even stop at this step if you are prepping ahead. Keep the half-fried food in the fridge and do the second frying just right before serving, whenever that is
Second frying:
- Remove any crumbs from the oil and bring it back up to hot again over high heat. This time we need about 375 F. Use a thermometer if you have one. If you don't have one, again, use the stick end of wooden spatula, bamboo skewer or chopstick to test the oil. The bubbles will be steady. When it's ready, fry the food for the second time. This round should be quicker. The food will turn golden brown too. This step is to crisp up the food further
Keep them warm:
- Place the fried food on a rack set on a baking sheet. You can keep the rest warm in an oven at around 200 F and serve when you are done with frying all
- You can read more details on ingredients, substitutions, variations, and other tips in my post that may answer your questions not covered in the recipe card
RECOMMEDED TOOLS
Marv’s Recipe Notes
- This batter recipe is good for meat, veggies, and seafood. You can also add spices or seasonings to it if you wish
- Make sure the fish or shrimp are patted dry on both sides. This is important so you won’t end up with soggy fried fish or shrimp. Then dredge them in all-purpose flour or cornstarch (for gluten-free version) before dipping into the batter. Do this for an ingredient that has higher moisture content
- If using tofu, make sure to press the tofu with a heavy object to make sure you get the moisture out. You’ll be surprised by how much water in a tofu. Extra firm is best in this case as less moisture
CRISPY BATTER THAT STAYS CRISPY STEP-BY-STEP COOKING GUIDE
1. Mix the dry ingredients
Place the flour/starch (depending on whether you are doing regular or gluten-free batter), baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and stir/whisk to mix
2. Preheat oil for first frying (about 330 F or 165 C) and add ice-cold water to the flour mixture
3. Do NOT over stir
Use a chopstick to stir. Do not over stir with all-purpose flour. 
It’s okay to have some lumps in the batter
4. First frying
Coat the food evenly with the batter and fry the food until lightly brown. 
The first frying is to cook the food and to draw out moisture if any. They won’t get crispy just yet. In the photo below you can see that if your oil temperature is too high, the batter gets dark so quickly but the food may not be cooked through inside. 
So it’s important to keep the heat at a moderate level for first frying
5. Rest
Remove from the oil to a rack. Let them cool down for at least 10 minutes before you go for the second frying
6. Second frying
Bring oil to a higher temperature now, about 375 F. This round is to crisp up the batter and turn the food into a deeper golden brown
COOK’S TIPS FOR CRISPY BATTER
1. PREPARE THE BATTER JUST RIGHT BEFORE FRYING
2. PAT DRY
Make sure you pat dry the ingredients you are going to fry really dry. Water is a nemesis here. If the ingredient you are going to fry has high water content, dredge the ingredient in a thin layer of flour before dipping it into batter and frying. The flour helps to absorb the moisture
3. MAKE SURE BAKING POWDER IS FRESH
Make sure it is fresh. If you are not sure, scoop about 1/2 tsp of the baking powder and add 1/2 cup of boiling water over it. It should bubble up vigorously. If it’s not, it’s time to toss it away.
4. REST BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND FRYING
I highly recommend letting the food cool down for at least 10 minutes (longer if you have the time) before frying them for the second time. Why? The batter will have a stronger structure to withstand the second round of frying
CRISPY BATTER RECIPE FAQ
1. The best oil to use for deep-frying
One of the most important things in choosing the best oil for deep frying is to ensure that it is heat-stable, which means you want to make sure it has a high smoke point.
Here’s what I would recommend: Peanut oil, Lard, Ghee (not butter), Coconut oil, Avocado oil.
Of course, you choose whichever that is suitable for your recipe. Peanut, lard, and avocado oils are pretty neutral in taste. Coconut oil may impart some coconut aroma to the food, if that’s not what you want, then you definitely don’t want to use it.
2. Deep-frying on the stove
Not everyone owns an electric deep fryer. I don’t. I usually just use a stainless steel pot or cast-iron Dutch oven to do the job. It works perfectly.
3. How to keep fried food from getting soggy
Set up a rack on top of a baking sheet and place the fried food on the rack and keep them warm in the oven by using “keep warm” feature if there’s one or set the temperature to 200 F.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER FRIED FOOD
Refrigerator: Make sure the fried food has cooled down completely before keeping them in the refrigerator. Warm food will create condensation, which in returns will make the batter wet and soggy
Freezer: Fried food can be kept frozen by placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper without touching each other. Let them freeze for about 1 hour (they won’t be completely frozen yet) and then transfer to a freezer bag for longer storage and to save some space
HOW TO REHEAT DEEP-FRIED FOOD
It is best to reheat deep-fried or breaded food using a dry heat like in the oven, toaster oven or an air-fryer. Simply preheat the oven to 350 F and place the fried food on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until heated through and crispy. If they are frozen, do not thaw, add about 5-10 minutes extra time for reheating.
87 comments
Hi ma’am! Can i use this batter for a fishball recipe or meatballs? Thanks in advance
Hi Chloe, It should work too. Let me know how they turn out if you try it 🙂
Hi Marvellina,
Thank you for your thorough and detailed batter recipe. You mentioned that you are “Not so keen about using rice flour alone for deep-frying”. What was your exact experience using rice flour alone in the batter? Did it become too hard (like crunchy, but not crispy)? Or something else?
Thank you.
Fred
Hi Fred, I did find that it’s tougher when I use rice flour alone. It can give nice crispiness when you mix it with all-purpose flour or other types of starch, just not on its own IMHO.
Thank you. I am very fortunate to have read this and learned so much. Do you know of an easy way to test the temperature of the oil for the second frying without a thermometer, similar to the tip of oil bubbling around a wooden spoon handle when the temperature is reached for the first frying?
Absolutely superb recipe and wonderful tips from a true teacher!
Hi Ranjit, the second round of frying will be the same method of testing if you don’t have a thermometer. it’s not super accurate, but you should also see steady bubbles around the wooden handle.
Hi madam, please help for the recipe says use “cold water”
BTW the Chicken Popcorn recipe uses eggs as “wet dough”.
For this method, can I replace the eggs with cold water?
Or Madam’s suggestion what is the best way for a crunchy chicken popcorn fried layer?
Hi Virya, this recipe doesn’t use egg, so you can just coat the chicken pieces in the batter prepared according to the recipe.
Thank you for such detail recipe. I will give it a try. Btw, did you ever try the combination of tapioca starch and rice flour?
Hi Rendy, I haven’t tried tapioca starch and rice flour. Tapioca starch usually gives that slightly chewy texture and It might work too. You can also try with potato starch (not potato flour), I actually like potato starch a bit better than cornstarch. Potato starch can be a bit hard to find unless you go to certain Asian grocery stores and that’s why I use cornstarch in the recipe because it’s more common.