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Crispy, crunchy Coconut Shrimp is coated in sweet, crunchy coconut & panko served with a sweet ‘n slightly spicy dipping sauce! My favorite easy coconut shrimp recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crispy, Crunchy Goodness! Twice the crunch with crispy Panko and fried to golden-perfection coconut surrounding juicy jumbo shrimp!
- Favorite Sweet ‘n savory Appetizer: Dunk these mouthwatering Coconut Shrimp in the included 2-ingredient homemade sweet chili dipping sauce for the best appetizer.
- Great with all the sauces! This appetizer goes amazing with eel sauce, yum yum sauce, and dumpling sauce.
A Delicious Coconut Shrimp Recipe!
I’m literally sitting here sighing at the pictures wondering if we can squeeze in some time to make more Coconut Shrimp. That is how amazing this recipe is! Erik and I were eating coconut shrimp as if it were our job (which it kinda is…). You’ll love the crispy, crunchy, sweet coating surrounding jumbo, juicy shrimp. The sweetness of sugared coconut and the crunch of Panko go so well with the easy 2-ingredient Thai sweet chili sauce we’ll be making to dunk this tasty appetizer into! Soon, you’ll have scraped the dish clean and be reliving the best moments had with this easy coconut shrimp recipe, just like Erik and me. 😉
Easy Coconut Shrimp Ingredients
- Jumbo shrimp – we go big or we go home! Jumbo shrimp make this coconut shrimp recipe easier to coat in breading and to dip in sauce. For smaller shrimp, make this popcorn shrimp.
- Flour
- Salt & pepper
- Eggs – 2 large eggs will give us plenty of stickiness for the coating to adhere to the jumbo shrimp.
- Panko breadcrumbs – for extra crunch, be sure to use Panko instead of Italian or traditional breadcrumbs.
- Coconut – use sweetened, shredded coconut, which will kick up the sweetness and add a sweet crunchiness to the coconut.
- Thai sweet chili sauce & apricot jam – for a super easy homemade sweet chili dipping sauce.
How to Make Coconut Shrimp
How do you make coconut shrimp? Dip jumbo shrimp in seasoned flour, egg batter, and a breadcrumb & coconut mixture. Then, fry and dip in sauce!
- Grab 3 shallow bowls for the coating. In Bowl 1, stir together flour, salt, and pepper. In Bowl 2, beat together eggs. In Bowl 3, whisk together Panko breadcrumbs and coconut.
- Holding a shrimp by the tail, dip to coat in Bowl 1, Bowl 2, and Bowl 3, shaking off excess at each step. Place each shrimp on a large baking sheet.
- Heat about 1/3 inch of oil in a deep-rimmed pan or deep fryer. Once the oil reaches 350°F, lay shrimp in a single, spaced-out layer. Fry until golden on each side, about 1 -2 minutes per side. Using tongs, remove shrimp and place on a paper-towel lined pan.
Easy Coconut Shrimp Sauce
The perfect sauce for easy coconut shrimp requires just 2 ingredients: sweet chili sauce and apricot jam.
- In a dip bowl, whisk together Thai sweet chili and apricot sauce. Serve with coconut shrimp.
What to Serve with Coconut Shrimp
- Salads: Asian salad, Asian cucumber salad, ramen noodle salad
- More seafood: garlic butter shrimp, salmon bites, Asian garlic shrimp, blackened salmon
- Pasta: chicken fettuccine Alfredo (for a land and sea situation), garlic butter pasta, pesto pasta, tomato basil pasta
- Sides: air fryer onion rings, baked potatoes, potato wedges, french fries
How to Make Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
Spray the air fryer basket to prevent sticking, then coat both sides in cooking spray. Cook at 400°F for 6-9 minutes total, until golden brown on both sides. Flip halfway though.
Tips
Coating tips: When preparing the dredging bowls, make sure to break up any clumps of coconut.
After coating in coconut & breadcrumbs, pick up the entire shrimp and squeeze it, firmly pressing in the coating.
To use frozen shrimp: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then drain and proceed with the recipe.
Preparing ahead: Make this coconut shrimp recipe as directed, then cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Tools You Need
For more delicious recipe ideas like coconut shrimp, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. If you’ve tried this recipe, take a pic and tag us on Instagram using #beamingbaker. We can’t wait to see it! Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
Shrimp Recipes & More
Easy Coconut Shrimp Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Coconut Shrimp Ingredients
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 1 lb raw jumbo shrimp, tail-on, peeled & deveined
- Oil, for cooking
- 2 teaspoons cilantro, very finely chopped for garnish
Dipping Sauce
- 5 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce
- 3 tablespoons apricot jam
- Or, try pairing this with eel sauce, it goes so amazing together!
Instructions
- Grab 3 shallow bowls for the coating. In Bowl 1, stir together flour, salt, and pepper. In Bowl 2, beat together eggs. In Bowl 3, whisk together Panko breadcrumbs and coconut.
- Holding a shrimp by the tail, dip to coat in Bowl 1, Bowl 2, and Bowl 3*, shaking off excess at each step. Place each coated shrimp on a large baking sheet.
- Set a large, deep-rimmed pan over medium heat, coating the bottom with about 1/3-inch oil, enough to submerge more than half of the battered shrimp.
- Once the oil reaches 350°F, lay shrimp in a single, spaced-out layer. Fry until golden on each side, about 1 -2 minutes per side. Using tongs, remove shrimp and place on a paper-towel lined pan.**
- In a dip bowl, whisk together Thai sweet chili sauce and apricot jam. Sprinkle cilantro over shrimp and serve with dipping sauce.
- ★ Last Step: If you made this recipe, leave a comment and review. It truly helps our small business keep running and it helps readers like you!
Notes
- *To keep the coconut coating on, pick up the entire shrimp and squeeze it, firmly pressing the coating onto the shrimp.
- **Tip: While frying, scoop out any burnt bits with a mini strainer.
- For a creamier, spicy dipping sauce, try my chipotle aioli, yum yum sauce, or onion ring sauce.
- Freezing Instructions: Cool shrimp completely and store in an airtight, freezer-friendly bag for 1-2 months. Reheat in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 350°F.
- For the sweetened coconut: I used Favorite Day sweetened coconut flakes. You can also use Baker’s angel flake coconut sweetened.
- To use frozen shrimp: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then drain and proceed with the recipe.
- Preparing Ahead: Make coconut shrimp as directed, then cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
- Air Fryer Directions: Spray the air fryer basket to prevent sticking, then coat both sides of the shrimp in cooking spray. Cook at 400°F for 6-9 minutes total, until golden brown on both sides. Flip halfway though.
