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Coconut shrimp is crispy, golden, and slightly sweet. It’s an easy finger food for any party and completely irresistible when served with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce.
If you need an appetizer that is as tasty as it is impressive while still being easy to make, this easy coconut shrimp recipe is all three! It’s a great compliment to serve alongside a couple of other hearty appetizers, like Slow Cooker Chicken Wings and Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies.
Forget frozen, making coconut shrimp from scratch is so easy. Just dredge, fry, and serve! You can even make them in air fryer or bake them in the oven.
Table of Contents
Why We Love Coconut Shrimp
- Fast Cooking – The beauty of shrimp is they cook up FAST.
- Crunchy and Golden – Frying coconut shrimp gives the best texture and color.
- Dipping Sauce – You can’t beat the sweet and spicy dipping sauce to dunk the shrimp in.
Ingredients Needed for Coconut Shrimp
Pick up some fresh or frozen shrimp and don’t forget about the 3-ingredient dipping sauce!
For the Shrimp:
- Peeled and Deveined Raw Shrimp – I like the jumbo size (21-25 per pound), which is how the recipe is written. You can use extra large (26-30 per pound) but the cook time will vary slightly. I also like to buy shrimp with the tails in tact to make it easy to pick up and eat.
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut Flakes – I like the slightly sweet taste you get with the sweetened coconut, but you can also use unsweetened if you prefer.
- All-Purpose Flour – The recipe calls for a cup and a half of flour, which you’ll divide into two small bowls for dredging the shrimp and mixing with the cornstarch and coconut.
- Cornstarch – This help the coating puff up into a crispy shell.
- Kosher Salt
- Eggs
- Vegetable Oil for Frying
For the Dipping Sauce:
- Pineapple Preserves – you could also use orange or another tropical flavor.
- Chili Sauce
- Jarred Horseradish – optional, add more for more heat.
How To Make Coconut Shrimp
Be sure to check the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions.
This super simple recipe has less than 30 minutes of total prep and cook time!
- Prep – If you purchased already peeled and deveined shrimp, you’re good to go – just pat the shrimp dry and move on to dredging If not, you’ll need to remove both the shell and the vein that runs along the back of the shrimp. Pinch off the shell, keeping the tails on. Using a small, sharp knife, cut a slit along the back side of the shrimp and use the tip to pull out the black vein. Rinse under cold water to help remove it. Once you’ve deveined all the shrimp, pat them dry and move on to the next step.
- Dredging station – Make the dredging stations with flour in one small bowl, whisk eggs in a second bowl, and in the third combine a mixture of coconut, flour and cornstarch in a third.
- Dredge Shrimp – Coat the shrimp in the plain flour, then the egg. Make sure to let the excess flour and egg drip off. Finally in the coconut mixture and press the coconut mixture firmly.
- Fry – Use a large pot or dutch oven and add 3-4 inches of oil. Heat the oil to 350°F then gently drop some of the shrimp into the hot oil and fry them for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. It’s easiest to fry the shrimp in batches to avoid overcrowding. Remove the shrimp from the oil and drain on paper towels or a baking rack.
- Shrimp Dipping Sauce – My simple dipping sauce is a must to serve with your fried shrimp! Simply combine equal part pineapple preserves and sweet chili sauce in a small bowl, and stir in a little horseradish ot elevate the heat.
FAQs
What kind of shrimp is best?
It’s best to use extra large or jumbo shrimp. You’ll want shrimp that are peeled and deveined – you can do this yourself or buy them like this to save time. Frozen shrimp are just fine but they’ll need to be thawed first. Finally, I like to leave the tails on for easier eating and a prettier presentation.
Can I use frozen shrimp for frying?
Yes, you can use frozen shrimp but they’ll need to be thawed first. To quickly thaw frozen shrimp, you can place them under running cold water.
Can you prep these ahead of time?
These are a great make ahead appetizer! Once you’ve coated the shrimp with the coconut, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, then freeze for 2-3 hours. Once they are solid, you can transfer to a freezer bag and keep frozen for up to 2 months. On the day you’re ready to serve, take them out of the freezer and fry as directed. You’ll want to make sure no ice crystals have formed on the shrimp as this could cause the hot oil to splatter.
Serving Suggestions
These are best served warm soon after frying. I highly recommend serving them with the sweet and spicy dipping sauce. It’s only 3 ingredients and compliments the the sweetness of the coconut so well.
A pound of jumbo shrimp will yield approximately 20-25 shrimp. As an appetizer, you should plan on 2-3 shrimp per person. As a meal, plan on 6-8 per person.
Variations – Oven and Air Fryer
While frying the shrimp gives you the crunchiest and crispiest results, you can make them in the oven or air fryer as a lighter option.
- Baked – Instead of frying, the coated shrimp can be baked on a parchment lined baking sheet at 425°F for 10-12 minutes until the shrimp are cooked and the coconut is golden brown. Keep in mind this method won’t get quite as crispy as frying but it will still be delicious.
- Air Fried – You can air fry the shrimp, in batches, at 375°F for 7-9 minutes until cooked and golden. I recommend spraying one side with cooking spray first, and flipping over about halfway through to ensure even cooking.
Storing and Reheating
- Storage – Leftover fried shrimp can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing – They can be frozen for up to 2 months. I like to flash freeze the cooked shrimp on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer container.
- Reheating – To reheat, bake them in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes until warmed. To reheat frozen shrimp you can also bake them but they will take longer to thaw and warm – about 10 minutes. They can also be reheated in an air fryer.
Expert Tips
- Leave Tails On: Leaving the tails on not only makes them easier to dredge but it is also a prettier presentation. Guests can hold on to the tails to dunk in the dipping sauce.
- Make Ahead: To save time, you can dredge the shrimp earlier in the day, place on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to fry.
- Seasoning: I kept the seasoning very simple, but you could add some black pepper, garlic powder or paprika to the flour for a more savory flavor.
- Extra Crispy: For an extra crispy texture, add a ¼ cup of Panko bread crumbs to the coconut mixture.
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Coconut Shrimp
Coconut shrimp are crispy and slightly sweet on the outside, plump and juicy on the inside, and irresistible with a homemade dipping sauce.
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw extra large/jumbo shrimp thawed, peeled and deveined, tail-on
- 1 ½ cups shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour divided
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- Vegetable oil for frying
Dipping Sauce:
- ½ cup pineapple preserves
- ½ cup chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon jarred horseradish
Instructions
- Lay shrimp out on a flat surface and pat dry with paper towels.
- Add the ½ cup of flour to a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Add eggs to another bowl and lightly whisk.
- Add coconut, 1 cup flour, cornstarch, and salt to a third bowl and mix until combined.
- Dredge shrimp through the coating station, one at a time: First in the plain flour, shaking lightly to remove excess. Dredge through the egg and let excess drip off. Finally coat in the coconut mixture, pressing firmly and coating thoroughly.
- Heat 3-4 inches of oil to 350 degrees in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Gently drop shrimp into preheated oil one at a time, careful not to over-crowd. Fry until golden; about 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining shrimp in batches.
- Once golden, place shrimp on a paper towel covered surface, or use a rack placed over a baking sheet.
- Add dipping sauce ingredients to a bowl and mix until combined.
- Serve shrimp with dipping sauce, if desired.
Notes
- A pound of jumbo shrimp will yield approximately 20-25 shrimp. As an appetizer, you should plan on 2-3 shrimp per person. As a meal, plan on 6-8 per person.
- Baked – Instead of frying, the coated shrimp can be baked on a parchment lined baking sheet at 425℉ for 10-12 minutes until the shrimp are cooked and the coconut is golden brown. Keep in mind this method won’t get quite as crispy as frying but it will still be delicious.
- Air Fried – You can air fry the shrimp, in batches, at 375℉ for 8-10 minutes until cooked and golden.
- Make Ahead: To save time, you can dredge the shrimp earlier in the day, place on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to fry.
- Storage – Leftover fried shrimp can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing – Fried shrimp can be frozen for up to 2 months. I like to flash freeze on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer container.
- Reheating – To reheat, bake them in a 350℉ oven for about 5 minutes until warmed. To reheat frozen shrimp you can also bake them but they will take longer to thaw and warm – about 10 minutes. They can also be reheated in an air fryer.
Nutrition
Calories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 13gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 901mgPotassium: 279mgFiber: 5gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 277IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 2mg
