No need to go to a restaurant for the BEST coconut shrimp! This easy recipe makes crispy crunchy coconut shrimp that are savory and a little bit sweet. They are totally addictive!
My personal chef clients love to enjoy restaurant quality dishes in the comfort of their homes. Oven Fried Eggplant Parmesan, Salmon with Creamy Coconut and Spinach Sauce, Crispy Baked Chicken Wings (better than any restaurant and more healthy too!), and Lemon and Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi are just a few of the dishes I make for my clients on a regular basis. A NEW fav of my client families is Crispy Coconut Shrimp. It is too die for and oh so delicious!
Jump to:
ingredients
- all purpose flour
- Old Bay seasoning
- large eggs
- sweetened shredded coconut
- panko
- shrimp ~ 16/20 per pound
- canola, peanut or avocado oil
- kosher salt
- Thai sweet chili dipping sauce
how to make coconut shrimp
Two main cooking techniques are used to make coconut shrimp ~ dredging and frying in oil. Master these cooking staples, and the recipe is easy to make.
Start with peeled and deveined shrimp. Leave the tails on for a convenient way to hold each shrimp. Extra jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 shrimp per pound) are my choice for this recipe.
Set up the dredging station. I like shallow bowls for this. One bowl holds the seasoned flour. Another is for the beaten eggs. And a third bowl is for the coating with all the flavor and crunch ~ sweetened shredded coconut and panko.
Now it's time to coat the shrimp. Make sure the shrimp is completely covered in each step. Just leave the tail uncoated. Dip each shrimp in the seasoned flour, then the beaten egg, and finally the coconut and panko. Dredge all the shrimp before moving on to frying.
Heat a large stock pot and add the oil. When the oil reaches the optimal frying temperature (350 degrees F), it's time to start frying. Carefully add the coconut coated shrimp to the hot oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Place the hot and crispy shrimp on a cooling rack, season with kosher salt, and fry up the next batch of shrimp. Serve as is or with a dipping sauce.
can coconut shrimp be made as a paleo or keto dish?
YES! With the following substitutions, traditional coconut shrimp can be made to follow either paleo or keto diets.
- 1. Substitute almond flour for the all purpose flour.
- 2. Substitute unsweetened shredded coconut for the sweetened coconut.
- 3. Substitute either coconut flour or finely crushed pork rinds for the panko.
- 4. Substitute avocado oil for the canola or peanut oil for frying the shrimp.
- 5. For the dipping sauce, combine ¼ cup no sugar apricot all fruit spread, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar and ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes ~ depending on how spicy you like your sauces.
With these ingredient substitutions, preparing paleo or keto coconut shrimp is a snap!
expert tips
- For easy dredging, use shallow bowls or pie plates.
- Coat all the shrimp before starting to fry them.
- Make sure the oil is hot before starting to fry the shrimp. It should be between 350 and 375 degrees F. If the oil isn't hot enough, the coconut coating will soak up the oil and the shrimp will be soggy instead of crispy.
- On the other hand, don't get the oil too hot. If the oil is above 375 degrees F, the coating will cook too quickly and burn. Also, the shrimp will remain raw as the coating cooks too fast.
- Don't crowd the pot when frying the shrimp.
- Drain the fried coconut shrimp on a cooling rack set in a baking sheet. This will ensure the coating is crispy on both sides. Immediately sprinkle with kosher salt too.
how to reheat coconut shrimp
The best way to reheat coconut shrimp is in the dry heat of the oven. The dry heat will help retain the crispiness of the coconut panko coating.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a cooling rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Put the shrimp on the cooling rack about 1 inch apart. Heat in the oven for about 10 minutes.
more seafood recipes to try
- Baked Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes
- Lemon and Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi
- Shrimp with Roasted Tomato Sauce with Goat Cheese
just one more thing
If you make this coconut shrimp recipe, I'd love hearing from you all. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I'll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.
Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories, videos, cooking tips, and recipes.
Recipe
Easy Crispy Coconut Shrimp
Ingredients
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup panko
- 2 pounds shrimp 16/20 per pound peeled, deveined and with tails on
- 2 cups canola peanut or avocado oil
- kosher salt
- Thai sweet chili dipping sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Place a cooling rack in a large rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
- Assemble the dredging station for the shrimp. Gather 3 shallow bowls. In one bowl combine the flour and Old Bay seasoning. In a second bowl, add the eggs and beat to combine. In a third bowl, combine the coconut and panko.
- Dredge the shrimp in the flour, then the egg, and lastly the coconut/panko. Coat all the shrimp and place on a large platter.
- in a large stock pot over medium heat, add the oil. There should be at least ½ inch of oil in the bottom of the pot. Heat the oil to about 350 degrees F.
- Add about 6 shrimp to the pot making sure they do not touch. Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Watch closely as the coconut burns easily.
- Remove the shrimp from the pot and place them on the cooling rack set inside the baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with kosher salt. The shrimp are ready when the outside is golden brown and the shrimp is just cooked.
- Continue frying the shrimp in batches until all the shrimp is cooked.
- Serve with Thai sweet chili dipping sauce for dipping.
Notes
- For easy dredging, use shallow bowls or pie plates.
- Coat all the shrimp before starting to fry them.
- Make sure the oil is hot before starting to fry the shrimp. It should be between 350 and 375 degrees F. If the oil isn't hot enough, the coconut coating will soak up the oil and the shrimp will be soggy instead of crispy.
- On the other hand, don't get the oil too hot. If the oil is above 375 degrees F, the coating will cook too quickly and burn. Also, the shrimp will remain raw as the coating cooks too fast.
- Don't crowd the pot when frying the shrimp.
- Drain the fried coconut shrimp on a cooling rack set in a baking sheet. This will ensure the coating is crispy on both sides. Immediately sprinkle with kosher salt too.
Roxanne says
Does shrimp need to be thawed? Do you need only Panko can you use bread crumbs?
Amy Casey says
Hi Roxanne ~ The shrimp needs to be thawed. You can use breadcrumbs, but the shrimp won't turn out as crispy. I recommend using panko.
Tammy says
Can I use coconut flour?
Amy Casey says
Hey Tammy ~ Yes! You can substitute coconut flour. That's what I use for my keto personal chef clients.
Marie says
I just love crunchy shrimp and the coconut here makes the dish even better! Served them to friends over the weekend and they just flew off the plate. I'll need to make more for myself next time! ?
Amy Casey says
This is one of my personal chef clients' favorite dishes.
Julia says
These were so good for our Thai-inspired dinner last night, we also made a batch with Panko and served it with different dipping sauces. Very fun to make and to eat!
Amy Casey says
I love the idea of different dipping sauces!
Enriqueta E Lemoine says
I was looking for a good coconut shrimp recipe and landed here. I guess yours is the one. I want to bite the screen. The shrimp look so crispy. This recipe will be dinner tonight!
Amy Casey says
I hope you enjoy my recipe Enriqueta.
Tristin says
The coconut panko breading on the outside of this shrimp was so flavorful and had the perfect crunch. My family devoured these shrimp!!
Amy Casey says
Tristin ~ I'm so glad your family enjoyed my recipe 🙂
Aya says
I used almond flour instead of all purpose flour and these turned out amazing and crispy. The coconut adds a tropical flavor to the shrimp making it irresistible. I will definitely be making this again!
Amy Casey says
Love the almond flour substitution. I use it for my keto personal chef clients.
Liz says
This recipe sounds delicious! Very simple to make at home!
Amy Casey says
Definitely Liz! Not just a dish to order at a restaurant.
Kayla DiMaggio says
These coconut shrimp are so easy and each bite has a delicious crunch and crisp! I am in love!
Amy Casey says
Awesome Kayla!
Cathleen says
I am obsessed with all things shrimp, and this is no exception. I love this recipe so much, thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Heather says
I always go for the coconut shrimp at restaurants, and this recipe sounds even better! Old Bay makes everything amazing 🙂
shelby says
I adore coconut shrimp! The touch of old bay seasoning really adds something special!