Easy Crispy Coconut Shrimp

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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!

the ingredients for coconut shrimp

• 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

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let’s get cooking!

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 1/4 cup no sugar apricot all fruit spread, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar and 1/4 to 1/2 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!

chef tips for making coconut shrimp from scratch

• 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.

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.

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

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