Coconut Shrimp
You won’t believe how easy this is to make, and it’s so much cheaper and tastier to make it right at home!
I’m not the biggest fan of coconut but oddly enough, I am obsessed with coconut shrimp. I’ve only had it a few times because it’s always a bit pricey at the restaurant and I can’t stand having to pay an arm and a leg for something I could easily make right at home. Plus, the homemade version is always a million times better, right?
I’ve actually been wanting to make coconut shrimp for several months now but Jason was never available as my “official” hand model. He’s at school 14 hours a day, including the weekends, but earlier this week, he told me he could write his final paper at home. So I scurried out of the house for that emergency grocery run, scored some gorgeous shrimp and hurried home to fry these babies before the sun went down.
Now this recipe comes together very easily and quickly in a simple 4-step process. The flour mixture, the egg mixture, the coconut breadcrumb mixture and then into the oil. That’s it! It’s a 20 minute process altogether – easy peasy, right?
Just make sure you have that sweet Thai chili sauce ready to go because once these babies are fried, you won’t want to wait a single second before devouring them. They are unbelievably crispy with that wonderful coconut crunchiness, and with the sweet Thai chili sauce, it was absolute perfection.
So when you’re short on time and in need of a crowd-pleasing appetizer, these must be on your menu. It’s easy, simple and sure to disappear from your table!
Coconut Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Sweet chili sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat.
- In a large bowl, combine Panko* bread crumbs and shredded coconut; set aside.
- Season shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste. Working one at a time, dredge shrimp in the flour, dip into the eggs, then dredge in the coconut mixture, pressing to coat.
- Working in batches, add shrimp to the Dutch oven and fry until evenly golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce, if desired.
Notes
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I wonder if this could be prepared up to the point of frying it and then leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours. Has anyone tried this?
You can definitely prep this beforehand and fry when ready to serve. Hope that helps!
I love/love this recipe I’ve been using coconut oil & it’s sublime with this type of dish! I’m so doing chicken breast post-holiday this way! Thanks, XO
That’s what I was looking for! Highly curious if i could fry with coconut oil instead…or maybe half and half?
I’ve never actually fried in coconut oil but I do know that it is possible. I particularly like using vegetable or canola oil for deep frying.
You should try it. It’s very light and has a much higher smoke point than most other oils (about 450 degrees) which means less free radicals, and it can be used several times before it needs to be replaced. It is what EVERYTHING was fried in back in the 70s before soybean oil hit the market, and it doesn’t impart a coconut taste to everything either.
I am actually looking at my jar of Coconut oil and it says not to use for deep-frying and only suitable for medium heat up to 350°. Just wanted to let you know.
TL, thank you for your input but you can actually use coconut oil as your temperature should range between 325-350.
Can you use sweetend coconut? That’s what I have and am trying to use up.
Oh sorry, I see that question has been answered
I love coconut shrimp, these are perfection!
LOOKS DAM DELICIOUS HMMMMMMM……..
These shrimp look crisp, golden and perfect!
Mhmmm this MUST taste amazing c:
Great idea with the coconut! Xx
YES! Totally making these. Like, yesterday. Chung-Ah, you rock.
I’ll bet the sam process would work for coconut chicken strips!
Yes, absolutely!
It sure does work with chicken. Make a dipping sauce with orange marmalade, a little bit of dijon mustard and a little white wine vinegar.
Oh and a few shakes of red pepper flakes in the marmalade sauce.
Great recipe.
I love coconut shrimp. Always order it when I see it on a menu, but have never made at home. Will try over the holidays, for sure. Great photos!
I can’t wait to try this! But where can I find recipe for the Thai chili sauce to go with it?
The Thai chili sauce can be found at your local grocery store.
your local grocery store
I love coconut however I can get it, but especially as a crispy crunchy topping! Mmm.