Coconut Shrimp Recipe
on Dec 10, 2022, Updated Dec 22, 2023
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You have just come across the tastiest and easiest coconut shrimp 🍤 recipe. This appetizer is so simple to make and is a must for the 🎄 holidays or any occasion that needs a delicious hour d’oeuvre. This recipe is a wonderful addition to your table if you celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes. The subtle sweetness from the coconut and the breadcrumbs’ crunchiness is amazing.
Coconut Shrimp for Feast of the Seven Fishes
The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a special Italian-American 🎄 Christmas Eve tradition, celebrated with a range of seafood dishes. Rooted in the custom of refraining from meat on this holy night, the feast typically features seven different types of 🐟 fish, as a way to symbolize spiritual completeness. You can choose fish dishes such as this easy coconut shrimp or calamari or flavorful fish stews; each dish is prepared with love and tradition. My family would gather around the table to savor this seafood celebration, creating lasting memories and honoring both culinary and cultural legacies during the holiday season.
Why You’ll Love This Coconut Shrimp Recipe
You are going to love the perfect blend of crispy and succulent with my coconut shrimp recipe. The coconut and breadcrumb coating delivers a lovely crunch and 🌴 tropical sweetness. Quick-frying in avocado oil ensures a golden finish, and of course, the recipe’s flexibility lets you customize the flavor to your liking. Paired with your favorite dipping sauce, these easy coconut shrimp promise to be the most perfect and easy-to-enjoy treat for any weeknight or special occasion.
How to Prepare This Coconut Shrimp Recipe
🥚 In a bowl, mix egg and water, then add flour and salt to make a batter.
💦 Adjust batter thickness with more water if needed.
🍞 In a separate bowl, mix coconut and breadcrumbs.
🦐 Thaw, peel, devein, and pat dry shrimp.
🥥 Dip each shrimp in the wet batter, shake off excess, then coat with coconut mixture. Alternatively, you can coat all shrimp in wet batter and coconut mixture if preferred.
🍤 Place breaded shrimp on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
🔥 Heat high-smoke point oil (e.g., avocado oil) in a pan until shimmering.
🌟 Shallow fry shrimp in batches for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden, reducing heat to medium.
🍽️ Drain excess oil on a plate lined with paper towels.
🌶️ Serve hot with sweet Thai chili sauce or desired condiment.
Nonna’s Tip
It is important to ensure the oil is hot before placing the shrimp in the pan to prevent the batter from absorbing too much oil.
Variations and Substitutions
These deliciously crunchy and easy coconut shrimp will quickly become your favorite, and you can easily make them your own with a few changes as needed!
- You can choose any dipping sauce you like; serve the 🥥 coconut shrimp with mango salsa or create a tangy dip by mixing Greek yogurt with lime juice and cilantro.
- Substitute avocado oil with other high-smoke point oils like vegetable oil, peanut oil, or grapeseed oil.
- Experiment with different 🌿 seasonings in the wet batter, such as garlic powder, onion powder, or paprika.
- Substitute all-purpose flour with 🍚 rice flour or a 1-1 gluten-free replacement flour for a gluten-free option.
- Feel free to use coconut flour for a hint of coconut flavor in the batter.
- Try the same coating and frying method with other proteins such as 🐔 chicken tenders or tofu.
Best Served With
- A Simple Green Salad would be a great option
- A dipping sauce like the Thai chili sauce I recommend, or you could consider offering other dipping sauces like spicy mayo, aioli, or tzatziki for a different option
- You could make crusty garlic bread (with my No Knead Peasant Bread) or even breadsticks
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I use these bowls for everything in my kitchen. I use them to prep my ingredients, to mix batter or dough in them and so much more!
Baking sheets are essential in the kitchen. These are great!
This is the parchment paper that I use for all my recipes!
This is the exact set that I have and use at home every single day! You have to be SUPER Gentle with it and don's use it on high heat, no cooking spray's on it, gentle wash with a soft sponge, and absolutely no metal utensils.
Common Questions
I use Redmond Real Salt. Please note that depending on the salt you use, your dish may be less or more salty. Salt is to taste, so please always taste and adjust as you cook.
These are meant to be served immediately. If you don’t have time to serve them immediately, you can make them the same day and quickly crisp them up in the air-fryer for about a minute or so, but you may overcook the shrimp that way.
Yes, you can certainly serve the coconut shrimp with any dipping sauce you enjoy.
Feel free to add more seasoning, such as garlic powder or other herbs, to the batter if you wish.
You can use sweetened or unsweetened coconut; I used sweetened. You can also use shredded or flaked.
It is important to ensure the oil is hot before placing the shrimp in the pan to prevent the batter from absorbing too much oil. You can test to see if the oil is hot by placing the tip of a wooden spoon; if it bubbles, it’s ready.
I used large Tiger shrimp, but you can use any variety you like.
If you don’t like shrimp, you can cube chicken breast into small pieces and use that instead, but you may need to cook it a touch longer.
Easiest Coconut Shrimp
Ingredients
Wet Batter
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- generous pinch of salt
Breading
- 1 cup coconut flakes, you can use sweetened or unsweetened, shredded or flakes
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Remaining Ingredients
- 340 grams large peeled and deveined Tiger shrimp, 25-30 shrimp
- avocado oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan for shallow frying
- sweet Thai chilli sauce for dipping, any sauce you like
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the egg and water, mix. Add the flour and salt, mix again. If the batter is too thick you can thin it out with a touch more water.
- In a separate bowl mix the coconut and breadcrumbs.
- Make sure the shrimp is thawed, peeled, devained and patted dry with a paper towel.
- Dip each one into the wet batter, shaking off the excess batter and then dip and coat them in the coconut mixture.
- If you're feeling lazy, coat all the shrimp in the wet batter instead of adding them one by one.
- As you bread them, place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Go over to the stove and pour in any high-smoke point oil of your choice. I prefer using avocado oil, and I added enough to fully cover the bottom of the pan, about half an inch deep.
- Turn the heat to high and get the oil hot. You should start to see it shimmer. When you place in the shrimp, it should sizzle. Reduce the heat to medium and shallow fry them in batches for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden.
- Place the fried shrimp onto a plate lined with paper towel to drain out the excess oil.
- Serve immediately while hot with sweet Thai chili sauce or anything you like.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
