Creamy Coconut Shrimp

By Snejana Andreeva

on Nov 11, 2022, Updated Dec 20, 2023

4.67 from 6 reviews
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My Creamy Coconut Shrimp 🦐 is the healthiest and creamiest shrimp dish you will ever taste. The sauce is everything you want and more. It is simple to make, dairy-free, and something that you can enjoy on 🎄 Christmas Eve if you celebrate The Feast of the Seven Fishes. Not only does this recipe take 10 minutes to whip up, but it’s also incredibly healthy as well.

Table of Contents

A pan filled with sauce, garnished with fresh parsley and lemon slices. The seafood is arranged attractively on the sauce, creating a visually appealing dish. Lemon wedges are placed on the side.

Why You’ll Love Creamy Coconut Shrimp

You’ll love this dish for its beautiful, rich, and flavorful sauce that combines sautéed onions, garlic, chili flakes, and coconut milk. This versatile recipe allows you to choose between proteins like shrimp, 🐟 fish, or hearty chickpeas to suit your taste or diet. The ease with which this meal comes together means you can have a delicious and protein-packed dinner on busy days. Whether you serve it over a bed of rice, pasta, or with some crusty bread, this will quickly become a favorite dish in your house.

How to Prepare

🔥 In a pan, sauté onions in olive oil on medium-high heat for a minute.

🧄 Add chili flakes and minced garlic, and stir.

🍅 Incorporate tomato paste, stir, and deglaze with white wine or stock.

Top-down view of cooking ingredients on a white surface, including raw seafood in a bowl, an onion, garlic cloves, olive oil, coconut milk, white wine, tomato paste, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Chopped onions sautéing in a white skillet, surrounded by ingredients like tomato paste, and a bowl of liquid, on a white countertop.
Chopped onions and garlic sautéing in a white pan with a small amount of tomato paste in the center. The ingredients are lightly cooked and glistening in oil. The pan sits on a white marble surface.

🥥 Cook off the wine, then add coconut milk, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.

🦐 Add shrimp (alternatively, you can use fish or chickpeas here). Cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side.

A pan with cooked onions and diced tomatoes in a reddish oil mixture, stirred by a wooden spoon. Nearby is a small bowl of white sauce. The scene is set on a white marble surface.
A pan filled with creamy sauce is placed on a white marble surface. The sauce has a slightly textured surface. In the upper corner, a bowl containing raw shrimp is partially visible.
A skillet with a creamy sauce and uncooked shrimp on top. The sauce is smooth and rich, contrasting with the raw, gray shrimp. The skillet rests on a white marble surface, partially showing a glass bowl in the corner.

💗 Once the shrimp is pink and curled, remove from heat.

🌿 Garnish the creamy coconut shrimp with parsley and serve on its own, with bread, rice, or pasta.

A white pan filled with creamy shrimp in a rich sauce, garnished with fresh parsley. The dish is set on a light marble surface with a sprig of parsley and a bottle of olive oil in the background.
Close-up of creamy garlic butter shrimp garnished with fresh parsley and lemon slices. The golden-brown shrimp are coated in a rich, velvety sauce, creating a mouthwatering dish.
A white bowl filled with creamy garlic shrimp garnished with fresh parsley. The shrimp are cooked and have a golden color, nestled in a rich, orange-hued sauce. The dish is presented on a light background.

Nonna’s Tip 🥥

Feel free to use heavy cream or cashew cream if you don’t like coconut milk or if you want a different flavor profile.

A white bowl filled with a creamy orange sauce and cooked shrimp, garnished with fresh parsley. The shrimp are plump and golden, immersed in the rich sauce, creating a flavorful and inviting dish.

Variations and Substitutions for Creamy Coconut Shrimp

This delicious recipe is all about the sauce, so you can use shrimp like I did, or you can choose a fish or other protein, like chickpeas, to suit your dietary preferences. Let me know in the comments how you make this tasty dish your own!

  1. Instead of shrimp, try using 🐟 cubed fish, scallops, or a mix of seafood. Cook time may be a bit different for these options, so keep that in mind.
  2. For a vegetarian or plant-based option, use chickpeas, tofu, or a variety of vegetables like 🫑 bell peppers and zucchini.
  3. Feel free to try creamy coconut shrimp with different 🌿 herbs or spices such as thyme, basil, or cayenne pepper for added flavor.
  4. Instead of coconut milk, try using heavy cream for a richer flavor or almond milk for a lighter option.
Creamy shrimp dish garnished with fresh herbs and a lemon wedge. The shrimp are cooked in a rich, orangish sauce, with visible herbs sprinkled on top, creating an appetizing and vibrant presentation.

Similar Recipes

Best Served With

  • A bowl of rice, pasta, or quinoa
  • A salad with mixed greens
  • Crusty bread (like my no-knead peasant bread or baguette slices)
  • Steamed or sautéd vegetables like asparagus, 🥦 broccoli, or green beans

Common Questions

what type of salt do you use?

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.

Can I use something besides Shrimp?

You can use any type of whitefish that you prefer and cut it into cubes. Once the fish starts to flake off, that means it’s ready. This should take no longer than 4-5 minutes. If you prefer, you can also use scallops or any other type of seafood that you like. You can even mix the shrimp with whitefish and other seafood for added flavor.

Is there a vegan alternative?

If you are vegan, substitute the seafood for a can of drained chickpeas, and you are in heaven.

Is there a substitute for the Coconut Milk?

Feel free to use heavy or cashew cream in this creamy coconut shrimp if you don’t like coconut milk, but trust me, it’s delicious.

How many does this recipe serve?

This recipe makes 2 portions, so feel free to double or even triple it

5 from 6 reviews

Creamy Coconut Shrimp

A pan filled with creamy orange sauce topped with cooked shrimp, garnished with fresh parsley and lemon slices. The shrimp are arranged attractively on the sauce, creating a visually appealing dish. Lemon wedges are placed on the side.
My Creamy Coconut Shrimp 🦐 is the healthiest and creamiest shrimp dish you will ever taste. The sauce is everything you want and more. Not only does this recipe take 10 minutes to whip up, but it's also incredibly healthy as well.
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Makes: 2 portions
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
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VideoEquipmentIngredientsInstructionsNutrition

Video

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ yellow onion, finely diced
  • chilli flakes, optional
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¼ cup white wine, or vegetable stock
  • 1 can of coconut milk, 400 ml
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 25-30 deveined shrimp, the shells add more flavor, but you will have to peel them
  • parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  • In a pan on medium-high heat sauté the onions in a little bit of olive oil for about a minute. Add the chili flakes, minced garlic, and give it a stir.
  • Add the tomato paste and stir again. To deglaze the pan, you can use some white wine or any stock you like.
  • Cook off the white wine fully for about 1-2 minutes and add in the coconut milk. Stir and season with a touch of salt and pepper.
  • Let it simmer on medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes and add in the shrimp, fish, or chickpeas if you are plant based. Let the shrimp cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
  • Once the shrimp are pink and curled up take it off the heat immediately. Garnish with parsley and serve on its own, on top of rice, or even with pasta. Enjoy!

My Notes

Add your personal notes here!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Creamy Coconut Shrimp
Serving Size
 
1 portion
Amount per Serving
Calories
188
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
8
g
12
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
 
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
5
g
Cholesterol
 
158
mg
53
%
Sodium
 
838
mg
36
%
Potassium
 
375
mg
11
%
Carbohydrates
 
8
g
3
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
3
g
3
%
Protein
 
18
g
36
%
Vitamin A
 
470
IU
9
%
Vitamin C
 
7
mg
8
%
Calcium
 
90
mg
9
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

4.67 from 6 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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10 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Hi
    Thank you for the recipe.
    I had one problem, the sauce was very thin, watery. I let it simmer for 20 minutes and became a littler thicker.
    Is the anything I can do to prevent this?
    Yvonne

    Reply

    1. Hi, Yvonne! This recipe is meant to be creamy and soupy – perfect for serving over rice to soak up all the sauce. 😋 If you want a thicker sauce, you could try reducing the amount of liquid, or adding a little cornstarch to act as a thickener. Also, be sure to use full fat coconut milk, as the lite versions can be more runny. Hope this helps! ❤️

      Reply

  2. 4 stars
    This was absolutely delicious, will definitely make it again. I added boiled quail eggs (not canned) and used both wine & broth, and my family loved it 😋😍

    Reply

    1. I’m so happy you enjoyed it Chris! Oooh quail eggs, I’ll have to try that! So glad the fam loved it 🥰

      Reply

  3. How did you get your sauce to be so creamy? Anytime I’ve used coconut milk, it was very thin and I got a lot of white specks floating in the sauce. It’s almost as if the milk had a negative reaction to the heat. Any suggestions? PS – love your recipes!!

    Reply

    1. Hi Eileen! Coconut milk can be a little finicky, so you’re not doing anything wrong! For a creamy sauce, use full-fat coconut milk, shake the can well before opening, and keep the heat on medium to low – high heat will make it separate and form those white specks. I also like to whisk mine into the pan to make sure everything is well incorporated. Thank you for the love, and I hope this helps! ❤️

      Reply