Coconut Shrimp Recipe

Yearning for a tropical vacation, but it’s not in the cards this summer? Wanting a taste of the coast in your own home? Fry up these delectable coconut shrimp and sate those summertime blues. They’re crunchy, savory, and you can enjoy them with any or all of your favorite dipping sauces. 

Ingredients:

12 oz package of shrimp (thawed if frozen)

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

2 eggs

¾ cup panko breadcrumbs

¾ cup shredded coconut

3-4 tbsp oil of your choice (for frying method)

Instructions:

The day before you make this recipe, remove your shrimp from the freezer and thaw them in the refrigerator.

When you’re ready to make your coconut shrimp, assemble all the ingredients above. 

In one small bowl, add your all-purpose flour, salt, and black pepper. Whisk together and set aside. 

In another small bowl, add your eggs and scramble until the white is completely combined with the yolk. Set it aside. 

In a medium sized bowl, add your panko and shredded coconut and mix well. Set aside. 

Now it’s time to assemble your ingredients and the breading station. Put your thawed shrimp first in line, then the flour mixture, the scrambled eggs, and then the coconut and panko mixture. Have a large plate ready at the end, where you can set your completed shrimp once they’re done. 

Before you begin coating the shrimp, I have a few tips to make the process move quicker. First, don’t touch the flour mixture at all during this process. Simply shake the flour bowl while the shrimp is in there to coat it. This will help keep your hands from getting gummy with flour quite as quickly. Second, use your right hand to dip the shrimp in the egg mixture, and your left to drop it in the panko and press it. This will keep your hands from getting coated in panko, which makes you pause to wash your hands frequently. These tips will help you breeze through the shrimp in no time. 

Toss the shrimp in the flour until completely coated.

Dredge the floured shrimp with the scrambled egg. 

Coat the shrimp in the coconut and panko mixture, pressing firmly to help it adhere to the surface. 

Place the shrimp on your plate and repeat this process with each shrimp until you are finished. 

When all your shrimp are coated, pour your oil into a skillet and bring to a simmer. 

Fry your shrimp for 2 to 2 ½ minutes on each side, then remove them from the skillet and put them on a serving plate. You can put several shrimps in the pan at once, but be careful not to crowd them or else they won’t fry evenly. You can also cook them in the air fryer. I recommend putting them in for 4 minutes at 375°F, then flipping them and cooking for another 4 to 5 minutes. 

Serve them hot, with a dipping sauce of your choice. I enjoy a lemon aioli, as shown, with a slice of lime squeezed overtop. You can also enjoy them with cocktail sauce, mayonnaise or horseradish sauce.