Lately I’ve been getting tired of the same old chicken and beef recipes, so I’ve been adding more seafood into our meals. When I’m craving some light and healthy, I go for my spicy cilantro shrimp with honey lime dipping sauce. When I’m craving something with a little Mexican flair, I make these grilled tilapia bowls. But when I’m in the mood for some good, old-fashion fried comfort food, I make this Coconut Shrimp!
Coconut shrimp is one of my favorite things to order at a restaurant, but it’s even better when you make it fresh at home. It takes a few minutes to set up the ingredients for breading the shrimp, but once you get rollin’, you’ll have hot, crispy coconut shrimp ready to eat in no time! They only take about 5 minutes to cook through and develop that beautiful golden brown color, so you can enjoy this shrimp even on busy nights!
So how do you get that perfect crunchy coconut coating on the outside of the shrimp? It’s a simple 3 step process: First you dredge the shrimp (peeled and deveined with the tails on) in a seasoned flour mixture. Then you give them a dip in some beaten eggs. And then for the final step, you toss them in a mixture of crispy panko breadcrumbs and shredded coconut. I like to use a 50/50 ration of coconut and breadcrumbs, and I usually have sweetened coconut flakes on hand, so that’s what I make them with. I’ve told you before that I’m actually not a big coconut fan, but when you fry the shrimp, the coconut becomes part of the breadcrumb coating and doesn’t have that raw coconut flavor and texture. Even my family members who despise coconut love this recipe! So don’t let that shy you away from this awesome-sauce shrimp recipe.
Speaking of awesome-sauce… what do you dip your coconut shrimp in? I love to use a little bit of sweet chili sauce, and my husband likes regular cocktail sauce. My kids go for straight-up ketchup (big surprise), but quite frankly if it gets them to try something new, I’m all for it.
So next time you’re in the mood for something different, pull out that coconut that’s been sitting in your baking cabinet, and fry up some shrimp! It’s great as a snack or appetizer, but add a little bit of pasta or rice and you have a delicious main dish too!
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- 1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails attached
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened
- vegetable or canola oil for frying
- sweet chili sauce for dipping (optional)
- Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add enough oil to fill the skillet about ½" from the bottom. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Place 2 beaten eggs in a second shallow dish. In a third shallow dish, combine the panko breadcrumbs and shredded coconut.
- Dredge the shrimp in flour, then dip in the beaten eggs, then coat in the panko/coconut mixture. Press the coconut onto the shrimp to get a nice, thick coating. Carefully drop the shrimp into the hot oil and fry 2-3 minutes on each side, until the shrimp is cooked through and the breading is golden brown and crispy. Transfer shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and serve immediately with sweet chili sauce for dipping, if desired.
Still hungry? Check out these recipes:
Spicy Cilantro Shrimp with Honey Lime Dipping Sauce
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The shrimp look like a crispy bite of deliciousness! Can’t wait to try them!
The crispy coating on this shrimp really is amazing! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Yum. Can’t think of a better way to enjoy shrimp!
Pinned to our coconut board.
Have a great day!
Thank you for the pin, Melanie! You have a wonderful day, too!
Liz, I have been CRAVING coconut shrimp (dunked in sweet chili sauce, obv) and I bet I would inhale the entire batch of these 🙂 Can’t wait to make them!
Oh girl, I definitely had to make myself share these with the family! Hope you enjoy them!
I tried coconut shrimp for the first time a month ago and now I love it! Definitely pinning this recipe 🙂
Amazing, right?? I hope you enjoy this recipe!
This is one of the only ways I like coconut. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. I love shrimp. Pinning. Thanks.
I’m right there with ya, Margaret! Not a huge coconut fan, but this shrimp is always a big hit! Hope you enjoy the recipe! You’ll have to let me know what you think. 🙂
They looks amazing! I will definitely be trying your recipe. Thanks for sharing it!
My weekly Say G’Day Saturday linky party is on right now and this would be a fabulous addition. Please stop by and say g’day if you have a minute!
Best wishes,
Natasha in Oz
Hope you enjoy, Natasha!!
Stopping by from the Show Stopper Saturday link party. These look so moreish, pinning. Diane @Mrs U Makes
So glad you stopped by, Diane! Hope you enjoy the shrimp!
Brillant! Pinned it!
Danielle @ Blissful & Domestic
Creating Beautiful on Less
http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com
Thanks for the pin, Danielle!!
This sounds so delicious !
Hi Liz, I found your recipe on pinterest but coming from Australia where we don’t have sweetened coconut I’m wondering if you can give me any idea how I would sweeten it myself. Is it very sweet?
That’s a great question! I found this recipe for sweetening your own coconut that might help: http://www.motherwouldknow.com/journal/how-to-substitute-unsweetened-for-sweetened-coconut
You’ll have to let me know how it turns out!