Easy Coconut Shrimp
Coconut Shrimp is a delectable finger food that’s super easy to prepare and addictively delicious. With a golden brown coconut coating and juicy shrimp, each bite is like a tropical beach vacation for your mouth. Add a spicy dipping sauce and a tropical drink to complete the scene. Most of the prep can be done in advance, so this homemade coconut shrimp can be ready in minutes to wow your guests for game days and parties.
- Easy Coconut Shrimp
- Why My Recipe Works
- Ingredients for Coconut Shrimp
- Ingredients for Dipping Sauce
- Make Spicy Orange Dipping Sauce
- Clean and Devein Shrimp
- How to Make Coconut Shrimp
- Serve it With
- 📖 Recipe
- FAQ
- Comments
Why My Recipe Works
- Deveining the shrimp using a toothpick instead of butterflying helps keep the prawns plump and juicy.
- Trimming the tail with scissors prevents it from exploding when you fry it.
- Dipping the prawns in a wet batter makes the coconut coating stick, and it’s easier than the flour and egg method. It also ensures a nice, thick coating of crispy coconut.
- Using an all-coconut coating instead of a panko crumb and coconut mixture ensures the most coconut flavor while giving these a lasting crunch.
- The three-ingredient orange chili dipping sauce is effortless and perfectly balances sweet and sour tastes with a spicy, garlicky kick and mild heat.
Ingredients for Coconut Shrimp
- Shrimp - Any kind will work. I used Brown, but Black Tiger prawns will work just as well. For size, I recommend using jumbo prawns (21/25 count) for this recipe. This is big enough to keep them from getting overcooked but small enough that you eat them in one or two bites. By the way, most shrimp sold in stores has been frozen at one point, so there is no shame in buying frozen shrimp.
- Salt - I like to wash the prawns with salt water brine to plump them up while seasoning them. If you find the brine not salty enough, you can sprinkle it with some kosher salt when you serve it.
- Batter - To get the coconut to stick, you need to make edible glue. The most common way to do this is to dust them in a flour mixture before dipping them in egg, but this requires dirtying an extra bowl, and it tends to lead to bald spots on your prawns. Instead, I recommend making a batter with flour, egg, and a little water. This makes the coconut coating stick much easier. You can also impart extra flavor here by adding ingredients like lime zest, curry powder, black pepper, onion powder, or garlic powder to the batter.
- Shredded dried coconut - For the crispiest coconut shrimp, I recommend using dried coconut shredded into threads; this can be found in the baking aisle of most supermarkets. The tendrils not only look great, but they also tend to stay crisp longer than coconut that’s been shredded finer or coconut flakes. Also, be sure to use unsweetened coconut, or it will burn. I prefer to use an all-coconut breading instead of mixing it with panko breadcrumbs because it creates a more lasting crunch, but if you want something lighter, you can use a mixture of panko crumbs and coconut.
Ingredients for Dipping Sauce
- Marmalade - Buy the cheapest kind of marmalade you can find (one that’s mostly orange jelly with just a little peel). Expensive marmalade tends to have more orange peel, which makes the spicy sauce too bitter.
- Sweet Chili Sauce - Sweet Chili Sauce is a Thai condiment made from chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, and sugar. It’s sweet and mildly spicy, perfect for this sweet dipping sauce. If you can’t find it, sriracha will work, but you’ll want to reduce the amount down to a teaspoon for every tablespoon of marmalade and add some garlic powder. If you find the sauce too mild, you can always add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Lemon Juice - I like adding a little lemon or fresh lime juice to the dipping sauce to add a zing and balance the tartness. Lemon or lime wedges also make a colorful garnish.
Make Spicy Orange Dipping Sauce
This is one of my favorite sauces because it’s so easy. Mix equal parts marmalade and Thai sweet chili sauce and squeeze in some lemon juice to taste. It’s that simple!
Clean and Devein Shrimp
I have an easy technique for deveining raw shrimp without slicing it open with a knife. The method uses a toothpick to pry the vein out, and you can watch the video below to see how to do it. You can also check out my How to Clean Shrimp post for a more detailed step-by-step tutorial.
I also recommend removing the telson (sharp spike in the middle of the tail) and using scissors to cut the tips of the tails off. The tail has a tendency to hold a pocket of water, which turns to steam and causes it to pop. Cutting the tips off the tails lets you dry them off more thoroughly while giving the steam an escape route so the tails don’t explode.
How to Make Coconut Shrimp
You want to start by cleaning the prawns (see above) and then brining them for 10-15 minutes in 2 teaspoons of table salt dissolved in 1 cup of water. This not only seasons them but also firms them up.
While you wait for them to brine, make the batter by whisking the egg and water together in a shallow bowl. When the mixture is uniform in color, add the all-purpose flour to the egg mixture and continue whisking until there are no lumps in the flour mixture.
Add 1 inch of oil to a heavy-bottomed pot with sides that come up at least 4 inches. Heat the oil to 360° F (180° C). The temperature of the oil is crucial. If it is too low, the delicate prawns will overcook by the time the coconut browns. Too high, and the coconut will burn. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet and line it with two paper towels to drain the prawns.
Rinse the brined shrimp under cold running water until it runs clear, and drain them well. Use paper towels to dry them as thoroughly as possible. Pay particular attention to the tails, which tend to trap water.
Hold it by the tail and dip it in the batter to coat everything except the tail. Let the excess drip off, then transfer it to the shredded coconut mixture and scoop some of it on top of it. Gently pat the top and sides to get the coconut to adhere, and then transfer it to a tray or small cookie sheet. Repeat with the rest of the prawns.
The coated prawns can be prepared a few hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to fry and serve them.
Fry the shrimp in batches by lowering them into the oil and frying them until the coconut has crisped and browned, which should take about two to three minutes. The time will vary depending on the size of the prawns. Be sure to flip them once to ensure they brown evenly.
Drain them on a paper towel-lined rack and serve them with the chili orange sauce as soon as possible.
Serve it With
My Coconut shrimp recipe is the perfect appetizer for entertaining along with the spicy orange dipping sauce, tartare sauce, or just a simple squeeze of lime juice. It makes a great addition to a spread of Chinese dishes, like my Black Pepper Chicken , Black Pepper Beef , Chinese Green Bean Stir Fry , and Spring Rolls . It can also be served on salads or as a main dish with sides. If you decide to serve it as an entrée, I suggest serving it with some Garlic Rice or Garlic Noodles . It’s also delicious with Japanese Potato Salad or my No-Mayo Coleslaw .
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Units
Ingredients1x2x3x
For Dipping Sauce
- 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 3 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
For Coconut Shrimp
- 270 grams raw shrimp (12 jumbo 21/25 shrimp)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons water
- 40 grams all-purpose flour (~⅓ US cup)
- 70 grams shredded dried unsweetened coconut (~1 US cup)
- vegetable oil (for frying)
Instructions
- To make the sauce, add 3 tablespoons orange marmalade , 3 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce , and 2 teaspoons lemon juice to a small bowl and stir the ingredients together.
- Add 2 teaspoons salt and 1 cup of water to a bowl and stir until the salt has dissolved. Peel, devein and trim the tail of 270 grams raw shrimp as shown in the video above, and add them to the bowl of brine water. Let this soak for 10 minutes.
- In shallow bowl, whisk 1 large egg and 2 tablespoons water together until smooth, and then add 40 grams all-purpose flour and whisk until the batter is free of lumps. In a separate shallow bowl, add 70 grams shredded dried unsweetened coconut .
- Add about 1-inch of vegetable oil to a deep pot such as a Dutch oven and preheat the oil until it reaches 360° F (180° C). You can also do this in a deep fryer. Prepare a wire rack by setting it on a baking sheet and lining it with 2 sheets of paper towels.
- Rinse the prawns in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain them and pat them dry with paper towels. Press the water out of the tails as you dry them.
- Grab an individual shrimp by its tail and dip it in the batter to coat it evenly. Let any excess batter drip off, then place it in the bowl of shredded coconut. Scoop some coconut on top and press it in so it sticks. Transfer to a plate or baking sheet and repeat with the remaining prawns.
- To fry the shrimp, gently lower them into the hot oil and fry until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes). Flip them over mid-way through so they brown evenly. Transfer the cooked shrimp to the prepared baking sheet to drain.
Nutrition Facts
Coconut Shrimp is a dish made by “breading” shrimp with dried coconut instead of breadcrumbs. This gives them a lasting crunch while imparting the sweet tropical flavor of coconuts. It’s usually served with a sweet and spicy sauce.
The recipe can easily be made gluten-free by replacing the flour in the batter with any gluten-free flour with enough starch to make the batter sticky. Rice flour, chickpea flour, and gluten-free AP flour are all suitable alternatives.
I don’t recommend using an air fryer. I haven’t tried it with this recipe, but battered foods work best in a deep fryer. The batter needs to set quickly to keep the coconut coating sticking to the prawns.
I recommend frying the shrimp right before serving it, but you can handle the brining, battering, and coating beforehand. Once the prawns are prepped, store them in a single layer in an airtight container. You can also freeze them on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet before transferring them to a freezer bag. Frozen coconut shrimp can be fried straight out of the freezer, but you will need to give them an additional 2 minutes or so to cook through.
Coconut Shrimp
Equipment
- 1 Small Glass Bowl
- 1 Spatula
- 2 Medium Glass Bowl
- 1 cast iron frying pot
- 1 Draining Rack
- 1 frying tongs
Ingredients
For Dipping Sauce
- 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 3 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
For Coconut Shrimp
- 270 grams raw shrimp (12 jumbo 21/25 shrimp)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons water
- 40 grams all-purpose flour (~⅓ US cup)
- 70 grams shredded dried unsweetened coconut (~1 US cup)
- vegetable oil (for frying)
Instructions
- To make the sauce, add 3 tablespoons orange marmalade , 3 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce , and 2 teaspoons lemon juice to a small bowl and stir the ingredients together. 3 tablespoons orange marmalade, 3 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce, 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Add 2 teaspoons salt and 1 cup of water to a bowl and stir until the salt has dissolved. Peel, devein and trim the tail of 270 grams raw shrimp as shown in the video above, and add them to the bowl of brine water. Let this soak for 10 minutes. 2 teaspoons salt, 270 grams raw shrimp
- In shallow bowl, whisk 1 large egg and 2 tablespoons water together until smooth, and then add 40 grams all-purpose flour and whisk until the batter is free of lumps. In a separate shallow bowl, add 70 grams shredded dried unsweetened coconut . 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons water, 40 grams all-purpose flour
- Add about 1-inch of vegetable oil to a deep pot such as a Dutch oven and preheat the oil until it reaches 360° F (180° C). You can also do this in a deep fryer. Prepare a wire rack by setting it on a baking sheet and lining it with 2 sheets of paper towels. vegetable oil
- Rinse the prawns in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain them and pat them dry with paper towels. Press the water out of the tails as you dry them.
- Grab an individual shrimp by its tail and dip it in the batter to coat it evenly. Let any excess batter drip off, then place it in the bowl of shredded coconut. Scoop some coconut on top and press it in so it sticks. Transfer to a plate or baking sheet and repeat with the remaining prawns. 70 grams shredded dried unsweetened coconut
- To fry the shrimp, gently lower them into the hot oil and fry until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes). Flip them over mid-way through so they brown evenly. Transfer the cooked shrimp to the prepared baking sheet to drain.
