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Home » Appetizers » Coconut Shrimp

November 21, 2019 By Sara 16 Comments

Coconut Shrimp

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These coconut shrimp are jumbo shrimp rolled in a sweet and savory coating, then deep fried to golden brown perfection. A restaurant style appetizer or main course that’s super easy to make at home.

I love to recreate my restaurant favorites at home, including crab rangoon, lettuce wraps and these succulent coconut shrimp.

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A pile of crispy coconut shrimp on a sheet pan with cilantro leaves for garnish.

Coconut shrimp are one of my all time favorite indulgences – if I see them on a restaurant menu, I immediately order some! That being said, it’s actually really easy to make your own coconut shrimp at home, and I have to say, I think they taste even better than the restaurant version.

How do you make coconut shrimp?

This recipe calls for just a handful of ingredients. Large shrimp are dipped in flour and egg, then rolled in a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and shredded coconut. The shrimp go into a pot of oil to fry, then you’re ready to eat!

Large raw tail-on shrimp arranged on a sheet pan.

How to Peel shrimp

This recipe calls for raw shrimp. You can sometimes buy your shrimp already peeled. If the shrimp come with the shells on, you’ll need to remove them yourself. To peel shrimp, it’s easiest to start at the bottom where the legs are attached and carefully pull off the shell, leaving the tail piece on. It’s best to keep the tail on for this recipe because the tail will act as a little handle for you to pick up and eat your shrimp.

You’ll also need to devein your shrimp, which you can do by running a small paring knife down the back of each shrimp and removing the dark vein. If you’ve purchased pre-peeled shrimp you can skip all of these steps and just proceed with the recipe.

Raw shrimp coated with breadcrumbs and shredded coconut.

Tips for Coconut Shrimp

  • Use a thermometer to make sure your oil is at the correct temperature. You want your oil to be between 350 and 375 degrees F. If your oil is too hot, the coating might burn. If your oil is too cold, the breading will absorb more of the oil and become greasy.
  • Buy the largest shrimp you can afford – I used jumbo shrimp at 16/20 count per pound.
  • You can use sweetened or unsweetened coconut for this recipe. I personally prefer sweetened coconut, but either one will work just fine.
  • This recipe calls for panko breadcrumbs which is a type of Asian breadcrumb found at most grocery stores.
  • I like to serve my shrimp with a side of Thai sweet chili sauce, which can be found in a bottle in the ethnic aisle at your local grocery store, or at any Asian market.

A plate of coconut shrimp with a bowl of sweet chili sauce.

Baked Coconut Shrimp

You can bake your coconut shrimp instead of frying them if you prefer. The coating won’t come out quite as crispy and browned, but it’s still delicious!  Arrange your breaded shrimp on a greased sheet pan and coat the shrimp with cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until browned.

A hand dipping a coconut shrimp into a bowl of sweet chili sauce.

Once you make these coconut shrimp at home, you’ll never want to order them out again! Whether you’re serving your shrimp as a hearty appetizer or a main course over rice, they’re sure to be a hit.

More great shrimp recipes

  • Shrimp Ceviche
  • Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
  • Shrimp Alfredo
  • Jerk Shrimp Kabobs
  • Shrimp Fajitas
A pile of crispy coconut shrimp on a sheet pan with cilantro leaves for garnish.
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5 from 11 votes

Coconut Shrimp

These coconut shrimp are jumbo shrimp rolled in a sweet and savory coating, then deep fried to golden brown perfection. A restaurant style appetizer or main course that's super easy to make at home.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword coconut shrimp
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 326kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds jumbo shrimp devein and peel but leave tails on
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 eggs beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups finely shredded coconut the sweetened variety
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • oil for frying
  • 3/4 cup sweet chili sauce
  • cilantro for garnish optional

Instructions

  • Place the flour in a medium size bowl along with the salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
  • Place the eggs in a second bowl. In a third bowl, add the coconut and breadcrumbs and mix until combined.
  • Dip each shrimp first into the flour, then into the egg, then roll in the coconut mixture to coat evenly. Place each breaded shrimp on a sheet pan. Repeat the process until all shrimp are breaded.
  • Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep large pot to 350 degrees F.
  • Add 6 shrimp at a time and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
  • Repeat the process with the remaining shrimp.
  • Place the shrimp on a plate. Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce and garnish with cilantro leaves if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 462mg | Sodium: 688mg | Potassium: 182mg | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 6.2mg | Calcium: 250mg | Iron: 4.6mg

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dinner, Featured Recipes Tagged With: Coconut, Shrimp

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Comments

  1. Hazel says

    October 19, 2020 at 5:37 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for this recipe. It was a hit for my family. My husband finished everything! He said we have to make it agaain.

    Reply
  2. Tisha says

    February 10, 2020 at 4:16 pm

    5 stars
    Coconut shrimp is always a good choice! Great recipe and great flavors!

    Reply
  3. Lauren says

    December 12, 2019 at 8:35 pm

    Can you use an air fryer for these instead of frying them in oil?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 13, 2019 at 10:24 am

      That should be fine!

      Reply
  4. Krissy Allori says

    December 2, 2019 at 6:53 pm

    5 stars
    I love coconut shrimp and these did NOT disappoint. My whole family loved them. Next time I’ll have to make more sauce.

    Reply
  5. Betsy says

    December 2, 2019 at 6:11 pm

    5 stars
    Good call on serving these with a Thai chili sauce. As I was reading the recipe I was thinking that cocktail sauce would not go very well with these. You totally called it when you said Thai chili sauce goes well with these. TOTALLY does. Definitely going to have to keep that stuff on hand. Or figure out how to make it.

    Reply
  6. Valentina says

    December 2, 2019 at 4:57 pm

    5 stars
    I love making this coconut shrimp for an appetizer at my parties! Great shrimp recipe.

    Reply
  7. wilhelmina says

    December 2, 2019 at 4:47 pm

    5 stars
    These put restaurant versions to shame! So delicous and much easier to make than I would have thought!

    Reply
  8. Michelle says

    November 30, 2019 at 2:13 pm

    5 stars
    Crispy, juicy, and so delicious! I absolutely love coconut shrimp

    Reply
  9. Kate says

    November 30, 2019 at 1:48 pm

    Looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing can’t wait to make this. 🙂

    Reply
  10. Genevieve says

    November 30, 2019 at 11:53 am

    Oh my do these look good!

    Reply
  11. Jacqueline Debono says

    November 29, 2019 at 12:14 am

    5 stars
    I love coconut shrimp but have never made it myself. Am going to add this recipe to my Christmas party appetizers list!

    Reply
  12. deanne says

    November 28, 2019 at 7:05 pm

    5 stars
    We loved how easy these coconut shrimp were to make and we were able to eat them at our own table. Thanks for yet another winning recipe!

    Reply
  13. Denisse Salinas says

    November 28, 2019 at 6:53 pm

    5 stars
    That coating looks perfect. Crispy golden and not too thick! LOVE!

    Reply
  14. Justine Howell says

    November 28, 2019 at 5:31 pm

    Loved the little bit of sweetness to this! Hit with the kids too.

    Reply
  15. Alina says

    November 28, 2019 at 12:52 pm

    5 stars
    I love how crispy these are! I imagine how good is the combination of coconut shrimp with chili sauce!

    Reply

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With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
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