Formerly Your Homebased Mom

Leigh Anne Wilkes

Coconut Shrimp

Name: Coconut Shrimp
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb peeled, deveIned shrimp with tails on; 1/3 cup all purpose flour; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp pepper; 2 eggs (beaten); 1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut; oil (vegetable or canola oil); 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce; 1/4 cup apricot jam or preserves

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By: Leigh Anne WilkesPosted: 12/01/21Updated: 9/20/24

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Coconut Shrimp is coated in sweet, crispy coconut and quickly fried. Ready in 20 minutes! Serve it with a sweet chili dipping sauce and just watch it disappear. This restaurant menu favorite is so easy to make at home.

Favorite Appetizer

My favorite appetizer when we go out to dinner is always Coconut Shrimp. If it is on the menu I am there! There is no need to wait until you go out to dinner though to enjoy this delicious appetizer. You can make it at home in under 20 minutes!

This shrimp is perfect as an appetizer or as a meal!

Ingredients Needed

Shrimp. I used large shrimp, 21-25. The number tells you how many shrimp there are to one lb. You can use smaller shrimp if you prefer.
Coconut. You can used sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut, which ever you prefer. I prefer the sweetened.
Garlic Powder. This is optional but adds some nice flavor.
Flour. All purpose flour
Egg. Beat egg well so you don’t see any egg white.

Oil. Use vegetable or canola oil for frying or an oil with a high heat point.

How to Make Coconut Shrimp Recipe

Thaw shrimp
Set up three bowls, one with beaten egg, one with coconut and one with flour.
First, Holding the shrimp by the tail, first dip into beaten egg.

Second, dredge shrimp in the flour mixture, coating both sides of the shrimp.

Third, dip the shrimp into the coconut, coating both sides.

Lay shrimp in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet.

Heat oil in a large flat bottomed pan.
Cooking in batches, gently place shrimp into hot oil. Oil should be 350 degrees F.
Cook for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. The more shrimp you put in the pan at a time, the longer it will take.

Shrimp will turn pink when it is cooked.
Place fried shrimp on a layer of paper towels and allow excess oil to absorb.
Serve warm with dipping sauce.

Coconut Shrimp Dipping Sauce

My favorite thing to serve this shrimp with is this sweet with a little heat dipping sauce.

Apricot jam or preserves. Can also use orange marmalade
Sweet Chili Sauce. This will add heat to the sauce so use less of it if you prefer less heat.

Combine sweet sweet chili sauce and apricot jam or preserves. I use a 1:1 ratio but if. you prefer a little less heat, do a 2:1 ratio of jam to sweet chili sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of shrimp do I use?

I prefer to use large, raw shrimp with the tail still attached. I prefer them peeled and deveined to make it easier to work with. Having the tails on the shrimp makes it easier to work with and I think it makes a nice presentation. You can buy fresh or frozen. If using frozen, thaw the shrimp under running cool water first.

Should I use sweetened or unsweetened coconut?

I use sweetened coconut because I love the slight sweetness it adds to the shrimp. The sugar also gives the coating a crisper texture. You can use unsweetened though if you prefer.

Can I make them ahead of time?

They are best served freshly cooked but leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator or frozen. To reheat, place in a 350 degree F oven for about 10-12 minutes on a baking sheet.

Can I bake the shrimp instead of frying them?

You can bake them in a 400 degree F oven for about 10 minutes on each side but they will not be as crisp.

Some of our other favorite appetizers include:

For more delicious shrimp recipes try these:

Originally shared November 11, 2014

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