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Crispy Coconut Shrimp

Crispy Coconut Shrimp

These crispy coconut shrimp have a crunchy sweetened coconut and panko crust with a light, citrusy batter. Ready in about 30 minutes, they are perfect as a quick party appetizer served with Thai sweet chili sauce and are best eaten soon after frying.
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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Total Time:30 minutes
Course: Appetizers
Keyword: coconut, panko, shrimp, Thai sweet chili

Equipment

  • ▢1 Sturdy skilletfor frying, or a deep fryer
  • ▢metal spideror metal slotted spoon, or metal tongs (for removing the shrimp from the oil)
  • ▢candy/deep fry thermometersee NOTES

Ingredients

  • vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 3 cups sweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 lb extra-large shrimp peeled and deveined, (leave tails on, if desired).
  • Thai sweet chili sauce for serving

Instructions

  1. Pour enough vegetable oil into a sturdy skillet (preferably cast iron) so it comes about halfway up the sides, being careful not to overfill. Heat over medium until the oil reaches 335 to 350°F.
  2. Whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl; set aside.
  3. In another medium bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs and 1 tbsp melted unsalted butter until combined, then stir in 1 cup orange juice. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture until just smooth.
  4. In a shallow bowl or platter, mix 3 cups sweetened coconut flakes and 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs.
  5. One by one, dip the shrimp into the batter, then press each shrimp into the coconut–Panko mixture until evenly coated, leaving tails visible if they are still attached.
  6. Carefully add the breaded shrimp to the hot oil and fry until golden, flipping halfway through (about 4 minutes total).
  7. Remove the shrimp from the oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
  8. Serve the fried shrimp with Thai sweet chili sauce for dipping.

Notes

Notes
NOTE:
Watch the video near the top of the recipe card for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please
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If you don’t have a thermometer, you can check the oil temperature by tossing a small piece of bread into the hot oil. If it browns in about 10 seconds, the oil is ready. If it browns very quickly, the oil is too hot. If it takes more than 15 seconds for the bread to brown, it’s not hot enough.
See the blog post for instructions on baking or air-frying the shrimp. Just a reminder, the shrimp won’t be as crispy as when you fry them, but they will still be delicious.
The shrimp can be breaded for up to 1 hour before frying. We recommend serving the shrimp soon after they have been fried. They only take a matter of minutes, so just before your guests arrive, fry them. If you’d like, you can keep them warm on a baking rack on a baking sheet in a 250°F oven before serving.