Hey, Seafoodies!
Have you ever stood at a crossroads, torn between two equally tempting paths? Life constantly presents us with difficult choices—paper or plastic, save or splurge, call or text, take the job offer or wait for something better. Every day we navigate decisions big and small that can leave us feeling stressed and uncertain—but not today, Seafoodies!
We’re bringing you the ultimate win-win situation with not one, but TWO incredible coconut shrimp recipes that will transport you straight to paradise.
After countless days in our test kitchen perfecting these recipes, we decided—Why choose? Both our air fryer AND baked coconut shrimp recipes are entitled to their moment in the spotlight. Each delivers that irresistible crispy, coconutty exterior and juicy shrimp that’ll have you dreaming of warm ocean breezes even if your messy dining room is the farthest thing from a vacation vibe (no judgment—we’ve all been there!).
Why do we love both options? Sometimes the air fryer is your best friend—delivering unbelievably crispy results in half the time with virtually no oil involved. The coconut gets that beautiful toast while the shrimp stays plump and tender. But don’t count out your trusty oven! Baking gives you the flexibility to make a larger batch all at once—a necessity when you’re hosting friends or meal-prepping for a large family.
Whichever you choose, both recipes start with the same essentials—plump, juicy shrimp (tails on for that must-have finger-food grip) and our signature coconut coating that we intentionally made simple to let the tropical taste shine. Whether fresh or frozen shrimp (just make sure they’re thawed and patted dry), you’ll achieve that same crowd-pleasing crunch!
For a little extra “something, something”—add a big dollop of our sweet chili and apricot dipping sauce on the side. Just two ingredients, stirred together in seconds, create an exceptional balance of sweetness and heat.
So go ahead—try both methods! On busy weeknights when time is tight, the air fryer version might be your go-to. For weekend gatherings or potluck appetizers, the oven method gives you the flexibility to feed a crowd. Either way, you’ll be rewarded with crispy, crunchy, slightly sweet, better-for-you coconut shrimp.
Life may be full of hard choices, but thankfully, choosing between these coconut shrimp recipes isn’t one of them.
Have your cake (or in this case, shrimp) and eat it too!
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Coconut Shrimp with 2-Ingredient Dipping Sauce
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Ingredients for Coconut Shrimp
- 1 lb. large shrimp (21–25 count), peeled and deveined with tails left on
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- Light olive oil, vegetable oil or coconut oil
Ingredients for Coconut Shrimp Dipping Sauce
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1/4 cup apricot preserves or apricot fruit spread
Instructions
- Rinse shrimp in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Set shrimp aside.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Set up 3 bowls. In the first, stir together flour, garlic powder and salt. In the second, add eggs and beat them with a fork. In the third, combine coconut flakes and panko bread crumbs.
- Dredge one piece of shrimp in the flour mixture. Dip it next in the beaten egg and then in the crumb mixture, using your hands to press the coconut crumbs onto the shrimp. Transfer shrimp to the baking sheet and repeat process with remaining shrimp.
- Place a large nonstick pan over medium heat and add enough oil to generously cover the bottom. Once oil is hot, add just enough shrimp to cover bottom of pan and sauté 2-3 minutes. Then flip shrimp and sauté another 2 minutes, until shrimp are golden brown on both sides. Remove shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Cook remaining shrimp in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan.
- For dipping sauce: Stir together sweet chili sauce and apricot preserves and serve with the sautéed coconut shrimp.
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Cuisine: Shrimp
Air Fryer Thai Coconut Shrimp
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ cup whole-wheat flour (can use coconut flour to make dish gluten-free)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup panko (can use plain or whole-wheat or gluten-free)
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- Juice from ½ large lime
- ½ Tbsp. ginger, grated
- 1–2 Tbsp. fish sauce or soy sauce
- ½ jalapeno, finely diced
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- Chili sauce or small red chilies
Instructions
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towel; set shrimp aside.
- Put flour into first small mixing bowl, beat eggs in second small bowl, and mix together coconut, panko, salt and pepper in third small bowl.
- Dredge shrimp through the flour, then through the beaten eggs, and then through the coconut mixture, coating well each time. Set shrimp to side after coating.
- Preheat the air fryer for five minutes at 400 degrees F. After it’s ready lightly spray air fryer basket with nonstick spray. In batches, cook the shrimp at 400 degrees F until golden, about 4 minutes. Flip shrimp and spray basket again with the nonstick spray. Cook shrimp for another 4 minutes until crisp.
- Repeat with remaining batches of shrimp.
- While shrimp is cooking, make dipping sauce by squeezing lime juice from the half lime into medium mixing bowl. Add ginger, fish sauce (or soy sauce), jalapeno, brown sugar and red chili sauce (or chilies); mix until well combined.
- Serve shrimp alongside sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Suggested accompaniments: brown rice (or rice noodles) and vegetables
- Suggested cooking tools: air fryer, nonstick spray (or oil for spraying air fryer basket), 3 small mixing bowls, 1 medium mixing bowl
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Shrimp
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