Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
This popular restaurant dish is quick and easy to make at home. Shrimp are breaded in coconut and quick fried.
Ingredients
For the Coconut Shrimp:
- 1 lb 21/25 shrimp peeled, deveined, tail still intact
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 cup flour
- 2 large eggs whisked
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- tallow or coconut oil for frying
For the Dipping Sauce:
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade
- 1/4 cup apricot jam
- dash of sriracha or chili sauce to taste
Instructions
- Start by seasoning all of the shrimp on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Set up a breading station by placing the flour in your first bowl, eggs in the second bowl, and the coconut in a third bowl.
- Set a platter or large sheet of wax paper on your counter, then dip each piece of shrimp in the flour, then in the egg, then in the coconut, shaking off the excess at each step, which will prevent the breading from falling off during cooking. Lay the pieces on the tray as you finish the batch.
- For deep frying: Heat a few inches of tallow or coconut oil to 350F, then cook the shrimp for 2 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through (if you want to double check the temperature, 120F inside is fully cooked for shrimp). After cooking, move them to a paper towel to drain. Depending on the size of your frying vessel, you may prefer to do this in two batches, cooking half a pound at a time.
- For shallow frying: Add 1/2" of fat to a skillet, then heat over medium high to about 350F. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 60 seconds on each side, until cooked through (if you want to double check the temperature, 120F inside is fully cooked for shrimp). After cooking, move them to a paper towel to drain.
- For the dipping sauce: Stir together the orange marmalade, apricot jam, and chili sauce to taste, and serve as a fried shrimp dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
If you're deep frying, you'll want the fat to come up a few inches in the pan. You will likely need about 4 cups of tallow or coconut oil.
Baking: While they won't have the same robust crunch or color, you can bake these. Place the shrimp on a rack set on a sheet pan, spray with cooking spray, and bake at 425F for about 10 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked through.
Leftovers: Be warned that these will not taste as good reheated, so I recommend cutting the recipe in half or making whatever amount you think you’ll eat. However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
Reheating: Spread the coconut shrimp in an even, single layer on a tray, and bake in a 300F oven for 10 minutes, until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 388kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 62mg, Potassium: 213mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 178IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 35mg, Iron: 3mg