These delicious crispy baked coconut shrimp are crunchy on the outside, tender + juicy on the inside. Great as an appetizer or fancified with sides and turn it into a delicious meal.
If you’re in the mood for shrimp, then try my Shrimp Scampi and Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry recipes, next!
Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp
Don’t think that if you forgo frying coconut shrimp, you’ll miss out of the crispiness that everyone enjoys about this tasty finger food. Breaded with flour, panko, and unsweetened coconut, baking these sweet and salty shrimp yields quite the crunch and coconutty flavor.
The best part of this recipe is that it only takes 30 minutes to prepare, dredge, coat, and bake. Pair this goodness with a green salad or simply with sweet chili sauce.
Seasonings that Make this Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp Taste So Good
The seasonings are fairly basic; kosher salt, pepper, and Spanish pimentón. Pimentón adds a slight layer of smokiness; it’s subtle but enough for you to taste.
Shrimp Size
Regarding shrimp size, I prefer to use 16/20 count shrimp, as they’re big enough to hold a good amount of batter and still remain tender.
It’s best to peel and devein shrimp prior to dredging. Leave the tails on, as it makes for a good handle while dipping.
Bake Panko Crumbs First, for a Better Golden Color
Before dredging and layering shrimp with goodness, I like to bake the panko crumbs briefly. This will yeild beautiful and golden panko with a high crunch factor.
If you skip this step, the shrimp will still taste great, but may not be that golden in color.
To bake your panko crumbs, following the below easy steps:
- place panko crumbs on a baking sheet;
- spray with avocado oil and bake in the oven for 3-5 minutes or until golden in color;
- remove from oven, set aside to cool.
Once panko crumbs are cool, place in a dish or bowl, add coconut flakes and add to assembly line.
How to Dress Shrimp:
Now for the assembly line:
- Dredging the shrimp in flour;
- Dip shrimp in a quick egg dip;
- Coat in a panko bread crumbs + coconut flakes mixture;
- Spray avocado oil over the top. This will give the shrimp a nice golden color;
- Cook in the oven for 15 minutes and squeeze lime over the hot batch.
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Ingredients
- 1 pound 16/20 count shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup unsweetened coconut shreds
- 1 teaspoon pimentón
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Avocado oil spray
- Lime for squeezing
To Serve:
- Sweet chili sauce
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. On a small baking tray add panko and gently spray with avocado oil. Bake in oven for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown *watch closely*. This will help the panko turn a nice, golden brown color. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
3. Start with 3 medium bowls. Add flour and pimentón to the first bowl (mix well), egg in the second bowl, and coconut shreds and panko crumbs in the last bowl. Whisk egg until combined well, set aside.
4. Season both sides of shrimp with salt and pepper.
5. *Keep one hand clean and free of assembly ingredients.One at a time, hold shrimp by its tail, dredge in flour and shake off excess. Proceed with dipping the shrimp in the egg mixture, make sure the shrimp is coated well and gently shake off excess egg. Place shrimp into the last bowl and with your free hand, sprinkle panko and coconut mixture over shrimp until well-coated.
6. Place on cooking sheet. Repeat until all shrimp or coated.
7. Spray top of shrimp with avocado oil (or cooking spray). This will help the shrimp turn a golden brown color. 8. Place shrimp in oven and cook for 15 minutes or until shrimp are golden brown.
9. Remove from oven. Allow to cool for 2 minutes and juice lime over shrimp.
10. Serve with sweet chili sauce.