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My coconut shrimp recipe needs a handful of ingredients and yields crispy, crackly, succulent shrimp every time. It takes just 10 minutes.
While my family adores my air fryer coconut shrimp, sometimes, we want the real deal that is deep fried to perfection. This is where my classic coconut shrimp comes into play.
It turns out crispy and golden brown yet juicy and tender in the center. It’s super fast to make and comes with a simple 3-ingredient sauce that we love just as much as the shrimp.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- It’s fast. This dish comes together in 10 minutes flat.
- Multiple cooking methods. I’m partial to a quick pan-fry, but I went ahead and tested it in the oven too.
- The sauce! This 3-ingredient sauce is so good you’ll want to bottle it up and use it on everything.
- Makes a great appetizer or main course. When I’m hosting, I love to start with a plate of coconut shrimp, but if I need an easy weeknight dinner, I’ll simply pair this shrimp with coconut milk rice and call it a day.
If you love cooking with shrimp like we do, try my sautéed shrimp, shrimp curry, blackened shrimp, and Hunan shrimp next.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“This recipe is so good. Thank you for sharing it. I make it almost every few weeks, especially when we are entertaining.” – Lauranne
Key Ingredients
- Jumbo shrimp. Choose shrimp on the larger side so there is a good meat-to-batter ratio. I recommend U16, but U12 should also be okay. I also recommend keeping the tails on as everything is intact when frying.
- Oil. For frying, I like to use oil with a high smoke point, like peanut or vegetable oil.
- Almond flour. Blanched almond flour or superfine almond flour, not almond meal. I tested this with all-purpose flour, but I found it wasn’t as crispy.
- Kosher salt and black pepper. To taste.
- Eggs. Room temperature, preferably.
- Unsweetened coconut flakes. If you’re really into sweet flavor, you can use sweetened coconut flakes, but I prefer the natural flavor of unsweetened coconut. These can be found in the baking aisle of the grocery store.
- Panko breadcrumbs. For the breading. Please don’t swap this out for classic breadcrumbs, as it won’t have the same crunch.
- Coconut shrimp sauce. My not-so-secrey combination of ketchup, Sriracha, and honey.
How to make coconut shrimp
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1- Assemble. Place the almond flour in one bowl, eggs in another bowl, and coconut and panko in the third.
Step 2- Bread. Dredge shrimp in almond flour, then egg, then coconut mix. Repeat until all are coated.
Step 3- Fry. Heat oil in a deep pot to 180°C/350°F. Fry shrimp in batches for 2–3 minutes each, until all are done.
Step 4- Make the sauce. Whisk together the ketchup, sriracha, and honey.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Keep an eye on the oil. I like to use a thermometer and make sure the oil stays around 180C/350F. If it dips any lower, the shrimp will soak up the oil and not turn out as crispy. If you notice it gets below 325°F, fry in smaller batches.
- Transfer the fried shrimp to a wire rack to remove excess oil and crisp up the shrimp. Please avoid paper towels because, after they drain the oil, they actually soften the batter.
- Add some spices to the flour mixture, like cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, or garlic powder.
- Use a deep fryer. I like to use the stovetop as not all of us have a deep fryer, but I did test it out using one. It does reach 350°F much quicker, and there is less splatter.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
To freeze: Place the cooked and cooled shrimp in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Reheat leftovers in the oven or air fryer at 350F until crispy.
Frequently asked questions
Although it contains coconut in the breading, there is no strong coconut flavor. Instead, this dish tastes like breaded shrimp. When paired with the sweet and spicy coconut shrimp sauce, it hits all the flavor senses.
Yes! Swap out the panko crumbs for gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
Yes, you can. Swap out the panko breadcrumbs for crushed pork rinds or keto breadcrumbs.
More elegant seafood dishes
- Tuna tartare
- Pan-seared ahi tuna
- Chilean sea bass
- Salmon dip
- Or any of these seafood recipes
If you tried this Coconut Shrimp Recipe or any other recipe on The Big Man’s World, please rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below. It really helps others thinking of making the recipe.
Coconut Shrimp Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds shrimp extra large with shells removed
- 1/2 cup almond flour or white flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup shredded coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup oil to fry * see notes
Instructions
- In one bowl, add the flour, salt, and pepper. In a separate bowl, add the two eggs and in the third bowl, add the shredded coconut and bread crumbs.
- Dip the shrimp in the almond flour mix, everything except the tail. Shake off excess flour then dip in the egg mix, then the coconut mix. Repeat the process until all the shrimp is battered.
- Add the oil to a deep pot and once it reaches 350F, add the shrimp in batches for about 2-3 minutes, until golden. Repeat the process until all the shrimp is cooked.
- Serve with the coconut shrimp sauce. To make the sauce, whisk the ketchup, sriracha, and honey together.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published January 2022, updated and republished April 2025
Wow. Cofonut flavour plus shrimps. It should be so mixed flavour. Amazing!
This recipe is so good. Thank you for sharing it. On a side note, I would like to mention that your dog is actually your best gym buddy. I can tell by the way your dog looks at you that your dog absolutely adores you. And what more could you ask for, than an adorable, adoring gym buddy!
This looks super yummy 😋. Any suggestions for trading the panko for gluten free item?
Yes! gluten free panko or crushed pork rinds.
This looks delicious. How to make this receipt keto?
Swap the panko for keto bread crumbs or crushed pork rinds;
This looks amazing. Really tasty dinner should be!