Coconut Shrimp with Dipping Sauce

Coconut Shrimp is always a restaurant menu favorite, but what if I told you that you could make it at home in under 20 minutes? With a crispy golden-brown coconut outside and juicy shrimp inside, this easy-to-make fried coconut shrimp recipe will be your new appetizer go-to!

Served with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce, this easy homemade fried shrimp recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

Looking for more shrimp recipes? Try these Crispy Shrimp Po'boys, Salt and Pepper Shrimp Recipe, and these Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls that everyone LOVES!

Coconut Shrimp is one of those perfect appetizers that I always get whenever I see it on a restaurant menu! That deep fried crispy coconut shrimp is one of my favorite appetizers (sometimes I order it as a main dish).

So, I decided to make it at home. Turns out, they're super easy to make.

Who needs the restaurant when you have a home kitchen just ready to fry up these crispy golden treats?

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How to Make Coconut Shrimp

Let's start with the basics! You'll need the items below! Starting with jumbo shrimp, let's make sure we have everything we need!

What You'll Need

Jumbo Shrimp, thawed (make sure you buy raw shrimp)
Milk
Eggs
All-Purpose Flour
Seasonings: Red Pepper Flakes for a little heat, Onion Powder, and Garlic Powder
Panko breadcrumbs and Sweetened Coconut Flakes for the crispy golden breading (you can use traditional breadcrumbs if that's what you're able to find at your grocery store)
Vegetable Oil for frying
Honey - because I like to drizzle honey on top to bring out the coconut flavor!

For the sweet dipping sauce, you'll need coconut cream, crushed pineapples, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar and more sweetened coconut flakes! If you'd like a savory sauce, eat these fried shrimp with boom boom sauce instead!

Now that we've got everything together, let's make this delicious coconut shrimp!

Let's Cook!

Rinse shrimp and soak in milk for 10-15 minutes. While shrimp is soaking, begin heating oil over medium heat. Then fill a pot with 3 inches of vegetable oil and heat until about 340-360 degrees.
Gather three mixing bowls. In one bowl, add flour, red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. For the second bowl, add eggs and whisk with a fork. In the third bowl, combine panko and sweetened coconut flakes.
Take shrimp and add it to the flour mixture, ensuring that it is coated on both sides. Then submerge in the egg, then dredge in the panko/coconut flakes mixture. Add to a cooling rack and repeat the process. Freeze for 20 minutes.
Fry shrimp, 3-4 at a time, until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from oil and place on a cooling rack or paper towel.
Add to a serving dish and drizzle honey on top.

How to make coconut shrimp sweet dipping sauce

Add crushed pineapples, coconut cream, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, sweetened coconut flakes, powdered sugar, and lemon juice and zest!

Pulse until everything is combined. Hence, so simple and easy but so delicious!

Tips for Making Coconut Shrimp

Make sure your shrimp is thawed prior to cooking. I recommend using frozen jumbo shrimp for the best results!
To make this cooking process go smoothly, set up three bowls. One bowl for flour (to dredge the shrimp), another bowl for the eggs, and the third bowl for the panko and coconut flakes dredge.
Heat your oil to about 340-360 degrees F to prevent shrimp from burning/cooking too quickly!
Squeeze lime on top of your shrimp for a little lime juice action. It's so good!

Ingredients

2 lbs jumbo shrimp
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp 1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 cup panko
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
vegetable oil
3 tbsps honey

Sweet Dipping Sauce

¼ cup coconut cream
½ cup crushed pineapples
1 tsp red pepper flakes
¼ cup lemon juice
3 tbsps sweetened coconut flakes
3 tbsps powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
Pinch of salt

Directions

Rinse shrimp and soak in milk for 10-15 minutes. While shrimp is soaking, begin heating oil. Fill a pot with 3 inches of vegetable oil and heat until about 340-360 degrees.
Gather three mixing bowls. In one bowl, add flour, red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. In the second bowl, add eggs and whisk with a fork. In the third bowl, combine panko and sweetened coconut flakes.
Take shrimp and add it to the flour mixture, ensuring that it is coated on both sides. Then submerge in the egg, then dredge in the panko/coconut flakes mixture. Add to a cooling rack and repeat the process. Freeze for 20 minutes.
Fry shrimp, 3-4 at a time, until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from oil and place on a cooling rack or paper towel.
Add to a serving dish and drizzle honey on top. Gently toss to coat.
To make the sweet dipping sauce, combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Notes

Do not allow oil to become too hot or else the coconut flakes will char.
If sensitive to spice, reduce the amount of red pepper flakes.
For the sweet dipping sauce, do not use coconut milk. It is important to use canned coconut cream as this is thicker and adds creaminess and texture to the sauce.