Coconut Shrimp

I absolutely love using shrimp to make meals. It’s super versatile and easy to use. You can thaw it out in 10 minutes and you are all set for a quick pull together meal.

Coconut shrimp is a great appetizer, or it can be paired with a few side dishes to make a delicious meal. A few of my favourite dishes to go along with it is fried rice or veggie pad thai.

Coconut

You can buy shredded coconut in the baking section at the store in a bunch of different sizes. I typically choose the “medium size” and always get unsweetened, as the natural sweetness of the coconut is perfect for a recipe like this. Coconut is a mixture between a fruit, nut and seed. Considered a drupe. Other drupes are things like olives and peaches, all containing only one seed in the middle. And while it is a higher calorie fruit, containing much more fat than most, it still has many nutrititonal benefits.

Of course, the ever popular coconut oil is derived from coconut, therefore when you eat coconut you are getting all of the oil’s saturated fats within. Saturated fats are very controversial, I know. However, despite all of the bad talk it gets, a healthy amount of saturated fats is perfectly healthy in moderation.

How to make

I feel like anyone who has an air fryer will hype up how amazing they are. I am one of those people. I use my air fryer for so many different recipes, it is super handy.

That being said if you don’t have an air fryer, you can equally make these in the oven as well. The crispiness just isn’t quite the same. If you have an air fryer you know what I mean. Lol

Coconut Shrimp Recipe

Serves: 4 Mains or 6-8 appetizers Prep time: 10 minutes Bake time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound of frozen shrimp
• 3/4 C unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 tbsp emerald essence seasoning OR
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cayenne
• 1-2 eggs

Oven Method

1. Preheat oven to 425℉
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Start by defrosting your shrimp if they are not fresh by placing in a warm water bath. Then peel shell if they are in the shell.
4. Lightly whisk eggs in a small bowl.
5. Pour shredded coconut onto a large plate and mix your seasonings into the mix.
6. Place shrimp in egg wash, then place shrimp in coconut shreds and pat down to coat in coconut.
7. Place on a lined baking sheet.
8. Repeat for all shrimp and place in oven.
9. There will probably be leftover coconut shreds after, but if you run out simply add more to the plate.
10. Bake for approximately 10 minutes and then flip the shrimp to crisp both sides.
11. Bake for another 10-12 minutes until they have reached your desired crispiness.
12. Serve as an appetizer with plum sauce or with your favourite side dishes.

Air Fryer Method

Depending on how many you are making will vary how many batches you do. For example, when I make around 14-16 ounces of shrimp, I do around three batches. When one batch is done I set them aside and then at the end before serving I will put all the cooked shrimp back in the fryer for two minutes to heat up.

1. Defrost your shrimp if they are not fresh by placing in a warm water bath. Then peel shell if they are in the shell.
2. Lightly whisk the eggs in a small bowl.
3. Pour shredded coconut onto a large plate and mix your seasonings into the mix.
4. Place shrimp in egg wash, then place shrimp in coconut shreds and pat down to coat in coconut. Repeat for all the shrimp.
5. Preaheat air fryer to 400℉ for 3 minutes.
6. When ready, put your first batch of shrimp in, spray with a little olive oil spray (optional but helps the crispiness), and cook at 400℉ for 6 minutes.
7. Repeat for the remaining two batches.
8. Once done the third batch, add all the cooked shrimp into the fryer basket and return to cook for a final 2 minutes.
9. Serve as an appetizer with plum sauce or with your favourite side dishes.

Nutrition

Approximate value per 1 of 4 main servings.

Calories: 218 Total Fat: 13g Sodium: 1 245mg Carbohydrates: 5g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 1g Protein: 18g