Add Coconut Shrimp to your Holiday menu! This is one of my favorite appetizers! There is nothing not to love about crispy and crunchy breadcrumb coated fried shrimp, with coconut flakes, and served with a sauce!
We have plenty of time for holiday cooking and parties. Even though Christmas has passed, we still have the New Year celebrations that call for more tasty treats.
So good and easy, this shrimp is first dredged in flour, then egg, then panko with unsweetened coconut. They fry up in minutes and you have a fabulous dish! Great for finger food platters, leave the tail on for easy dipping and eating!
The Best Shrimp!
I served these with some lemon wedges and a spicy sriracha mayo. Not familiar with siracha? Here’s a link to help: https://www.amazon.com/Huy-Fong-Sriracha-Chili-Bottle/dp/B00JV21X2W.
Need more appetizers for New Years? Try my simple Pigs in a Blanket, an all time favorite! https://the2spoons.com/still-a-favorite-retro-pigs-in-a-blanket/.
Add my Spicy Hot wings to the mix:https://the2spoons.com/sticky-baked-chicken-wings/
And, don’t forget the Muffuletta’s I posted the other day! https://the2spoons.com/love-a-new-orleans-muffuletta/
The Best Shrimp!
Here’s the simple recipe! Make them soon! You will love them. I like to use a large shrimp. When cleaning, I use scissors, cut along the back shell, remove the shells and be sure and devein the shrimp. Be careful to leave the tail on because this will assist in serving, especially if you are having finger foods. I always wrap the shells and place them in the freezer to use in making stock at a later time, especially if I’m making gumbo that calls for a seafood stock from the shells. I also buy head on. Not only are they less expensive, but they make an amazing stock.
Coconut Shrimp
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Pinch of kosher salt, plus more for sprinklilng
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 lb large peeled and deveined shrimp, with tails on
- 1 1/2 cup coconut or vegetable oil
- Spicy Mayo
- Lemon Wedges
Spicy Mayo
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 to 2 tbsp sriracha
- juice of one lemon
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a wide, shallow bowl. Beat the eggs with a splash of water in a second bowl. Combine the panko and coconut in a third bowl. Line a pan in foil and set aside.
- Toss the shrimp in the flour mixture to coat; then, working one at a time, shake off the excess flour and dip the shrimp in the egg. Let the excess egg drip off, then toss the shrimp in the coconut-panko mixture until thoroughly coated. Put the shrimp on the lined pan and repeat with the remaining shrimp.
- Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot and a panko crumb dropped into it sizzles immediately. Line a plate with a paper towel. Add about half of the shrimp, making sure the skillet is not too crowded, and pan-fry, turning once, until the shrimp are cooked through and golden brown all over, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to the lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. Serve with the Spicy Mayo and lemon wedges.
- Combine the mayonnaise, sriracha and lemon juice in a small bowl.