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My Coconut Shrimp Recipe Is Crispy And Juicy Without Deep Frying
If you had told me a decade ago that I’d be cooking coconut shrimp, I would have laughed. I didn’t even used to like coconut or shrimp. But over my years of developing healthy recipes, I’ve come to love both of them, and this combination totally won me over. Here’s why:
- Juicy shrimp with light, crunchy coating – They’re a little sweet, a little savory, and a little crunchy, in all the right ways — without that heavy feeling you get from deep-fried versions. And it’s a nice change of pace from baked shrimp or grilled shrimp when you want a crispy coating.
- Super easy – You only need 6 ingredients, plus salt and pepper.
- Healthier way to make it – Most coconut shrimp recipes I’ve seen use flour or breadcrumbs, and often they’re deep fried. Mine uses actual coconut for both dredging and breading, so it’s naturally gluten-free — and has much less oil.
- 3 ways to cook – I originally baked these, but have since made them on the stovetop and even my air fryer! I’ll show you all 3 options.
- Versatile – I’ve served these as an appetizer or as a main dish dinner recipe! There’s no bad time for coconut shrimp. 😉
So, if you’ve got a bag of shrimp and some shredded coconut, make this coconut shrimp recipe with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my coconut shrimp recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Shrimp – I highly recommend raw shrimp here, otherwise it overcooks. You can buy it peeled and deveined, or do it yourself. Sometimes I leave the tails on to hold onto, other times I remove them (so you can just pop them into your mouth). I used medium shrimp (41-50 per pound) to test my coconut shrimp recipe, but large shrimp will work, too.
- Wholesome Yum Coconut Flour – I use this for dredging instead of white flour. It’s more coconut flavor and better for you!
- Coconut Flakes – I use unsweetened coconut flakes like these — sometimes they are called shredded coconut. You can use sweetened coconut flakes if you don’t mind the added sugar. I opted for medium-sized flakes for extra texture and crunch, but smaller flakes stick to the shrimp even better. (I use small ones for coconut chicken.) Avoid larger ones, which fall off easily.
- Eggs – To make the coating stick. I haven’t tried egg substitutes here, but sticky ones should work.
- Seasonings – Smoked paprika (or regular paprika also works), garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
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How To Make Coconut Shrimp
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
Coating:
- Dry the shrimp. Pat them dry with a paper towel, which will help the coatings stick better.
- Set up the dredging stations. Arrange three separate bowls — one with whisked eggs, one with coconut flakes, and one with a mixture of coconut flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, and black pepper. Like my picture below.
- Coat the shrimp. Dredge each piece of shrimp in the coconut flour mixture, dip in the egg, shake off any excess, and finally press/roll in the coconut flakes. Place on a baking sheet with a wire rack. Repeat with all the shrimp.
Cooking Options:
I’ve baked, pan fried, and air fried these, and they’re all delicious! Pan frying does get you the crispiest exterior, but baking or air frying is more hands-off.
- Bake – Place the coconut shrimp in the oven and bake, flipping halfway through, until firm and fully cooked. Place under the broiler until golden brown. I have this version pictured here.
- Pan fry – Fry them in olive oil over medium heat, until golden and crispy on both sides. For best results, preheat the oil before adding the shrimp.
- Air fry – Cook it like my air fryer shrimp recipe, but with this coconut mixture instead.
My Recipe Tips
- If your shrimp are frozen, thaw them first. I usually just place the bag in a bowl of water and they thaw pretty quickly, but in the fridge overnight works, too.
- Use one hand for the wet ingredients and one for the dry. I use one hand for the flour, the other for the egg dip, and then go back to the first hand for the coconut flakes. This prevents the coating from clumping.
- Don’t crowd the shrimp close together. This applies for any of my cooking methods — oven, air fryer, stovetop. I always leave spaces between the pieces, so they get a chance to brown and cook evenly. If they don’t all fit, cook in batches.
- For the oven method, use a baking sheet with a wire rack if you can. It lets air circulate all around the shrimp, so they get nice and crispy instead of soggy on the bottom.
- Flip very gently to not disturb the coating. I find tongs much faster than a turner, but you have to be careful.
Coconut Shrimp (Crispy, Easy Recipe)
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My coconut shrimp recipe is crispy, easy, and gluten-free, with just 6 ingredients! Make it in the oven, the air fryer, or on the stove.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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If using the oven or air fryer, preheat it to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). For the oven method, place a nonstick wire rack onto a lined baking sheet (This is the set I use). Spray or brush the rack with oil.
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If your shrimp are frozen, thaw them first. Pat dry with paper towels.
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Arrange three bowls — one with whisked eggs, one with coconut flakes, and one with a mixture of coconut flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, and black pepper.
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Dredge each piece of shrimp in the coconut flour mixture, dip in the egg, shake off the excess, and finally press/roll in the coconut flakes. Place on the wire rack if using the oven method, or otherwise a cutting board.
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Oven method: Bake coconut shrimp for 4 minutes. Flip and cook for 5-6 more minutes, until firm and cooked through. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, until lightly golden.
Pan fry method: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook shrimp in a single layer for about 2 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.
Air fryer method: Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry for 2-4 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 10-12 shrimp, or 1/4 of the entire recipe
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you avoid clumping the coating, get a perfectly crispy outside, and a couple notes on specific methods.
- Sauces: See my favorite coconut shrimp sauces to serve these with below.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. They do soften, but you can crisp them up again.
- Reheat: I usually toss the coconut shrimp in the air fryer for a minute at 320 degrees F to reheat, but the oven at 350 degrees F works, too. I don’t recommend the microwave.
- Freeze: You can freeze these before or after cooking. I arrange them in a single layer on a lined sheet pan first, to prevent sticking together, than transfer to a zip lock bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Cook straight from frozen, no need to thaw!
- Note on nutrition info: The nutrition info only includes 2 tablespoons coconut flour and 2 eggs, because some will be left over. I use a little extra so that it’s easier to coat the shrimp.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Freezer Meal System!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Coconut Shrimp Recipe
Coconut Shrimp Sauce Options
I don’t know about you, but I have to have a dipping sauce! Here are my favorites:
- Honey Mustard – My go-to is sugar-free honey mustard, pictured here! It’s sweet, tangy, and creamy all in one.
- Spicy Mayo – My spicy mayo works surprisingly well here if you like a creamy kick.
- Sweet Chili Sauce – I don’t love it, but many people like coconut shrimp with this.
- Honey – You can use regular honey or sugar-free honey, but my personal favorite pairing is this sugar-free jalapeno honey for some heat.
- Aioli – My garlic aioli lacks the sweetness that most coconut shrimp sauces have, but it makes up for it in flavor.
Serving Ideas
My coconut shrimp recipe makes perfect finger food as a healthy appetizer, but I’ve also served it as a main dish! Here are some pairing ideas:
- Salad – For a light meal, top my arugula salad with coconut shrimp, or serve cabbage salad or broccoli cauliflower salad on the side.
- Fries – I make garlic parmesan fries when I want more filling comfort food, or jicama fries or healthy zucchini fries for something light.
- Slaw – The flavors here work so well with a sweet, creamy side of broccoli slaw or sugar-free coleslaw.
84 Comments
Merrilee
1So good! I pan fry these in coconut oil from Trader Joe’s and sneak a tich of their sweet chili dipping sauce. Adding a pinch of red pepper to the flour doesn’t hurt either…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Merrilee! I’ll have to try that dipping sauce.
Amy M.
1These are amazing! I started out using the pan-frying method but then baked the 2nd batch. Prefer the fried ones taste. Adjustments made: 1. I ground my coconut in my spice grinder. I hate bits of coconut in my teeth. 2. I added a bit of sweetener to the coconut after a test batch. I like a sweeter coconut shrimp. I highly recommend the honey-mustard sauce! I will review it separately 😉
Thank you for another great recipe.
Shay L.
1These were excellent! I made them for dinner last weekend and served them with the broccoli slaw you shared in the serving suggestions. I’ll be making these again this weekend but as an appetizer for a party. I made them with the pan fry method so they were nice and crunchy.
Jack
1I love these. I have made them twice already. They satisfy my cravings for small finger foods. They are perfect to eat when you are curled up on the couch with a Netflix movie. Awesome recipe.
Lori
1Wonderful base recipe, but I like it a little sweeter! I’ve made this a couple of times in a standard oven, an air fryer, and fried in oil. There is a trick for anyone without a rack – crumpled then partially flattened heavy-duty aluminum foil – lets more air circulate and excess oil drain away than a flat surface. The oven and the air fryer do better getting golden/crisp if the prepared shrimp is spritzed with oil. I like frying in oil to make this dish completely satiating but it isn’t as light. I recommend throwing a tablespoon of coconut flour in with the coconut shreds. Though harder to find, using the recommended smaller shreds is the right way to go. For a copycat Red Lobster Parrot Isle, go jumbo, skip the paprika and add a little onion powder as well as a bit of sweetener to both the egg wash and shreds. The copycat keto Pina Colada sauce is mayo, coconut cream, lime powder/juice, sweetener, a little bit of sugar-free pineapple jam and some more pineapple extract thinned with a little coconut milk. I’ve brought the sauce to the restaurant this Labor Day and had servers try it to then say it was spot-on as theirs does not contain any rum too. The dish is lovely with any dipping sauce but I also like a bang-bang sauce of mayo and sweet chili sauce – again sweeter than Maya’s that uses sriracha. Won’t need any fat bombs after basing sauces on the mayo! I hope this helps anyone with a hankering for Red Lobster!
Laura Ridenour
0Can you give the exact amounts for the sauce please?
BindingStitch
0I used almond flour instead of the coconut flour and the results were delicious
Wholesome Yum D
0So happy the almond flour worked well for you! It’s great to hear you enjoyed the results. Thanks for sharing your substitution!
Tami Urbanek
0Not sure what I’m doing wrong. I used oven baked method. For some, the coconut fell off and it was just the flour left after cooking. Did not brown (though the raw shrimp was cooked through). Did the broiler at the end, and it just started burning. I live at 6500 ft – not sure if altitude changes cooking? Maybe I need to try pan fry with avocado oil or coconut oil? They were edible but I threw the rest out.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry to hear that, Tami! It sounds like maybe your coconut flakes were too large, or there wasn’t enough egg to make them stick, or both. I use small flakes like this. Also, did you use the rack setup to help them crisp up? Broiling can make food go from light to burnt quickly, so next time watch closely and pull it as soon as it’s golden, before it burns. Altitude can affect cooking, but I don’t think it’s the case of these specific issues. You can definitely pan fry or air fry these coconut shrimp next time, especially if you prefer more even golden color and crispness. I have instructions above. Hope this helps for next time.
Laura Ridenour
0Although it was a time consuming recipe due to dipping in three different dips, it was well worth the time. I have a Ninja Woodfire Grill and airfried it. They tasted great and was crispy. My cook time was 7 minutes though. The outside was not browned after 4 minutes.
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so glad they were worth the extra prep, Laura! It’s helpful to know they get crispy and browned in the Ninja Woodfire Grill. Thanks for sharing what worked for you!
Chrismar
0I made this recipe the other night with your air fryer asparagus. It was so delicious. I hadn’t not had coconut shrimp since I had been diagnosed with diabetes. I did put the coconut shards in my food processor and buzzed them down a bit. So, so, good. I can’t wait to make this for friends. I used the air fryer method and had no problem with the batter coming off. Thanks for so many great recipes.
Wholesome Yum D
0So glad it turned out so well for you, Chrismar! I love that you got to enjoy coconut shrimp again. Thanks for sharing!
Ruth
0My husband hates coconut, what can I substitute?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ruth, Coconut shrimp is generally a coconut lovers’ recipe and coconut is a main ingredient, so I’d choose something different altogether rather than substituting. Try my garlic butter shrimp instead!
Louise
0I started to follow your site for some new recipes. However, I have one problem. I appear to be allergic to almonds, so I don’t know how I would react to almond flour. Any suggestions?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Welcome, Louise! I’m sorry, I wouldn’t eat almond flour if you’re allergic to almonds, as that’s what it’s made from. I try to offer substitutions in each post as much as I can. And this recipe you commented on doesn’t have any almonds or almond flour, only coconut, so I hope you’ll try it!
Kara Hendricks
0We made these last night and we enjoyed the taste with the honey-mustard dipping sauce. When I flipped the shrimp after cooking halfway through some of the batter came off when they touched the tongs and when we ate them the batter came off into the sauce, which took away from the experience.
Amy M.
0My BAD! I found them. While I was scrolling, my screen must have jumped. It wouldn’t let me reply to or delete my original comment so PLEASE feel free to delete both!!
Amy M.
0It says “5 sauce options” but I don’t see those listed anywhere.
Also, I am horrible about going back and reviewing recipes. I have made a bunch of yours and am going to review them this weekend as well as make the shrimp, protein bars (for 8th time) and the cast iron pork chops.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Amy, You can find the sauce options listed in the post.
Julianne
0These turned out perfect! I really loved the crunch coconut coating and they were perfectly cooked.
Gina
0So crispy and crunchy with great flavor. These are always on my menu when we have people over – the best app!
Ali
0These were so great my niece thought it was takeout ahaha we loved them!! Thank you!
Shelby
0Absolutely delicious! I made it with the spicy mayo sauce and hubby and I devoured it on a movie night. Great flavor combo.
julie
0This was a little dry and not enough coconut flavor for my likings. The recipe did assemble very easy.
Janice
0We didn’t care for all coating, it turned kind of gummy. We ended up knocking all the stuff off them and eating them straight up.