Regardless of what country or city you’re in, a great casual dining restaurant should always have a good shrimp appetizer. This isn’t a hard condition to fulfill — considering that there are so many out there! When you cook it perfectly, shrimp can come in all sorts of recipes, appealing to all sorts of crowds. But there’s no exaggeration when I say this: this coconut shrimp can appeal to practically anyone! Something about a nice, flaky, nutty texture covering the mildly sweet flavors of shrimp really makes your mouth water. Even better is when it’s as delicious as it looks!
Coconut shrimp is like a mix between two popular ways of using shrimp: breaded butterfly shrimp and the classic camaron rebosado. The uniquely tropical flavor of coconut makes for an appetizer that’s refreshingly sweet and savory all at the same time. The golden brown bread crumb batter leads to an irresistible crunch, so your texture is just as fantastic as the taste. And there’s no denying the additional sweet chili sauce gives it that extra kick it needs! With a perfect combination of ingredients, coconut shrimp is the perfect dish all around.
With the holiday season on the rise, coconut shrimp is a great starter to serve when you gather with all your loved ones. Just watch them come back for seconds—and thirds—of this amazing appetizer!
Making coconut shrimp is super easy; follow this recipe to find out!
Learning how to cook coconut shrimp means learning how to cook its two most important components. The first, of course, would be the delectable coconut shrimp itself! Dip your large, clean, shell-less shrimp in a flavorful coconut-bread crumb batter, and gold fry it to deliciousness. The other, meanwhile, is the sweet and spicy sweet chili sauce that accompanies your starter! The additional sweet and bright flavors of this sauce will make your coconut shrimp even more scrumptious. Put them together, and you’ve got yourself a winning dish!
This coconut shrimp recipe is incredibly easy; make it for yourself and find out!
Making your sweet chili sauce
We’ll begin this coconut shrimp recipe by first making your sweet chili sauce. To do this, combine one piece of Thai chili pepper, ¾ cup of water, and 2 teaspoons of Good Life Minced Garlic in a food processor or blender. Blitz for about 10 seconds, really meshing those flavors together. When 10 seconds are up, set this mixture aside.
Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, pour in ¾ cup of rice vinegar and bring it to a boil. Add in the mixture you made prior, stirring and cooking it for about 2 minutes. Then, add in ¾ cup of sugar, diluting it completely in the mix. Season with salt to taste, as well as a teaspoon of ketchup. This will help give your coconut shrimp’s sauce that extra bright color!
Combine cornstarch and 1 ½ tablespoons of water before pouring the resulting slurry into the saucepan. Stir it immediately, cooking your sauce on a medium heat until you’ve reached the desired thickness.
Just like that, you’ve finished making your sweet chili sauce! Set it aside for now, and get ready. You can then proceed to make the rest of your lush, finger-licking finger food!
Making your coconut shrimp
It’s important that your shrimp be seasoned beforehand! You can do this, simply, by flavoring it with salt and ground black pepper. For about 5 minutes, let your shrimp stay as is.
Meanwhile, make your coconut shrimp’s batter! Combine an egg, a cup each of all-purpose flour and milk, and a teaspoon of baking powder. Toss in half a teaspoon of salt as well before stirring. Your coconut shrimp batter has to smoothen completely; when it has, set it aside.
In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of Good Life Bread Crumbs, as well as a cup of sweet, desiccated coconut. Dredge each of your large shrimps through the flour, then through your batter. Your excess batter has to drip before you roll your shrimp in the breadcrumb-coconut mixture. Coat your shrimps evenly before placing them on a clean plate. Do this until you’ve prepared all your coconut shrimp for frying!
To start frying your coconut shrimp, heat a cup of oil in a pan and fry your pieces by batch. Be sure to flip your shrimp multiple times while frying, to ensure that it’s a gorgeous golden brown on all sides. Arrange a plate lined with paper towels for you to place your pieces of shrimp on, in order to soak up excess grease. Repeat this over and over, until you’ve fried all your coconut shrimp beautifully.
Arrange your dish on a serving plate, and serve it alongside your homemade chili sauce. Your tropical treat is ready for enjoying! Share it with your loved ones and watch them love it too!
Let us know what you think of this fantastic coconut shrimp!
Coconut Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb. large shrimp cleaned and shell removed
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 cup sweetened desiccated coconut
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cooking oil
Batter ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fresh milk
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Sweet chili sauce ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¾ cup rice vinegar
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 piece Thai chili pepper
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Make the Sweet chili sauce by combining Good Life Minced Garlic, Thai chili pepper, and water in a food processor or blender. Blitz for 10 seconds. Set aside.
- Pour vinegar in a saucepan. Let boil.
- Pour the garlic, chili, and water mixture. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add sugar. Stir until sugar dilutes completely. Season with salt and add ketchup.
- Combine cornstarch and 1 ½ tablespoons of water. Stir until a slurry is formed. Pour the slurry into the saucepan. Stir right away. Continue cooking in medium heat while stirring until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Set the sauce aside.
- Prepare the shrimp by seasoning with salt and ground black pepper. Let it stay for 5 minutes.
- Make the batter by combining all batter ingredients in a bowl. Stir until the mixture smoothens. Set aside.
- Combine Good Life Bread Crumbs and desiccated coconut in a bowl. Mix well. Set aside.
- Dredge shrimp in flour one piece at a time. Dip it in the batter afterwards. Let the excess batter drip. Roll it next in bread crumb and desiccated coconut mixture. Arrange the coated shrimp on a clean plate. Note: Make sure that both sides get coated completely. Perform this step until all the shrimp are coated.
- Heat oil in a pan. Fry the coconut shrimp by batch. You can flip the shrimp multiple times while frying until both sides turn golden brown in color.
- Place the coconut shrimp on a plate lined with a paper towel after frying.
- Arrange on a serving plate and serve with sweet chili sauce.
- Share and enjoy!
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