Oven-baked coconut shrimp are an easy way to get golden, well-seasoned shrimp without frying. They're coated in shredded coconut and baked in minutes. Serve with a simple mango dipping sauce. Great as an appetizer or an easy dinner.
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Why We Love Coconut Shrimp
We love this recipe because it skips the fryer. That's really the reason. You still get shrimp with good texture and plenty of flavor, without soaking them in oil. We enjoy fried fish now and then, but this is an easy way to make tropical-style food at home without frying.
The shrimp are coated in coconut flour, then rolled in coconut flakes for a light, crunchy coating. It works well for dinner and doubles as a great light appetizer.
Ingredients
You can pick up wild-caught pink shrimp at either Publix (frozen bag) or any of the fresh fish markets in Florida.
We've tried all kinds of shredded coconut over the years and Bob's Red Mill coconut flakes are flaky and not sticky. The flakes are a good size and they taste better than the others in my opinion.
- Large or XL shrimp, defrosted, peeled, and deveined, tails left on
- Unsweetened coconut flour or rice flour
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
- Eggs
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon or lime wedges, for serving
- Cooking spray
For The Dipping Sauce
We make a fresh mango dipping sauce in the summer because mangoes are easy to find down here in the Keys.
The mangoes shown are Mexican Ataulfo mangoes. They're sweet and smooth, with very little fiber. If you see them at the store, grab a few.
- Mango
- Orange juice
- Lemon juice
- Fresh basil (optional)
- Sugar or honey
- Salt
Defrosting Shrimp
To defrost the shrimp, place them in a large bowl and run cold water over them. They'll thaw quickly this way.
You can also put a bag of shrimp in the refrigerator in the morning. By afternoon, they should be fully defrosted and ready to use.
Mango Dipping Sauce
Start with the dipping sauce so it has time to chill.
Use a ripe mango for the best flavor. It should give slightly when pressed and have smooth skin.
Slice the two mango cheeks off the pit. Score the flesh in a checkerboard pattern, being careful not to cut through the skin. Push the skin inside out, then slice the cubes away.
Add the mango, orange juice, lemon or lime juice, basil if using, sugar, and a little salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and refrigerate until ready to serve.
How To Make Baked Coconut Shrimp
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and set the rack in the center.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top. Lightly spray the rack with cooking spray.
- Set up three shallow bowls. Add coconut flour to one bowl, shredded coconut to the second, and beaten eggs to the third.
- Season the coconut flour with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Holding the shrimp by the tail, dredge each one in the seasoned flour, dip it into the egg, then press it into the shredded coconut. Shake off any excess and place the shrimp on the prepared wire rack. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
- Bake the shrimp in a single layer for 7 to 10 minutes, depending on their size, until golden and lightly crisp.
Reheating and Storage
Store leftover coconut shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
To reheat, place the shrimp on a baking sheet and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until heated through.
Serving Suggestions
For an appetizer, arrange the coconut shrimp on a platter with the mango dipping sauce, lemon or lime wedges, and a few basil leaves.
For a main dish, serve coconut shrimp with steamed jasmine rice tossed with butter, a pinch of salt, and torn basil.
What Goes with Coconut Shrimp?
Try these tropical-inspired recipes:
Summary
Baked coconut shrimp is an easy alternative to frying. You still get good flavor and texture, just without the oil.
The shrimp are coated in coconut flour and coconut flakes, then baked until golden in about 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve with a simple mango dipping sauce. It works as an appetizer or an easy dinner, especially with fresh Key West shrimp.
FAQ
Coconut shrimp is a popular shrimp dish in Key West, Florida. Shrimp are coated in coconut and cooked until golden, then served with a sweet dipping sauce. It's most often served as an appetizer, but it also works as a casual dinner.
Shrimp is seasoned with coconut flakes, paprika, garlic, powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper and fried or baked until cooked through.
I did a few coconut taste tests and Bob's Red Mill had the best coconut flakes. The flakes are larger than their competitors. In turn, the coconut shrimp were much crispier and had a fresh taste of coconut.
Sweet sauces work best. Mango sauce, pineapple sauce, or a simple sweet chili sauce all pair well with the coconut coating.
Oven Baked Coconut Shrimp
Ingredients
MANGO DIPPING SAUCE
- 1 cup diced mangoes, from 1 or 2 mangoes
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- juice of ½ lemon
- 10 fresh basil leaves chopped
- 3 tablespoons sugar, adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
COCONUT SHRIMP
- 1 pound large or XL raw shrimp defrosted, peeled, and deveined, tails left on
- cooking oil spray
- ¼ cup coconut flour or rice flour
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes I like Bob's Red Mill, it has bigger flakes than other brands.
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
MANGO DIPPING SAUCE
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a food processor or immersion blender and pulse until smooth. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill until ready to serve.
COCONUT SHRIMP
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and set the rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top. Lightly spray the rack with cooking spray.
- Set up three shallow bowls. Add coconut flour to one bowl, shredded coconut to the second, and beaten eggs to the third.
- Season the coconut flour with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the coconut flour with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
- Holding the shrimp by the tail, dredge each one in the seasoned flour, dip it into the egg, then press it into the shredded coconut. Shake off any excess and place the shrimp on the prepared wire rack. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
- Bake the shrimp in a single layer for 7 to 10 minutes, depending on their size, until golden and lightly crisp.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
