This oven-baked coconut shrimp with mango sauce is a delicious and low-fat dish. Key West pink shrimp are coated with a layer of shredded coconut for an extra hint of sweetness that pairs perfectly with the mango dipping sauce. Not only is this recipe gluten-free, but it's also fast and easy to prepare - perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Crispy coconut shrimp is one of my favorite seafood dishes. I love the sweet flavors, and the shrimp always seem to be cooked perfectly.
Because I'm in Key Largo, I make this dish using fresh Key West shrimp. Shrimp from the Florida Keys are wild-caught, firm, and sweet.
Jump to:
- What You Need To Make Coconut Shrimp
- How to Defrost Frozen Shrimp
- What are the Best Coconut Flakes to Use?
- How To Make Coconut Shrimp
- How to Fry Coconut Shrimp
- For The Mango Dipping Sauce
- What Kind of Mangoes Should I Use?
- Ingredients for The Mango Dipping Sauce
- What Goes with Coconut Shrimp?
- To Sum Things Up
- FAQ
- "📖 Recipe"
- Seafood Recipes
What You Need To Make Coconut Shrimp
- Large or XL shrimp, defrosted, peeled & deveined, leaving the tail on.
- Unsweetened coconut or rice flour
- Unsweetened coconut flakes (Bob's Red Mill Coconut Flakes are best)
- Eggs
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, Onion powder, Paprika, Salt, Black pepper
- Lemon or lime wedges for serving
- Cooking spray
- Mango
- Lemon or lime
- Fresh basil
- Granulated sugar, honey, or the sweetener of your choice
How to Defrost Frozen Shrimp
Need to defrost shrimp in a hurry? Place the shrimp in a large mixing bowl and run cold water over it. The shrimp will defrost quickly.
Florida tap water is notoriously warm. Make sure the water is cold so the shrimp don't start to cook.
Also, you can place a bag of shrimp in the fridge in the morning and it should be defrosted by afternoon.
What are the Best Coconut Flakes to Use?
I tried many brands of coconut flakes to get this recipe right. Bob's Red Mill's Unsweetened Coconut has large coconut flakes and the shrimp not only looked better, but they were crunchier than the ones made with the less expensive brands.
For the coconut, use what you have. Keep in mind many brands of coconut flakes, or shredded coconut, have preservatives in them as well as added sugar.
How To Make Coconut Shrimp
Like an assembly line, line up 3 medium bowls.
- In the first bowl, mix the coconut or rice flour with the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Beat the eggs in a second bowl.
- Place the coconut flakes in the 3rd bowl.
One by one, dip the shrimp in the coconut flour mixture, completely coating it, then dip in beaten eggs, and finally, press into the coconut so each shrimp is coated all over.
Place shrimp in a single layer on a baking tray fitted with a wire rack as they are coated with the coconut mixture.
Place the sheet pan in a preheated 400-degree Fahrenheit oven for 8-10 minutes.
Check at 7 minutes. When they look golden brown, remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a minute.
How to Fry Coconut Shrimp
Although baking the shrimp is a healthier option, you can pan-fry the shrimp in minutes!
Heat 3 tablespoons of neutral oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and fry until golden brown, about two minutes total. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
For The Mango Dipping Sauce
One, slice the mango cheeks off the two sides of the pit.
Next, score the flesh in a checkerboard pattern without cutting through the skin.
Then, fold the fruit backward and cut between the flesh and skin.
What Kind of Mangoes Should I Use?
Use the freshest mango you can find! A ripe mango gives a bit when you squeeze it. They should have smooth skin without blemishes. Organic is always better, but they're hard to find.
We have two types of mangoes in Key Largo.
First, the Tommy Atkins Mango has a vibrant red-yellow (sometimes greenish) exterior. You can find them at any local grocery store. These delicious mangoes are mostly imported from Mexico or grown locally in Florida during the early summer.
Next, the Honey Mango (aka Ataulfo Mango) – these small, bright yellow fruits come from Mexico. With creamy sweet flesh and no fibers, these mangoes are divine!
If you have access to Honey Mangos, you will need two. One large Tommy Akins mango should yield a cup of mango cubes for this recipe.
Ingredients for The Mango Dipping Sauce
- Mango
- Lemon juice
- Basil leaves
- Salt
- Sugar (you can use honey or monk fruit too)
Blend all ingredients together using a blender or food processor. Chill until ready to use.
What Goes with Coconut Shrimp?
For an appetizer, serve Coconut Shrimp on a platter with mango sauce, lemon or lime wedges, and a few scattered basil leaves.
For a main course, Coconut Shrimp can be served with steamed rice (or cauliflower rice) tossed with butter and torn basil leaves.
You could also add a side of twice-fried crispy plantains called Tostones.
To Sum Things Up
Oven-baked coconut shrimp is a quick main dish to prepare. With its crispy texture, it serves as a great appetizer that everyone always loves!
Use Bob Red Mill's coconut flakes for a big coconut flake with great flavor.
While restaurant coconut shrimp could be frozen and deep fried, this recipe bakes the shrimp in the oven which makes the dish much lower in saturated fat.
Consider serving coconut shrimp with mango dipping sauce or even a classic cocktail sauce.
When selecting the shrimp for this recipe, look for wild-caught frozen shrimp harvested in the USA. If you're in Florida, get fresh or frozen Key West Pink Shrimp.
FAQ
Shrimp is seasoned with coconut flakes, paprika, garlic, powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper and fried or baked until cooked through.
Coconut shrimp is a savory crispy shrimp appetizer that is a very popular dish n Key West, Florida. It is usually served with a sweet dipping sauce.
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.
"📖 Recipe"
Baked Coconut Shrimp with Mango Sauce
Ingredients
FOR THE MANGO DIPPING SAUCE
- 1 cup diced mangoes from 1 or 2 mangoes
- juice of 1 lemon
- 10 fresh basil leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoons sugar you can substitute honey or the sweetener of your choice
- ½ teaspoon salt
FOR THE COCONUT SHRIMP
- 1 pound large or extra-large raw shrimp peeled and deveined with tails left on
- cooking oil spray
- ¼ cup coconut flour or rice flour
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes I like Bob's Red Mill
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt (try Redmond's Real Salt)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 lemons or limes sliced into wedges for serving
Instructions
FOR THE 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 servel
FOR THE COCONUT SHRIMP
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place a wire cooking rack on a parchment lined baking sheet; lightly spray rack with cooking oil.
- Devein the shrimp by making a shallow incision down the back of each one with a paring knife. Grab the vein with a tip of a knife and remove.
- Rinse shrimp and pat dry with a paper towel. Set shrimp aside.
- Using three separate shallow bowls, place coconut or rice flour in one bowl, shredded coconut in another, and beaten eggs in the third.
- Season the coconut flour with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
- Holding the tail, dredge each shrimp in the seasoned flour, then dip in egg, and press into shredded coconut. Gently shake off excess coconut and place on wire rack. Repeat with all the shrimp.
- Bake for 7 to 10 minutes (depending on the size of the shrimp) until crispy and golden brown.
TO SERVE
- Arrange shrimp on a platter with the bowl of dipping sauce and lemon wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Seafood Recipes
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