Crispy Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Red Chili Sauce
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These restaurant-style coconut shrimp are remarkably easy to make: you can do all of the prep ahead and the sauce comes straight out of a bottle.
I’ve had coconut shrimp at many restaurants, but this homemade version beats them all. It’s remarkably easy to make: you do all of the preparation in advance, so all that’s left to do at dinnertime is quickly fry the shrimp, and the sauce comes straight out of a bottle. Serve as an appetizer or light dinner with my Asian-style slaw.
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Crispy Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Red Chili Sauce
These restaurant-style coconut shrimp are remarkably easy to make: you can do all of the prep ahead and the sauce comes straight out of a bottle.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds raw extra large shrimp (16-20 per pound), peeled and deveined with tails left intact, thawed if frozen
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 large egg whites
- 2 cups unsweetened medium shredded coconut (available at Whole Foods or natural food markets - see note below)
- 2½ tablespoons sugar
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Thai Sweet Red Chili Sauce (available in Asian section of most supermarkets)
Instructions
- Place the cornstarch, salt and cayenne pepper in a large zip-lock bag and mix well. Add the shrimp to the bag, seal shut and shake to coat evenly. Set aside.
- Using a fork, beat the egg whites in a small bowl until frothy. Place the coconut and sugar in a large shallow bowl or pie dish and mix well.
- Holding each shrimp by the tail, shake off excess cornstarch, dip into the egg whites (let the excess drip off), then dredge in the coconut mixture, turning to coat evenly (if the sugar drops to the bottom of the dish a bit, move the shrimp around so it gets coated with both the sugar and coconut.) Place the shrimp on foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook. This can be done several hours ahead of time.
- Pour enough oil into a large nonstick pan to reach a depth of ½-inch; heat over high heat until hot. To test if the oil is hot enough, use tongs to hold one shrimp by the tail and submerge it in oil; if it sizzles and crackles, it’s ready. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, add the shrimp to the hot oil and fry, turning once, until golden brown. It should take between 40-60 seconds per side; if the shrimp are browning too quickly, turn the heat down a bit. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Arrange the shrimp on a platter and serve with the Sweet Red Chili Sauce.
- Note: I like to use unsweetened shredded coconut and add sugar to it, as opposed to sweetened flaked coconut, because it's healthier, much easier to work with, and adds great texture to the dish.
- Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately ¼ cup of the oil is absorbed into the shrimp when frying.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 447
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated fat: 17 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Sodium: 1140 mg
- Cholesterol: 191 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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All of your recipes look so delicious!! I’m excited to try this shrimp recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Yay! Gluten Fee coconut shrimp!!!
I might have made my egg whites frothier than what was necessary. The sauce would also be nicer when you put more chili in it.
OMG! This recipe is unreal!! So easy to make and SO DELICIOUS!! It will be part of my New Year’s Eve menu!!
Wow this looks sooo good! Will be making soon!
Wow, these Crispy Coconut Shrimps look divine! Love your photography and I couldn’t wait to try your recipe! Thanks for sharing.
You can make the dipping sauce yourself.
2 oz caster sugar
2 fl oz rice vinegar
2 tbs water
2 fresh red chillies, seeded and finely chopped.
Place sugar, vinegar and water in a pot. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then boil rapidly until it forms a light syrup. Stir in the chillies and leave to cool.
Thank you for your comment, Teri. I think the discrepancy might have to do with the fact that you purchased your shrimp already peeled, so the weight was off. I’ve made a note to the recipe to clarify. If you’re buying shrimp already peeled and deveined, you only need 1 pound 10 ounces instead of 2 pounds. I’ve also added an additional 1/4 cup coconut to the recipe — better to have too much than too little. As always, thanks for the feedback and so glad you enjoyed it!
These were incredible! I only made one pound, but made the mixture for two pounds. This was a good thing because somehow I used the whole mixture on one pound. No worries they were YUMMY!!!!
The directions were simple and easy to follow. I might have made my egg whites frothier than what was necessary. I also used a regular chili sauce which was a nice compliment to the sweetness. The Tropical Pepper Co. makes a mango coconut sauce that went well with it. I bought this in Shop n Bag in the Ketchup section.
We had the shrimp as a main course with just a tossed salad. I’m already thinking of the events and occasions that I can serve these again. Delicious!
This is one of my most favorite things in the world! Thanks for the great looking recipe! I’d love for you to submit this to the M&T Spotlight at http://www.makeandtakes.com/spotlight
These look great! Will try these tonight for sure