Fried Coconut Shrimp

shrimps coated with panko breadcrumbs and shredded coconut, fried and served with a sauce made of apricot jam and chilli sauce

4.89 from 9 votes

These fried coconut shrimp are the perfect appetizer for your party! They’re sweet, savory, and super crispy, coated with a delicious mix of breadcrumbs and desiccated coconut. And don’t forget the chili apricot sauce on the side – it’s SO good!

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Asian

Yield:

Calories: 398kcal

Author: Emma Choi

Prep Time: 30

Active Time: 15

Total Time: 45

Equipment

Ingredients

450 g jumbo shrimp (Note 1) , peeled and deveined with tails left
½ tsp salt
60 g all-purpose flour
frying oil

batter

90 g all-purpose flour
45 g cornstarch
¾ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
190 ml cold sparkling water

coating

115 g desiccated coconut
45 g panko breadcrumbs

sauce

3 tbsp chili sauce
100 g apricot jam

US - M

Instructions

Prepare the shrimp – Peel and devein the shrimp (if needed) but leave the tails on. Make 3 vertical incisions at the bottom of each shrimp to flatten them more easily. On the back of each shrimp, make an incision alongside the body, being careful not to cut all the way through—just up to ¾ of the way. Turn the shrimp around and flatten it gently with your fingers.
Season the shrimp with a pinch of salt.
Make the batter – In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the batter. If it’s too thick, add an extra 2-3 tbsp of water. The batter should be thick but still pourable.
Prepare the coating – In another bowl or plate, combine the desiccated coconut and panko breadcrumbs. In a separate plate, add the flour.
Coat the shrimp – First, coat each shrimp with flour. Then, dip them in the batter and coat them well with the coconut/panko mix. Set the shrimp aside.
Fry the shrimp – Heat the frying oil in a pan (or use a fryer) until it reaches 355°F / 180°C. Fry the shrimp until golden brown and crispy, around 3-4 minutes (Note 2).
Once fried, remove the shrimp from the oil and place them on a cooling rack to drain.
Prepare the sauce – Prepare the sauce by mixing all ingredients together.
Serve – Serve the crispy fried coconut shrimp with the chili apricot sauce on the side.

Notes

1. Shrimp size – If you can’t find jumbo shrimp, you can use medium-sized shrimp, but keep in mind that the cooking time may be a bit shorter (around 2-3 minutes).

2. Frying method – You can fry the shrimp in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, which ensures they cook evenly and become crispy.

Nutrition