Coconut Shrimp with Sweet and Spicy Asian Dipping Sauce

This Coconut Shrimp with Sweet and Spicy Asian Dipping Sauce is delightfully crispy and the dipping sauce takes the flavor over the top.

Shrimp are Tasty and So Versatile

My husband and I are big fans of shrimp. From a fresh shrimp cocktail, to simple fried shrimp, to shrimp scampi, to shrimp sushi – we pretty much like it all.

What I didn’t know, was that my husband was a fan of crispy coconut shrimp. He’s not a huge coconut fan, so I never thought to even bring it up. But, he surprised me one night by ordering a coconut shrimp appetizer and there was no looking back!

Coconut shrimp has now become one of our favorite appetizers to order at a restaurant not only for the shrimp itself, but also the wonderful sauces that often accompany the shrimp. We’ve had so many great sweet and spicy dips and sauces that really enhance the flavor of the shrimp. Don’t fear the coconut shrimp sauce!

They make perfect appetizers, but we’ve also had them as our main dish. These crunchy, tender shrimp accompanied by a tasty side salad, make for a delightfully light evening meal.

Breading the Coconut Shrimp

Given my husband’s new found love of coconut shrimp, I thought it would be fun to make my own coconut shrimp recipe.

First of all, you need some large shrimp. They are so much easier to work with and coat with the mixture of panko breadcrumbs and shredded coconut. (Note: When I say large shrimp, I mean the jumbo ones as it seems shrimp sizes continue to shrink every year!)

Also, as a finger food, smaller shrimp are just harder to dip into its accompanying sauce. So, for me, larger shrimp are just better to use.

The other thing I like to use is panko breadcrumbs as opposed to regular breadcrumbs. I find the panko breadcrumbs provide a much more crunchy shrimp than using more traditional breadcrumbs.

So, my breading station ends up being as follows:

1. Container One: Flour
2. Container Two: Egg
3. Container Three: Panko / shredded coconut mixture

I start with the flour, then dip the shrimp in the egg so the egg sticks better to the shrimp. Finally, the egg helps the panko / coconut mixture to stick as the last step to breading. Make sure you coat all sides of the shrimp.

​Now, we are ready for frying.

Frying the Coconut Shrimp

I prefer using the shallow frying method rather than using a deep fryer. Deep frying uses a lot of oil and can make a terrific mess. I find great success in shallow frying, so it’s my go-to approach in most cases.

So, put a thin layer of oil (approximately 1/2 inch) in a large skillet and bring it up to medium high heat. Once you have hot oil (you will see the oil ripple), place the shrimp into the skillet in a single layer. It takes about 1 minute per side.

Once they are done shallow frying, I put them on a plate that has paper towels on it to soak up any excess oil. This keeps them crunchy.

If you’re ready to serve, then place them onto a serving dish and you’re ready to go. If you have some time before serving and want to keep them warm, I put a wire rack on a baking sheet, put the shrimp on that (in a single layer) and place into a 200 degree oven.

Making the Sauce for the Coconut Shrimp

A simple sweet chili sauce works great as a dipping sauce and is easily found in pretty much every grocery store. But, I wanted something with a little bit of kick to it.

I used rice wine vinegar and soy sauce as my base. Honey is the sweetener and sriracha and pepper give it a little heat. I also add in green onions to add another flavor profile.

Now, this sauce is so easy. You simply whisk together those ingredients and you’re ready to go. Can’t get much easier than that!

Enjoy Some Delicious Coconut Shrimp

As far as shrimp recipes go, if you want easy coconut shrimp and a great dipping sauce, this one’s for you. A few minutes of prep and a few minutes of cooking and you have a great appetizer ready to go in under 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• Make sure that the shrimp are completely thawed and patted dry with a paper towel before breading and frying. This will minimize any spattering from the oil.
• This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. If you are going to make a larger batch, the cooked shrimp can be kept in a 200 degree oven on a sheet pan to keep them warm until you’re ready to serve.
• Jumbo shrimp work best for this recipe.
• Panko breadcrumbs provide a more crunchy texture for the shrimp than regular breadcrumbs.

Ingredients Needed to Make Coconut Shrimp

Full instructions can be found below in the recipe card

For Shrimp

• Jumbo shrimp – Use the largest shrimp that you can find for best results.
• All-purpose flour
• Egg
• Plain panko bread crumbs – Panko is highly recommended over regular bread crumbs for the crispiest result.
• Shredded coconut
• Salt
• Pepper
• Vegetable oil – This is used to shallow fry the shrimp.

For Sauce

• Rice wine vinegar – This is what I recommend for the best flavor, but in a pinch white wine vinegar can be substituted.
• Soy sauce – Regular or reduced sodium can be used. My favorite brand of soy sauce is Trader Joe’s.
• Honey
• Sriracha sauce
• Black pepper
• Green onion

How to Make the Coconut Shrimp

• Put flour in shallow dish, egg in a shallow dish and the panko and shredded coconut in a shallow dish. Mix salt and pepper into the panko / shredded coconut mixture.
• Coat the shrimp first in the flour, then dip in the egg and do a final coat with the panko / shredded coconut mixture.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet (a cast iron skillet works great, if you have one) over medium high heat, until oil ripples.
• Your pan should have enough oil in it to shallow-fry the shrimp (about 1/2 inch deep).
• Fry shrimp about 1 minute per side, until golden brown – they cook up quick.

How to Make the Spicy Asian Dipping Sauce

• Whisk all ingredients together (yes, it’s that easy!).
• Serve shrimp immediately with sauce for dipping.

More Easy Party Appetizers

• Fried Ravioli with Marinara
• Philly Cheesesteak Flatbread
• Chicken and Waffle Bites
• Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
• Creamy Chicken Enchilada Bruschetta (an Intant Pot Recipe)

ENJOY!