For me, there are few other dishes that evoke the feeling of summer, dining al fresco, and a lazy vacation day quite like coconut shrimp. Back when we sailed on the Carnival Breeze last year, we ate tons of amazing seafood and all the shrimp we possibly could, but the coconut shrimp at RedFrog Pub was a favorite. When we returned back from our trip, I figured it was time that I learned to make the dish at home.
Though it’s one of my favorite ways to prepare and eat shrimp, coconut shrimp can be a bit unhealthy in its traditional fried form. Here, I’ve opted to bake the shrimp instead. You get the same great crunch and coconut flavor, but it’s a lot healthier and in my opinion, a lot easier to cook as well!
I’ve found that this is a great dish to serve as an appetizer while entertaining. It ends up looking a lot more impressive and difficult than it actually is (preparing it really could not be easier), and it’s been a crowd pleaser every time I’ve made it for guests. I like to prep it with two different sauces: a tangier one and a creamier one, but you could experiment with other flavors and sauces to your liking. It’s a really versatile dish so the options are pretty limitless!
Baked Coconut Shrimp Recipe:
Ingredients (for shrimp):
- 1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1⁄2 tsp powdered ginger
- 1⁄2 tsp garlic powder
- 1⁄2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp all purpose flour
- Olive oil
Ingredients (for tangy dipping sauce):
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp marmalade (we used guava jelly but orange or lemon marmalade would work nicely too)
- 1⁄2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Ingredients (for creamy Sriracha mayo sauce):
- 1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Sriracha (you could add more if you want the sauce to be spicier)
- Juice from 1⁄4 lime
Directions for shrimp:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 2. Rinse and devein the shrimp, and lightly salt after deveining. You can remove the tails at this point if you prefer. 3. Combine coconut flakes, panko bread crumbs, powdered ginger, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and remaining salt in a bowl. 4. Whisk egg into the second bowl. 5. Place flour into separate bowl. 6. Spray or spread olive oil onto a baking pan. This is where you’ll be placing your full coated shrimp.
7. Start the battering process by dipping the shrimp into the flour to coat it evenly. Then, drop the floured shrimp into the egg; dip one last time into the panko and coconut flake mixture. Lay the breaded shrimp out onto your baking pan.
8. Once all of your shrimp are breaded, place them into the oven, and bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until the tops start to turn golden brown. 9. Turn the shrimp over after they’ve cooked 8-10 minutes. Place them back into the oven for 6-8 minutes or until browned and cooked thoroughly. 10. Combine your ingredients for sauces, and serve the shrimp immediately with lime wedges.
Directions for tangy dipping sauce:
1. Combine rice wine vinegar, marmalade of your choice and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and stir.
Directions for Sriracha mayo sauce:
1. Combine mayonnaise, Sriracha and lime juice in a small bowl and stir.
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INGREDIENTS:
Recipe adapted from 
