If you love ordering coconut shrimp out at a restaurant, then you are going to love making my easy air fryer coconut shrimp right at home. Not only are these just as delicious as the ones your order out at a restaurant, but they are way healthier too by using little to no oil and are not deep fried. You can make these coconut shrimp for a great appetizer idea or serve them as a delicious main for any weeknight dinner. This recipe for air fryer coconut shrimp is one that you will be making on repeat.

Most coconut shrimp have a batter that consists of flour and egg before dredging in coconut flakes and panko bread crumbs, but I simplify that by using full fat coconut milk to get the coconut flakes and panko to adhere to the shrimp. Not only does this make it simpler to batter the shrimp, but it also adds another coconut layer of flavor to the shrimp. So good!

All you have to do is submerge your shrimp in coconut milk and season with salt and pepper and then shake off the excess and place the shrimp into a seasoned mixture of coconut flakes and panko bread crumbs. From there I spray the shrimp with avocado oil spray to help them get nice and brown in the air fryer and then cook them for 12 minutes, flipping halfway. The result is a delicious coconut shrimp, that is perfectly golden on the outside and cooked just right on the inside. I like to serve the shrimp alongside a sweet and spicy dipping sauce made up of apricot jam, soy sauce, dijon mustard, chili crisp, garlic, and rice wine vinegar.

The sauce with the crispy coconut shrimp is truly a flavor match made in heaven.

Here are some tips:

Use large shrimp here because it makes it easier to batter. I love Fish Fixe shrimp personally because I always have good quality seafood in my freezer. (Which by the way, you can use code MyDiaryofUs15 to receive 15% off your first order.)
Use unsweetened coconut flakes.
Use full fat coconut milk. The thicker the coconut milk the better for coating the shrimp.
Spray the shrimp with avocado oil spray or nonstick spray to help the coating get nice and brown in the air fryer.
Make sure to flip the shrimp halfway to ensure both sides get nice color.
Spray the air fryer tray or racks as well with nonstick spray to prevent sticking.
Instead of air frying, you can bake these shrimp at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or pan fry them in actual oil.

Ingredients:

1 Lb. Large Peeled and Deveined Shrimp, tails on is optional
1 Can Full Fat Coconut Milk
2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
2 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Black Pepper
Avocado Oil Spray or Nonstick Spray

For the Sauce-

1/4 Cup Apricot Jam
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1 Finely Minced Clove of Garlic
1 Tbsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Chili Crisp or Chili Sauce of choice (can be mild or spicy depending on preference)

Directions:

Pat shrimp dry.
Add shrimp to a bowl with coconut milk and season with 1 tsp. of salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper.
Toss and let sit for 5 minutes.
Add panko bread crumbs and coconut flakes to a large bowl and season with the rest of the salt and pepper and toss to combine.
Add shrimp a few at a time and coat with the bread crumb coconut mixture pressing the coating into the shrimp.
Gently lay on a baking sheet and spray with avocado oil spray on both sides.
Add a single layer of shrimp to the air fryer in batches careful not to overcrowd and air fry at 400 for 12 minutes, flipping halfway.
While shrimp cook combine apricot jam, soy sauce, garlic, rice wine vinegar, chili crisp, and dijon mustard to a bowl and whisk to combine.
Remove shrimp from the air fryer once golden and crispy and serve alongside dipping sauce.

Don’t these coconut shrimp look irresistible? They are so good honestly you could eat the whole batch! I can’t wait for you to give this recipe a try for yourself!

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Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp

Here are some tips: