When I used to work for a meal prep company back in the day one of the most popular dishes was the crispy coconut shrimp. I used to have to make hundreds of pounds of it, and although that was a pain in the ass to do, I got really good at perfecting it. I took the recipe and changed it up quite a bit at home to make even better than what there’s was and added a delicious sweet chili dipping sauce.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions:

  • Shrimp – Make sure to have cleaned and deveined shrimp for this, you can either get tail on or tail off. I like tail on for presentation, but it is more annoying to eat!
  • Eggs – Eggs are used for the egg wash to help the breading stick to the shrimp. If you can’t use eggs use some olive oil or avocado oil instead.
  • Gluten Free Flour – Any gluten free flour blend will work here for the coating. You can also use arrowroot or cornstarch in place of it.
  • Gluten Free Panko Bread Crumbs – My favorite brand is Aleias for gluten free panko. I truly haven’t found any other gluten free panko that is good so I recommend ordering this. If you can eat gluten, normal panko bread crumbs will work.
  • Shredded Coconut – Make sure to get shredded coconut that is finely shredded. If you cannot find any, you can always pulse dried coconut in a food processor until it is fine.

@kellyscleankitchen

How to make crispy coconut shrimp #coconutshrimp #shrimp #crispyshrimp #chilisauce #cooking

♬ La vie en rose (Cover Edith Piaf) – 田东昱
  • SERVINGS:  4
  • PREP TIME: 15 Mins
  • COOK TIME: 20 Mins
  • TOTAL TIME: 35 Min

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb shrimp, cleaned and deveined
  • salt
  • 2 eggs, whisked
  • 1/2 cup gluten free flour
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup gluten free panko bread crumbs, I use Aleias brand
  • Avocado oil

Chili Sauce:

  • 1/3 cup of rice vinegar
  • 1/3 water
  • 5 garlic, minced
  • 1/2 inch ginger, minced
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tbsp sambal olek
  • 1 tsp tamari
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1.5 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder

Preparation:

STEP 1.

Season your shrimp with salt evenly and set aside.

STEP 2.

Prepare your breading station. In one bowl add the eggs and 2 tbsp of water and whisk until smooth. In another bowl add the flour. In the third bowl add the coconut and panko bread crumbs and whisk to combine. Bread the shrimp by first dipping into the egg wash, then lightly coating in the flour, then dip again back in the egg wash and finally into the coconut bread crumbs bowl until it is coated. Set on a parchment lined sheet tray and do this with all of the shrimp. Transfer to the fridge while you make the sauce.

STEP 3.

Make the sauce. In a small pot add the rice vinegar, water, garlic, ginger, honey, sambal olek, tamari and crushed red pepper flakes and whisk to combine. Bring up to a simmer. In a small bowl whisk together cornstarch and a tablespoon of water until smooth. While the sauce is simmering, whisk in the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. If you want the sauce thinner, add more water. If you want it thicker, make more of the cornstarch slurry and whisk in more. Set aside while you cook the shrimp.

STEP 4.

In a large saute pan over medium heat, add avocado oil and bring up to heat. Once it is hot, add the shrimp, working in batches to not overcrowd the pan. Cook the shrimp, 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Once it is cooked through, remove the shrimp and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with all of the shrimp.

STEP 5.

Serve the shrimp with the sauce and enjoy!

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