I love 5 ingredient dishes and this is one of them - add something on the side and you've got a main. Serve on it's own and you've got a delicious satisfying snack and all you need is lime, coconut, panko, egg, and shrimp. Shoot - and flour, but that's optional so let's call it a 5.5 ingredient dish shall we?
I love coconut shrimp, that slightly sweet ever so crunchy upgrade on classic fried shrimp. What makes these extra fun is the addition of panko and the zest of a lime.The panko bread crumbs add another airy yet crunchy element to the shrimp and the hint of lime heightens the coconut flavor.
The flour like I said is optional, but here is why I use it: I dislike naked shrimp. You know when you fry shrimp and only portions of it have crunch because despite your best effort the rest of it just won't stay on? Once the shrimp goes into it's egg bath the flour helps the crunchier elements adhere to the egg and covers the gaps between said crunchy elements to give you a shrimp that is evenly goldenly beautiful.
You are welcome to season as much as you like, but having made these a few time I must say I like it best when the subtle natural sweetness of the coconut shines through so a sprinkle of salt & pepper or a dash of fish sauce in the egg mixture is perfect for me.
Coconut Shrimp
1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup panko bread crumbs
⅓ cup flour (optional)
zest of one lime plus additional limes for serving
2 eggs lightly beaten with a little salt and pepper or a dash of fish sauce
Oil for frying
Combine the coconut, panko, flour, and the zest of the lime on a dish with a bit of a rim - a soup plate works well. Dip the clean dry (important!) shrimp with the beaten egg and then dredge with the coconut coating.
Repeat until your shrimp is all coated. I usually do this a few hours in advance for conveniences sake. When you are ready to eat, heat about an inch of oil in frying pan and wait for it to get so hot that a piece of bread crumb dropped into the oil sizzles and rises. If it turns black then take the pan off the heat for a few minutes and test again.
Now fry the shrimp for about a minute to two minutes on each side till a beautiful golden brown. Spritz with lime juice and enjoy.
Kanwal says
Can I make this in an air fryer?
Sarah Mir says
Hi kanwal! I don't see why not, I just haven't experimented with breaded shrimp so my guess for would be that you could spray with oil and air fry at 375F for 4 minutes or so on each side. Let me know if you try it what your experience is!
Taslim Jaffer says
Wow - you nailed the perfect golden fried colour! Love the combination of coconut and lime, and I'm recommending this on facebook and twitter!
sarahjmir says
Thank you Taslim!!!!
afracooking says
Yum, now these ingredients sound like a match made in heaven. Lovely!
Kamz says
Your photography is amazing. I am vegetarian but would love to try the recipe for my non-veg friends and family!
sarahjmir says
that's so sweet! thank you! I think you could probably do this with a firm paneer no?
Amira says
This looks restaurant style shrimps, I like the look and the smell. I just hope mine will turn out so golden like yours 🙂 as mine always have naked parts too ... Thanks for the recipe dear.
sarahjmir says
Amira I love that you totally got what I meant by naked parts hahha 🙂 Happy cooking!!!
Natasha says
Toooooooo yummmm Sarah ?
salmadinani says
Looks delicious! I am going to pin this and try later. We will have to try it with gluten-free flour for the hubs.
sarahjmir says
Hope it works out!
Sadaf F K. says
Not a shrimp fan, but yours look so so delicious, Sarah that I'm wanting to taste.. 🙂
sarahjmir says
woah thanks! btw my dad asked me if I could do these with chicken and I don't see why not, will post on insta if I do 🙂
spiceinthecity says
Yum! Those shrimp look so crunchy & so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
sarahjmir says
🙂 thanks for the compliments!
Anjana @ At The Corner Of Happy & Harried says
I love fried shrimp and this looks killer!
sarahjmir says
Thanks Anjana!
For The Love of Ghee says
Love shrimp in anyway and these look really tasty and super yummy! Perfect finger food for Game Day 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
sarahjmir says
Thank you thank you 🙂 Love that you popped by 🙂