Crispy Coconut Shrimp (Air Fryer + Fried) Recipe

PREP :

• Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, then, pat them dry on paper towels.
• Set up a dredging station.
• The first bowl should contain the flour, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt (whisk to combine.)
• In the second bowl, add the two eggs and whisk to combine.
• The third bowl will contain the shredded coconut and the Panko breadcrumbs, toss or stir to combine.

DREDGE :

• Grab the shrimp by the tail, dredge it in the flour, shake off any excess.
• Then, dip it in the egg mixture, and finally in the coconut mixture.
• Use your hands to press down so the crumbs adhere to the shrimp.
• Place the coated shrimp on a clean baking sheet.
• Continue with the remaining shrimp.
• At this point, you can freeze the shrimp for 30 minutes to make it easier to fry them or refrigerate until ready to fry.
• You can also fry or air fry them immediately.

COOK: FRY :

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add a generous 1-1 ½ inches of oil tot he skillet and let it heat to about 350ºF.  
• Alternately, you could do this in a deep fryer set to 350ºF.
• When heated, add a shrimp.
• Make sure the oil around the shrimp starts bubbling right away.
• Then, add 4-5 additional shrimp, make sure you do not overcrowd the pan.
• Cook for roughly 2 minutes per side (4-5 minutes total) or until the outside is golden brown and the shrimp curl up into a ‘c’ shape.
• Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

AIR FRYER :

• Preheat the air fryer according to manufacturers’ directions at 375ºF.
• Place the shrimp on a clean surface and spray the shrimp with coconut cooking spray (or any kind you like) place the sprayed side down in the air fryer and spray the other side with cooking spray.
• Cook the shrimp at 375ºF for 6-8 minutes or until they cook all the way through, be sure to flip the shrimp around the halfway mark.

FRY :

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add a generous 1-1 ½ inches of oil tot he skillet and let it heat to about 350ºF.  
• Alternately, you could do this in a deep fryer set to 350ºF.
• When heated, add a shrimp.
• Make sure the oil around the shrimp starts bubbling right away.
• Then, add 4-5 additional shrimp, make sure you do not overcrowd the pan.
• Cook for roughly 2 minutes per side (4-5 minutes total) or until the outside is golden brown and the shrimp curl up into a ‘c’ shape.
• Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

AIR FRYER :

• Preheat the air fryer according to manufacturers’ directions at 375ºF.
• Place the shrimp on a clean surface and spray the shrimp with coconut cooking spray (or any kind you like) place the sprayed side down in the air fryer and spray the other side with cooking spray.
• Cook the shrimp at 375ºF for 6-8 minutes or until they cook all the way through, be sure to flip the shrimp around the halfway mark.

SAUCE :

• Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and whisk.
• You want to make sure to work the lumps out of the sauce completely.
• Taste and adjust with additional lime juice as desired.
• Serve with the shrimp!