Fried Coconut Shrimp (2 Dipping Sauces)

Fried Coconut Shrimp is one of my favorite appetizers ever! It comes out so crispy, golden brown, and full of toasty coconut flavors.

The coconut shrimp is breaded and shallow-fried on the stovetop until beautifully golden brown and crispy on the outside, and perfectly tender inside.

I also included 2 dipping sauce options. The first one is a sweet chili orange sauce, and the second one (my fave!) is a creamy sweet chili sauce.

I present to you one of my favorite appetizers EVER: Fried Coconut Shrimp!

We’re huge fans of shrimp over here, and there’s nothing I love more than serving this coconut shrimp at gatherings and parties. It’s always a hit…gone within minutes!

Here’s why I absolutely love this recipe:

• Golden brown and beautifully crispy!
• It doesn’t get messy! We use the shallow-frying method, which involves less oil.
• They freeze and reheat really well. They reheat in just 10 minutes!

Oh and did I tell you about the dipping sauces? The first one is a sweet chili orange sauce, and the second one is a creamy sweet chili sauce. It’s very similar to my bang bang shrimp sauce.

Jump to:

• Ingredient Notes
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Prefer to Bake or Air Fry?
• Make Ahead Tips
• Freezing and Reheating
• Serving and Pairing Ideas
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips for Success
• Fried Coconut Shrimp (with 2 Dipping Sauces)

Ingredient Notes

The complete ingredient list can be found in the recipe card below, but I wanted to includes a few notes here:

For the shrimp:

• Large shrimp: Make sure it’s peeled and deveined, with the tail-on.
• Eggs: Acts as the binder or “glue” to hold the breading together.
• All-purpose flour: To give the coating structure and help the shrimp crisp up better.
• Panko breadcrumbs: For a golden brown, crispy, and crunchy texture.
• Coconut flakes: I’d recommend unsweetened.
• Vegetable oil: For frying, enough to cover a quarter inch of pan. Don’t use olive oil.
• Garlic powder, salt and pepper

For the 2 dipping sauces:

• Sweet chili orange sauce: orange marmalade and Thai sweet chili sauce.
• Creamy sweet chili sauce: mayo, Thai sweet chili sauce, and sriracha sauce.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Set up your breading station & bread the shrimp

1. Set up your breading station using 3 shallow bowls. In the first bowl, whisk the flour with garlic powder, salt and pepper. In the second bowl, beat the eggs. In the third bowl, mix the panko and coconut flakes.
2. Bread the shrimp (on both sides) in this order: flour mixture, then eggs, then panko and coconut. Press the panko and coconut mixture firmly onto the shrimp so it sticks.
3. Arrange the breaded shrimp on a wire rack or sheet pan.

2. Fry the breaded shrimp

1. Heat vegetable oil on a large skillet. To check if the oil is hot enough, drop a little bit of the breading onto the hot pan. If it sizzles immediately, it’s ready.
2. Fry the shrimp on both sides. For about 2-3 minutes per side, in batches.
3. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

Tip: As you fry, adjust the heat as needed – when you add cold food, the temperature will drop slightly.

3. Make the dipping sauce

This part is really easy! Just combine the sauce ingredients in small serving ramekins.

To make the sweet chili orange sauce, combine orange marmalade and Thai sweet chili sauce. To make the creamy sweet chili sauce, combine mayo, Thai sweet chili sauce, and sriracha.

Prefer to Bake or Air Fry?

With baking, the coconut shrimp may not come out as crispy or golden brown, but it’s definitely much easier and healthier. Alternatively, you can air fry them.

To oven-bake: Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Arrange the breaded shrimp on the sheet pan and spray with cooking oil. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

To air fry: Generously coat the breaded shrimp with oil spray. Cook in the air fryer at 400 degrees F for about 8-9 minutes.

Make Ahead Tips

The two dipping sauces can be made in advance and stored in the fridge.

The coconut shrimp can be cooked from start to finish and then frozen. It reheats really well, although not as good as freshly made, of course! See instructions in the recipe card notes.

Do not pre-bread the shrimp in advance, as the breading will get soggy. After breading the shrimp, make sure you fry within 15 minutes to maintain crispiness.

Freezing and Reheating

Fried coconut shrimp freezes really well. After the fried shrimp has completely cooled down, transfer the shrimp to a large freezer-friendly resealable bag in one single layer. Freeze for up to 2 months.

To reheat, bake the frozen shrimp at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes until crispy and thoroughly warmed up.

Serving and Pairing Ideas

My favorite way to serve this as is, with the dipping sauces of course! We also love pairing it with a beautiful Grilled Peach Salad.

If you want to turn it into a full meal, here are a few serving ideas:

• Make tacos and add a quick slaw on top!
• Build a bowl. Try quinoa or rice, plus some edamame, veggies, or slaw.
• Over a simple salad. Check out my Thai Chicken Salad, and use the shrimp instead.

If you love shrimp, check out these recipes:

Recipe FAQs

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