Coconut Shrimp

coconut shrimp served

This is not going to taste like the Coconut Shrimp you get at a restaurant. This recipe is a little lighter. It’s not deep fried so the flavor of the shrimp dominates, but with a light coating of coconut. Low in oils and low in calories, it’s a bit healthier too. This is one of our buddy Alex’s favorites. I know I can’t make it quite as well as his mom does in a kitchen oven (although she’s a lifelong PRO in a sailboat galley!). But I’m gonna try!

peel shrimp

Baked Coconut Shrimp

For a print friendly recipe see below

1.5 lbs unpeeled shrimp
Vegetable cooking spray
2 egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon Caribbean Jerk seasoning
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

save the shrimp shells

Steam or boil the shrimp until pink, about 10 minutes. Peel the shrimp. Leave the shrimp shells, heads, whatever is left…for seafood stock. Or if you’re not inclined, just toss them.

And here is the secret to this recipe. Reynold’s Wrap Non-Stick. With the combination of the egg wash and cornstarch, these shrimp totally stick to the pan unless you thoroughly coat it with oil. Or use Reynold’s Wrap Non-Stick. It made my life so much easier.

non-stick Reynolds wrap

Line a baking sheet with Reynold’s Wrap Non-Stick Foil. Preheat your galley oven to 450º or as hot as you can get it.

corn starch and egg wash

Beat the two egg whites in one small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the corn starch and Jerk Seasoning.

mix coconut and Panko

In a larger bowl, mix together the shredded coconut, Panko flakes and cayenne pepper.

dredge in corn starch

Now do the dip. First dust a shrimp in the cornstarch, then dip into the egg whites, then sink it into the spiced shredded coconut. Pack the coconut onto the shrimp and place it on the foil.

dredge in coconut mixture

Place all of the shrimp on the foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.This will help give the shrimp a crispy look. Cook in your preheated oven for 15 minutes. If you have a broiler, you can turn that on the last two minutes to help brown the tops.

on the pan

While that’s cooking, whip up this wonderful sweet mustard dipping sauce.

honey mustard dipping sauce

Honey Mustard Sauce

1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons mustard
1 tablespoon horseradish

Mix all ingredients with a wire whisk until blended. Serve in a separate dipping bowl. This can be made ahead and stored for up to 3 days.

coconut shrimp out of the oven

One thought on “Coconut Shrimp

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.