These crispy Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp are an easy and crowd-pleasing appetizer of plump, juicy shrimp in a crispy coconut and panko coating. Add your favorite dipping sauce for a complete dish.
Extra-Crispy Air Fried Coconut Shrimp
Who doesn’t love the word “crispy” when it comes to food? Whether it’s savory Crispy Salmon Patties or sweet Air Fryer French Toast Sticks, if we’re talking about something crisp, golden and crunchy, you can sign me up. And bonus points if that thing is also made in an air fryer without the added oils of deep-frying. Well, these coconut shrimp check all of those boxes, and then some.
This is a totally crowd-pleasing finger food appetizer or snack to serve for game day or any casual get-together. It looks (and sounds) impressive, but this is actually a simple recipe that you can throw together in just about 35 minutes.
Each juicy shrimp is coated in a light but flavorful breading of sweet coconut, crunchy panko breadcrumbs and dried parsley for freshness. All that’s missing is a creamy or spicy dip for dunking!
What You’ll Need
This is a simple recipe with a few basic ingredients to coat large shrimp. Here’s what you need:
- Eggs. These work to bind the coconut breading together and help it stick to the shrimp.
- Lime juice. This adds a surprising amount of fresh, zesty citrus flavor to cut through the richness of coconut.
- Coconut shavings. You can use sweetened or unsweetened coconut, depending on your preference.
- Panko. These are Japanese bread crumbs that crisp up beautifully in an air fryer.
- All-purpose flour. This also helps bind the coconut breading to the seafood.
- Dried parsley. Feel free to use a different dried herb, such as cilantro, basil or oregano.
- Shrimp. Opt for large shrimp with their tail on for easy grabbing.
How to Make Coconut Shrimp
This is an easy recipe that’s a simple matter of making a coconut breading and coating the shrimp before popping them into the air fryer.
Mix the wet ingredients: First, combine the eggs and lime juice in a small bowl.
Mix the dry breading ingredients: In a second bowl, combine the coconut, panko, flour, salt, pepper, and dried parsley.
Bread the shrimp: Working one at a time, dip each piece of shrimp first into the egg mixture, then into the dry ingredients to coat on all sides.
Air fry the shrimp: Spray the breaded shrimp with nonstick spray and air fry at 375°F for 7 minutes, flipping after 4 minutes.
Tips for Success
Use these helpful tips to perfect your coconut shrimp in the air fryer:
- Preheat: If your air fryer needs it, make sure to preheat it before adding the shrimp for maximum crispiness.
- Two Hands: When breading the shrimp, it’s easiest to use one hand for the wet ingredients and a second for the dry mixture. Otherwise, your hands will easily get covered in sticky coconut.
- Don’t Overcrowd: Avoid overcrowding the air fryer. If necessary, fry the shrimp in batches.
What to Serve with Coconut Shrimp
I like to dunk these crispy shrimp in sweet chili sauce. If you want to mix up your appetizer game, here are some other fun appetizers I think would pair well with this Coconut Shrimp:
- Hot Spinach Dip
- Cheesy Ranch Pigs in a Blanket
- Best Texas Caviar
- Crockpot Jalapeno Corn Dip
- Crispy Air Fryer Brown Sugar Chicken Legs
- Bisquick Sausage Balls
How to Store and Reheat Letovers
Serve these crispy coconut shrimp hot out of the air fryer for the best texture and flavor. If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
To reheat, air fry the shrimp at 375°F for 2-3 minutes.
Can I Freeze Extras?
Once it’s been cooked, the shrimp won’t freeze and defrost well. It’s best to enjoy these crispy coconut shrimp within four days of making them.
Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
These golden and crispy Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp are a fun, hand-held appetizer for game day. They're made in an air fryer for a healthier and totally satisfying snack.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 ½ cup coconut shavings, unsweetened or sweetened depending on preference
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 12 ounces large shrimp, peeled with the tail on
Instructions
- If needed, preheat air fryer to 375°F.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs and lime juice, set aside.
- In another medium sized bowl, stir the coconut, breadcrumbs, flour, salt, pepper and parsley until well combined.
- One at a time, dip each shrimp into the egg mixture, then drain and immediately dip it into the coconut mixture and press the coconut onto the shrimp.
In batches if needed, place shrimp in a single layer on greased tray in air-fryer basket and then mist the shrimp with non-stick spray (or olive oil spray). - Fry in the air fryer at 375°F for 4 minutes, then flip the shrimp and mist the tops again with non-stick spray (or olive oil spray) and fry for 3 more minutes or until crispy and golden.
Remove the shrimp from the basket and repeat the cooking process, if needed depending on how many shrimp you have or your size of air fryer. - Serve with your favorite sweet chili sauce and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or parsley, if desired.
Notes
Storing:
These coconut shrimp can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat them, air fry them again at 375°F for 2 to 3 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 294Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 218mgSodium: 1248mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 3gSugar: 10gProtein: 21g
More Fun Shrimp Recipes
Love Shrimp? So do I! I feel like I don’t make them enough, even though they are so easy. Here are a few of my favorite ways to prepare them:
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Hi Jessica … thanks for your response. I made mine with frozen shrimp that I thawed. I didn’t rinse them but they were probably too wet from thawing out. I’ll make sure I pat them dry next time. I made a dipping sauce by heating orange marmelade with some pepper flakes in it and was very tasty with the shrimp.
I made these last night and I had a real problem getting the coconut coating to stick to the shrimp. I followed the recipe exactly as written. Mine didn’t look like your picture … most of the coating was in the pan and not on the shrimp.
Hi Donna! Oh no, that stinks! Did you possibly rinse your shrimp right before dipping them? If you rinse your shrimp and they are wet right before you start, that can cause any coating to fall off. If you did rinse them right before, you can always pat them drop with a paper towel before coating them.