A delicious dinner of coconut shrimp makes me feel like I am vacationing in a beautiful tropical destination. I love looking for coconut shrimp on the menu when I go out to eat, so I thought it was time I make my own recipe so I can enjoy it at home as well. Well, this recipe is sure to give you all those tropical flavors you love.
Shrimp is one of those super quick meals to make at home. You can have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes which is great after a busy day of work. The breading is the most time consuming part of this recipe but oh so worth it in the end. The delicious and satisfying crunch of the breading is perfect.
The apricot drizzle brings the right amount of sweet and heat combination to this dish. The apricot topping is delicious as a drizzle over the shrimp for flavor, or you can consider adding the cornstarch water slurry to help thicken the sauce for dipping. If you really enjoy heat, I recommend adding additional red pepper flakes to the recipe.
To make this recipe, start by breading the thawed raw shrimp. If your shrimp is frozen, I recommend running it under cool water until it is completely thawed. Next, I removed all of the tails, but you could certainly leave those on if you prefer or buy shrimp without the tails. Before breading the shrimp, pat them dry with a paper towel, this will help the breading stick to the shrimp. When you apply the breading, coat in flour first, then dip in the egg, then coat in the whole wheat bread crumb/shredded coconut mixture. I recommend an unsweetened shredded coconut for this recipe. When applying the bread crumb/coconut mixture to the shrimp I pressed the shrimp down to make sure the breading sticks well. You want a well coated shrimp so it is nice and crispy. After all the shrimp have been breaded, place on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. This will allow the shrimp to brown during baking. I recommend using an oil with a high smoke point such as avocado oil or canola oil. I prefer the taste of avocado oil.
Bake the shrimp at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. The shrimp should register at a temp of 145 degrees when it is done. While the shrimp bakes in the oven, make the apricot sauce. You don’t want to forget to make this sauce. It is sweet, spicy and so delicious with the shrimp. The sauce can be made into a thin drizzle for the shrimp or a thick dipping sauce depending on your preference. If you want the sauce slightly thicker, I used a cornstarch and water slurry to thicken it. When the shrimp is done cooking, serve warm! In the words of my husband “This recipe is a big win!” I hope you enjoy!
Coconut Shrimp with Apricot Drizzle
Ingredients
For the shrimp
- 1 lb Raw shrimp
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 cup Whole Wheat Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 Eggs beaten
- Cooking spray
For the apricot sauce
- ¼ cup Apricot preserves
- ⅛ cup Pineapple Juice
- ⅛ tsp Red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp Cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water optional
Instructions
For the shrimp
- If the shrimp is frozen, thaw in refrigerator over night
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Remove shrimp tails and pat shrimp dry using a paper towel
- Prepare the breading ingredients. Spread flour on a plate, beat two eggs in a bowl, combine breadcrumbs and coconut on a plate
- Apply the breading to the shrimp. Coat shrimp in flour, dredge in egg, then coat in coconut breading. Be sure to pat the breading firmly onto the shrimp so it sticks.
- Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Place breaded shrimp on a baking sheet.
- Once all the shrimp have been breaded, spray tops of shrimp with cooking spray. High smoke point oils are recommended such as avocado oil or canola oil
- Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until shrimp registers 145°. See notes for additional cooking directions.
For the sauce
- While the shrimp is baking, prepare the sauce by combining the apricot preserves, pineapple juice and red pepper flakes.
- Simmer for 3 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently to prevent burning. See notes for making a dipping sauce instead of a drizzle.
- When the shrimp is done, drizzle sauce over the shrimp and serve warm.
Notes
- Baking: if you are using large shrimp or "jumbo shrimp" you may need to bake for 12-15 minutes or until temperature registers 145
- If you want to use the sauce as a drizzle, do not add the cornstarch slurry. If you prefer to dip the coconut shrimp then slowly add the cornstarch slurry until it reaches desired consistency.
