Healthier and lighter than traditional coconut shrimp, this air fryer version is golden, crispy, and delightfully delicious without needing a ton of oil. All you need are a handful of ingredients to make these crispy shrimps at home.
I love how these coconut shrimps are so tender and juicy inside with a satisfying crunch on the outside. While they’re amazing appetizers, they’re also perfect for a light lunch. Regardless of how you serve these coconut shrimps, they’re always a crowd-pleaser and disappear quickly. Got extra shrimp and need another recipe? Try my shrimp lettuce wrap recipe or sweet and sour shrimp recipe!
Key Ingredients You Need
- Shrimp — Save yourself the time and effort of peeling and deveining shrimp by buying them peeled and deveined. Keep the tails on so they’re easier to pick up and dip.
- Flour — You can use any type of flour but if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, opt for gluten-free flour or coconut flour for an additional layer of coconut flavor.
- Shredded Coconut — Make sure you use unsweetened shredded coconut.
- Breadcrumbs — I use regular breadcrumbs, but you can use traditional or gluten-free bread crumbs.
How to Make Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
Step 1: Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Prepare the dredging stations: add the flour to a shallow plate, the eggs to another, and mix the breadcrumbs and coconut to the 3rd shallow plate. One at a time, dredge the shrimp in the flour.
Step 3: Then, dip the flour-coated shrimp into the eggs.
Step 4: Finally, coat the shrimp in the breadcrumb and coconut mixture, gently pressing it into the shrimp.
Step 5: Place the breaded shrimp onto a plate or baking sheet and spray with a light coat of cooking spray on both sides.
Step 6: Spray the air fryer basket with a light coat of cooking spray. Place the shrimp into the basket on a single layer. Cook for 7 minutes at 400 F, flipping halfway through the cooking time until the shrimp are golden. Serve with the sweet chili dipping sauce.
Tips For This Recipe
- Pat the shrimp dry to remove any excess water before you coat it. Doing so helps the seasoning and coating stick better to the shrimp. Removing the moisture helps ensure the coconut shrimp crisp up and not steam when air-fried.
- Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket. Keeping the shrimp in a single layer ensures the hot air can reach all of the shrimp and stay crispy.
- Make sure to flip the coconut shrimp halfway through to make sure they are crispy on both sides.
- Make sure you press the shredded coconut into the shrimp. You don’t want them to fall off as you transfer the coconut shrimp to the air fryer basket.
- If you’re doubling or tripling the recipe, you can keep the first few batches of shrimp warm in the oven at 200F.
Frequently Asked Questions
I always try to use jumbo or large to give more leeway and decrease the chances of overcooking. You could always use smaller shrimp but check on them often to avoid overcooking.
You can use fresh or frozen shrimp to make coconut shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, make sure you thaw the shrimp fully and pat them dry so they do not steam when cooked. You can quickly thaw frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water for 10 to 20 minutes.
You can make coconut shrimp in the air fryer 2 to 3 days ahead of time. Allow them to cool before storing them in an airtight container in the fridge. You can reheat them in the air fryer until warmed throughout. Alternatively, you can freeze air-fried coconut shrimp once they’ve cooled. Reheat them straight from frozen.
I love air frying coconut shrimp instead of deep-frying as you use a fraction of the oil, but you still get golden and crispy shrimp. It’s a healthier alternative to the deep-fried versions you find at restaurants, as the hot air circulating around the shrimp mimics the results of deep-frying.
Every air fryer is different, and the size of your shrimp will affect the cooking time. It takes me 7 minutes to cook through my shrimp, but it may take you a minute more or less. You can always use an instant-read thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 120F.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp Recipe, then don’t forget to leave me a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails still attached
- ½ cup flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ¾ cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup breadcrumbs I use panko
- cooking spray
To Serve:
- sweet chili sauce
Instructions
- Spray the air fryer basket with a light coat of cooking spray.
- Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the dredging stations- add the flour to a shallow plate, the eggs to another, and mix together the breadcrumbs and coconut and add it to the 3rd shallow plate.
- One at a time, dredge the shrimp in the flour, then eggs, then the breadcrumb and coconut mixture, gently pressing it into the shrimp.
- Place the breaded shrimp onto a plate or baking sheet and spray with a light coat of cooking spray, on both sides.
- Place the shrimp into the Air Fryer basket, on a single layer. Cook for 7 minutes at 400 F, flipping halway through the cooking time until the shrimp are golden.
- Serve with the sweet chili dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
- Pat the shrimp dry to remove any excess water before you coat it. Doing so helps the seasoning and coating stick better to the shrimp. Removing the moisture helps ensure the coconut shrimp crisp up and not steam when air-fried.
- Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket. Keeping the shrimp in a single layer ensures the hot air can reach all of the shrimp and stay crispy.
- Make sure to flip the coconut shrimp halfway through to make sure they are crispy on both sides.
- Make sure you press the shredded coconut into the shrimp. You don’t want them to fall off as you transfer the coconut shrimp to the air fryer basket.
- If you’re doubling or tripling the recipe, you can keep the first few batches of shrimp warm in the oven at 200F.
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