A perfect blend of crunchy, sweet, and spicy, this Oven Fried Coconut Shrimp with Thai Chili Sauce is a great way to switch up your weeknight dinner routine. This shrimp is breaded in a panko and coconut mixture, then oven baked and dipped in a sweet and spicy Thai chili sauce. Finish things off by with a squeeze of fresh lime. Serve as an appetizer, or make it a meal with your favorite sides!
Need to change up your weeknight meal plan game? As a pescatarian, it can be really difficult to meal plan. I often end up cooking everyday because I hate eating leftover seafood. It either smells weird or gets soggy and gross. If I do meal prep, I stick to the same two kinds of seafood, salmon and shrimp, because they are easy to cook and can be refrigerated for a few days. But eating the same thing can be really boring!
Even if you’re not pescatarian, who wants to eat shrimp the same exact way every time? No one! So I figured why not stick things up and make a fun recipe with shrimp that is also decently healthy? And of course I wanted something inspired by Caribbean flavors. That’s what led me to this Oven Fried Coconut Shrimp with Thai Chili Sauce recipe.
It’s super flavorful, with chili flakes and paprika, but it’s also extra crispy, with panko breadcrumbs, sweet coconut flakes, and sesame seeds. And the best part? No frying needed.
That’s right, we can “fry” the shrimp in the oven to get that delicious crunch, without all the oil. So let’s make this recipe!
The perfect crispy shrimp…
Start by making the breading for the shrimp. In a large bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, a little flour, paprika, red chili flakes, salt and pepper, and shredded coconut. The shredded coconut is definitely the star of this dish. It makes the shrimp crunchy and sweet, just the way we want them.
I swear I didn’t fry these. Just look at how crispy these shrimp are?!
The trick is to make sure your coconut is super fine, until it becomes like breadcrumbs. You can either pulse shredded coconut in a food processor until it gets super fine, or buy finely shredded coconut flakes.
Next, it’s time to prep the shrimp for the coconut mixture. Whisk two eggs to make an egg bath. Working with large, tail on, fresh shrimp, dip them into a egg bath one at a time, then transfer to the coconut mixture. Gently press the shrimp into the crumbs, making sure they adhere. Transfer to a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil so the coconut doesn’t burn.
Now for the Thai chili sauce…
This is honestly the easiest chili sauce you’ll ever make. Why? Because it starts with premade chili sauce!
Look, sometimes making things entirely from scratch is just a waste of time. We’re going for an easy, flavorful weeknight meal, right? So let’s spend the time where it counts, eating this delicious meal instead of cooking it!
Start with your favorite Thai chili sauce. I like this one. To the sauce, I added some red chili flakes, fresh lime juice and lime zest, and a little garlic powder. If the Thai chili sauce you use is on the savory side, you can also add some honey. Stir it all together and you’re done.
Dip your oven fried coconut shrimp into this Thai chili sauce and enter heaven. It’s a wonderful world of coconut crunch, sweet chili spice, and zesty lime. It’s SO. GOOD!
Looking for more delicious recipes? Try:
Trini Grilled Salmon with Cilantro Lime Rice
West Indian Shrimp with Creamy Polenta
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If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know by rating it and leaving a comment below. I would love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag @sweetandsorrel on Instagram!
Oven Fried Coconut Shrimp with Thai Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lb large shrimp, tail on, peeled and deveined
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp AP flour
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 tbsp raw sesame seeds optional
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
Thai Chili Sauce
- 1/2 cup Thai chili sauce
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- zest and juice of 1 lime, plus more for serving
- Thai basil for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease two large baking sheets with olive oil. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs. Set aside.
- To a large bowl, combine panko, flour, paprika, chili flakes, sesame seeds, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Dip each shrimp into the egg mixture, then dredge with the breadcrumbs. Press the shrimp into the crumbs to make sure they adhere. Place shrimp onto prepared baking sheet, making sure not to crowd the shrimp. Use 2 baking sheets if necessary. Lightly brush the shrimp with olive oil. This will stop the coconut from burning. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. No need to flip the shrimp, but you can flip halfway througjh if desired and if you want more color on the shrimp.
- Make the Thai chili sauce. Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients for the sauce into a bowl.
- Serve the shrimp with Thai basil, fresh limes, and the Thai chili sauce. Enjoy!
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3 Comments
this looks amazing – going to make this next week when my son in law is here, he loves coconut shrimp
Awesome! I am sure he will enjoy this recipe 🙂