Baked Thai Coconut Shrimp Recipe

Baked coconut shrimp
Iain Bagwell / Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings

This easy baked coconut shrimp recipe is great if you're looking to make something special to serve as an appetizer or finger food, but don't want to spend too long making it. Unlike most coconut shrimp recipes which are deep-fried, this one is easily baked up in the oven, which means less fat and calories. Excellent served with Thai sweet chili sauce (available in most supermarkets in the Asian section), or for an extratropical treat, serve them with my Easy Mango Dip (see below). ENJOY!

Ingredients

  • 18-24 medium to large raw shrimp butterflied (tails can be left on)
  • 1/2 cup dry shredded coconut (unsweetened baking type)
  • 2-3 eggs
  • For the Coating Mix:
  • 1/2 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs, or any dry refined breadcrumbs *see below for gluten-free diets)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or dried crushed chili)

Steps to Make It

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Also, prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray or covering it with parchment paper.

  2. Stir the coating mix ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

  3. In another smaller bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs. In a third bowl, place the shredded coconut.

  4. Holding the shrimp by their tails, dip first into the beaten egg, then in the panko mix to lightly coat, then dip back in the egg, and finally, roll in the coconut.

  5. Lay shrimp on their sides on your prepared baking sheet. Depending on the size and number of shrimp you're making, you may need to use one more egg.

    *Tip: Since they're going to be baked, avoid over-coating, or your shrimp will be flat on one side.

  6. Bake on the middle rack at 425 F for 15-20 minutes, or until coconut is lightly toasted (light golden-brown). Turn the shrimp halfway through baking.

  7. Serve with Thai sweet chili sauce (available at most supermarkets in the Asian section), or my Mango Coconut Dip

Recipe Variation

  • For Gluten-free Diets: Use plain or sesame-flavored rice crackers ground up into fine crumbs with a food processor or chopper (to make 1/2 cup). The results are very similar to Panko.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
163 Calories
8g Fat
13g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 163
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 170mg 57%
Sodium 199mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Protein 9g
Calcium 58mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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