Baked Coconut Shrimp

This crispy baked coconut shrimp recipe is light, crunchy, and paired with an apricot dipping sauce for the ultimate appetizer. Healthier than fried shrimp but with all the same amazing flavor, you’re going to love this crave-worthy starter!

Wait until you try this healthier version of deep fried coconut shrimp. Not only are you going to love that it’s not saturated by oil from deep frying, but you are going to adore the crunch and flavor of this crispy shrimp recipe.

And dip it in the apricot sauce and you’re going to be yumming your way through this appetizer.

Are you an appetizer person? Can you make a meal of appetizers like I can? Not that I don’t enjoy eating a full meal but sometimes I crave to eat just appetizers.

That’s why I crave and eat this baked coconut shrimp at least once a month.

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Helpful tips

• Make the apricot sauce first and leave it on the counter so it stays at room temperature.
• The apricot sauce is spicy, but if you want some extra kick to your appetizer, add some chili powder along with chipotle powder to the breadcrumb mixture.
• You can use fresh large raw shrimp or frozen. I prefer frozen mainly because the cost is more economical.
• If you use frozen shrimp, place them in a sieve or colander in your sink and run cold water over it to hasten the thawing process. It only takes around ten minutes to thaw. And don’t worry, you won’t have to run the water the whole ten minutes. I usually run water, use my hands to separate the shrimp, then run more water and repeat until I can easily remove the shells.
• Make sure to remove the shells as well as the tails and devein the shrimp. This way you can eat the whole shrimp without having to dig out the meat in the tail shell.
• I use spelt flour because I love it, but you can use all purpose flour if you prefer.
• You can store coconut shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge. You can easily reheat them in an oven, air fryer, or toaster oven. I reheat these crispy coconut shrimp at 300 F, for 6 – 8 minutes.

How to make baked coconut shrimp

Pre-step

Get a colander or sieve, three bowls or plates, whisk, baking sheet, and parchment paper.

Step one

Place a colander in the sink and add the frozen shrimp to it. Run cold water over the shrimp to hasten the thawing process. It takes about 10 minutes to fully thaw the shrimp. While I’m waiting and separating the shrimp, I make the apricot sauce.

Step two

Gather the ingredients for the dipping sauce – apricot jam, horseradish, mustard and soy sauce.

Step three

Grab a medium shallow metal mixing bowl and add the apricot jam, dijon mustard, soy sauce, and horseradish. Whisk until combined.

Transfer apricot sauce to a small glass bowl and leave it on the counter.

Step four

By now the shrimp has thawed so remove the shells and tails and make sure the shrimp are deveined. Place on a large platter and pat dry with paper towels.

Step five

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

Step six

Gather the breading ingredients for the shrimp – shredded coconut or coconut flakes, flour, Panko breadcrumbs, chipotle powder, and one egg. (A)

Step seven

Place flour in a one shallow bowl. Breadcrumbs, chipotle powder, coconut, and salt in a second bowl. Crack an egg in a third bowl and whisk until combined. (B) You may need two eggs, but just start with one.

Step eight

Dip shrimp first in the flour mixture, then the beaten egg, then the panko crumbs. (C)

Step nine

Place coated shrimp on the parchment paper lined jellyroll pan. Leave room between each shrimp. (D)

Step ten

Take an olive oil mister and spray a light mist over the shrimp or just dribble a small amount of olive oil over it. Place the shrimp into the oven and set the timer for 8 minutes.

Step eleven

Once it dings, flip the baked shrimp over and put them in for another 2 minutes.

Step twelve

Arrange the crispy coconut shrimp on a serving dish, grab the sauce and get ready to partake in this delicious appetizer.

I’m drooling.  Time to plate a few shrimp on our cute little plates.

I dip one in the apricot sauce.

Yum.

Crunch!

So delicious!

Other popular seafood recipes

• Shrimp scampi
• Scallop stuffed mushrooms
• Crab cakes
• Stuff seafood

I hope you enjoyed the baked coconut shrimp recipe!

Please feel free to leave me a comment, do you sometimes eat appetizers as your main meal?

And as always, may all your dishes be delish.

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!