Coconut Shrimp

Wash and clean the shrimp by removing the head and peeling the skin off, but leaving the tail intact. Also devein the shrimp by cutting a slit along the back and removing the vein. I like to make the slit a bit deeper as if butterflying the shrimp, but not too deep. If you need help, here is a helpful + detailed guide on how to peel, devein, and butterfly shrimp.

Pat the shrimp as dry as possible with a paper towel. Season the shrimp with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp paprika. Mix well and set aside.

You're going to need 3 shallow bowls or rimmed plates for this step. To the first bowl, add 1/3 cup all purpose flour; set this aside. To the second bowl, add 2/3 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp paprika, and 1/2 tsp baking soda and mix well. To this flour mixture, add the cold water while stirring continuously until everything is combined and not lumpy; set aside. To the third bowl, add the panko bread crumbs and shredded coconut and mix to combine, while also breaking up some of the bigger coconut pieces.

Set up the dipping station with the plain flour first, the wet flour mixture second, and the bread crumb/coconut mixture last. First, hold one shrimp by the tail and coat it in the plain flour mixture, dusting off any extra. Second, dip the floured shrimp into the wet flour mixture, and allow any excess to drain off. Last, coat the wet shrimp in the bread crumb/coconut mixture, lightly pressing it into the shrimp. Set on a plate and continue this same process with the remaining shrimp.

Heat a pan over medium high heat with about 1 inch of vegetable oil in it. Once hot, add the shrimp and fry until golden, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.

Remove shrimp from pan and allow to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Serve with the sauce provided in this recipe or any sauce that you prefer.

Mix the mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce together and stir until creamy. Add as much sriracha hot sauce as you'd like and stir until combined.