Description
Crispy, golden coconut shrimp made in the air fryer without deep frying. Served with a homemade sweet chili sauce, this appetizer is ready in just 15 minutes and is a crowd-pleaser for parties or weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (450g) raw large or extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
- 1½ cups (135g) shredded sweetened coconut
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (e.g., Mae Ploy)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Cooking spray (avocado or canola oil)
- Optional garnish: fresh cilantro leaves and sesame seeds
Instructions
- Thaw frozen shrimp if necessary, then drain and pat them completely dry with paper towels.
- Set up a dredging station with three shallow bowls: one with flour and a pinch of salt, one with beaten eggs, and one with shredded coconut.
- Dredge each shrimp in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg wash, and finally roll in coconut, pressing gently to adhere.
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 3 minutes.
- Lightly spray the coconut-coated shrimp with cooking spray.
- Place shrimp in the air fryer basket in a single layer without overlapping.
- Cook for 5 minutes, then flip shrimp carefully with tongs.
- Spray the other side lightly with oil and cook for another 3-5 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
- While shrimp cook, whisk together chili garlic sauce, honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce, water, and minced garlic in a small saucepan.
- Heat the sauce over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened, then remove from heat.
- Serve shrimp immediately with the warm sweet chili sauce on the side, garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
Ensure shrimp are completely dry before breading to prevent coating from sliding off. Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket to ensure crispiness; cook in batches if necessary. Coconut burns easily, so monitor closely or lower temperature to 380°F if your air fryer runs hot. Reheat leftovers in the air fryer at 380°F for 3-4 minutes to restore crispiness.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6-8 shrimp per servi
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 18
Keywords: air fryer coconut shrimp, coconut shrimp recipe, air fryer appetizer, sweet chili sauce, easy shrimp recipe, healthy air fryer recipes, party appetizers