Last week I spent time on a family vacation in South Carolina. As you read this I’m likely on my way home, relaxed from a week of beach time. I’ll be rested, hopefully tanned (and not sunburned), and refreshed after catching up on summer reading.
Of course the best part of the trip was visiting family, especially relatives I only see once or twice a year. It’s a small world we live in—one day in Iowa, the next on a Carolina beach.
Our family has kept this beach tradition for most of my life. When I was young my cousins and I played in the sand—maybe even tossed some of it at each other. Now their kids run around in the same sand. It’s comforting to see life come full circle. My extended family has lived in the South for generations, and I’m grateful we can reunite every year.
We come from a family of excellent cooks, and we love eating as much as we love cooking. During our vacations shrimp always makes an appearance—after all, we’re by the coast and the seafood is fantastic.
We’ve enjoyed shrimp in many ways: peel-and-eat with homemade cocktail sauce, sautéed in BBQ or garlic butter. No matter how it’s prepared, it disappears fast—there’s never a single shrimp left uneaten.
Because I love you all, I wanted to share a shrimp recipe that’s easy and delicious: baked coconut shrimp with two dipping sauces. We don’t make coconut shrimp at the beach, but this version is a summertime favorite at home.
What’s not to love? Juicy shrimp coated in a crunchy coconut crust, broiled to golden perfection. I made two dipping sauces to pair with them. The first is a sweet, creamy coconut sauce made with coconut milk and honey. The second is a tahini-ginger sauce—bright, gingery, slightly tart, with a spicy kick from red pepper flakes. Both are simple to prepare—pick your favorite or serve both for variety.
The best part: there’s no frying. A few minutes under the broiler cooks the shrimp and crisps the coconut nicely, delivering the texture of fried shrimp without the extra oil or mess.
Make this for your next family gathering this summer. Serve the shrimp immediately so the coconut stays crisp—leftovers can be refrigerated for up to two days, but they’re at their best fresh from the oven. Your family will thank you.
Cheers!
Baked Coconut Shrimp with Two Dipping Sauces (GF)
- Author: Emily Koch
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 Servings
- Category: Appetizer, entree
- Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Seafood
Description
This baked coconut shrimp is broiled until the coconut is crisp and golden. The recipe comes together quickly and includes two dipping sauces to suit different tastes.
Ingredients
- For the coconut sauce:
- 1/2 can full-fat coconut milk (reserve the remainder for another use)
- 2–3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
- A pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- For the tahini-ginger sauce:
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons tahini paste
- About 2 inches fresh ginger, grated
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
- 2–3 teaspoons honey or agave nectar
- 1/2–1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
- For the coconut shrimp:
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and patted dry
- 1/4 cup coconut flour (substitute all-purpose flour if gluten isn’t a concern)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (for eggs)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (for eggs)
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- For the coconut sauce:
- Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stir in honey (or agave) and a pinch of sea salt.
- Spoon out a tablespoon of coconut milk into a small dish and whisk in the arrowroot or cornstarch until smooth.
- Whisk that mixture into the saucepan and simmer, whisking constantly, for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.
- For the tahini-ginger sauce:
- Whisk together tahini, grated ginger, orange zest, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Adjust flavors—add more tahini to thicken, more honey to sweeten, extra soy for salt, or more red pepper flakes for heat. Set aside.
- For the coconut shrimp:
- Preheat the broiler. Position the oven rack in the middle if using an electric oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a wire cooling rack and spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Set up three shallow bowls: one with coconut flour seasoned with salt and pepper, one with the whisked eggs seasoned with salt and pepper, and one with shredded coconut.
- Working one shrimp at a time, dredge each in coconut flour, tapping off excess, dip in the egg, then press into shredded coconut to coat. Place the coated shrimp on the oiled rack. Repeat until all shrimp are coated.
- Lightly spray the coated shrimp on both sides with cooking spray.
- Broil for about 3 minutes per side, watching closely so the coconut doesn’t burn. (If your broiler flame is very close, 2 minutes per side may be sufficient.) Shrimp are done when tails turn pink, shrimp curl slightly, and the coconut is toasted.
- Serve immediately with the coconut sauce and the tahini-ginger sauce. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator up to 2 days but are crispiest when fresh.
Notes
This baked coconut shrimp is adapted from a simple coconut shrimp concept. It’s a lighter, no-fry version that still delivers great texture and flavor.