Baked Coconut Shrimp with Mango Sauce
Baked Coconut Shrimp that are truely CRISPY and crazy delicious. They're a healthy coconut shrimp recipe that is easy to make ahead and freezer-friendly. We like to serve these with a creamy mango dipping sauce.
Put your hand up if you love tender shrimp wrapped in a crunchy blanket of coconut. I'm currently jumping around with both hands in the air yelling, “me, me, me!” You are too, right?
Why this is our favorite coconut shrimp
- CRISPY shrimp all covered in tasty coconut that crunches like it's been deep-fried.
- Baked in the oven (with a special trick) so you don't have to pull out your deep-fryer or visit your local pub to satisfy your crispy shrimp craving.
- Dunked in a mango dipping sauce that is creamy, a little sweet, and all things delicious.
- NO BREADCRUMBS ← totally worth yelling about. They're not at all necessary so we skip them and make this a healthy coconut shrimp recipe instead.
- Because we've ditched the breadcrumbs, this is a grain-free, gluten-free, and paleo coconut shrimp recipe.
- But even if none of that is important to you, this is still the recipe you want to make. It's the best one we've tried.
How to make coconut shrimp
- Start by setting out 3 bowls. I use our deep soup bowls for this job. Whisk eggs in one, add tapioca starch or cornstarch to another, and put coconut in the third.
Here's the important part: when dipping the shrimp, keep one hand for the ‘wet' tasks and one hand for the ‘dry' tasks. Picking up the unbreaded shrimp and taking them out of the egg are the ‘wet' tasks. Taking the shrimp out of the tapioca starch and coconut are the ‘dry' tasks. If you don't keep your hands separate they will become the biggest, gloopiest messes and you'll want to stop 48 times to wash them.
- Now dip each shrimp in the tapioca, then the egg, then the coconut. You can do a few at a time to speed things up.
Put the coconut breaded shrimp on a baking tray lined with oil. Drizzle some more oil on top then bake them for 20 minutes.
How to freeze coconut shrimp
Coconut shrimp freeze very well. Once you've breaded them, lay them in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and put them into your freezer. Once they're frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer bag.
Cook the shrimp from frozen, adding 5 minutes to the baking time.
What ingredients are in the coconut shrimp sauce
Mango dipping sauce is made with:
- Fresh mango
- Mayonnaise (can be light!)
- Honey
- Grated ginger
- Lime juice
Put everything into your blender and give it a whirl.
The trick for making the best baked coconut shrimp
Making the best baked coconut shrimp isn't rocket science, but there is one simple trick you need to know.
- Start by generously oiling your baking sheet. And if you don't have a non-stick pan (like me!) then use parchment paper.
The deep-fried like crispiness comes from the oil. You'll want to use at least 2 tablespoons on the baking sheet and another tablespoon to drizzle over the top. If you have spray oil, this is a great time to pull it out. For maximum crisiness, give the tops of each coconut shrimp a spray with oil.
Is this coconut shrimp recipe healthy
Yes! Shrimp are healthy, coconut is healthy, eggs are healthy, and avocado oil is healthy. The ingredients in this recipe are all good for you.
If you'd like to make your own mayonnaise, then the mango dipping sauce will be even better for you. Homemade mayonnaise uses quality oil and no sugar so there is no need to feel guilty about eating it.
And because there are no unhealthy breadcrumbs in here, it is a paleo and gluten-free coconut shrimp recipe!
Love easy, healthy appetizer recipes?
We love our appys! Whether friends are popping by, or there's a Super Bowl/ game day party, or it's Friday night and that's a good enough excuse, we are always down for appetizers. These are a few of our favorites:
- Tzatziki Avocado Salmon Rolls
- Roasted Caramelized Onion Dip
- Easy Guacamole
- Sesame Pineapple Sausage Bites
- Sticky Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
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Easy Shrimp Recipes
- Garlic Butter Baked Shrimp (party shrimp!)
- Sticky Sesame Honey Shrimp with Ginger Broccoli
- Spicy Cajun Shrimp Skillet with Green Peppers
- Cajun Shrimp Boil Skewers
- Bang Bang Shrimp
Baked Coconut Shrimp Recipe
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- ¾ cup tapioca starch, can sub cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 ½ cups unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 2 large eggs
- 2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp, I like to leave the tails on 21-25 count
- Cilantro, for garnish
Mango Dipping Sauce
- ½ mango, diced (½ cup)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, can be light mayo
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
- Juice from ½ lime
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line an 18×13 inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the tapioca starch and salt. Add the coconut to another bowl and whisk the eggs with a small splash of water in a third bowl.¾ cup tapioca starch, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 2 ½ cups unsweetened desiccated coconut, 2 large eggs
- Drop a few shrimp into the tapioca starch then move them to the bowl with the eggs. Put them into the coconut and coat them well. Transfer them to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining shrimp then drizzle the tops of the breaded shrimp with the remaining tablespoon of oil.2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
- Bake for 20 mintues (no need to flip them) until they are golden brown. Put them on a serving plate and sprinkle a little minced cilantro over, to garnish.
Mango Dipping Sauce
- While the shrimp are baking, add the mango sauce ingredients to your blender and blend on medium speed until smooth.½ mango, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger, Juice from ½ lime
This recipe is part of our Healthy Super Bowl Recipes series.
We have used dozens and dozens of The Endless Meal recipes for years! This is a fan favorite. It’s easy and tastes like it came out of a fancy restaurant. I just noticed I can freeze the unbaked shrimp, which makes me very happy and makes this even easier. Five stars for how thorough the recipes are and the nutrition info. The ease and taste also beats everyone else’s for sure!
Awww Brenda thank you so much! Your comment truly made my day. I’m so happy that you enjoy the recipes here!
Could you make this with pre-cooked shrimp?
Technically, yes. But I would be concerned that baking pre-cooked shrimp would cause them to become dry and chewy.
This recipe is spectacular! The sauce is perfect! I have one daughter who doesn’t like shrimp so I cut up a chicken breast into strips and followed the recipe for her. The rest of us enjoyed the shrimp. A very tasty, light recipe, I served it with a an Asian cabbage salad.
Looks delicious. Any suggestions to possibly prepare this without egg (allergy)?
You could try dipping them in milk instead. The coconut won’t stick quite as well, but it should work pretty well. I’ve tried it successfully when breading chicken so it should work here, too. 🙂
Love these! SO crunchy. Would never have thought I’d like baked shrimp this much. Will make these again for sure!
Yay! That makes me really happy to hear. Thanks, Karen!
This recipe is delicious! I love finding new ones to try, and to know it’s a healthier version is great.
My husband and I don’t always have time to cook, so when we do we always hope it turns out as good as it looks.
I’m so happy to hear that you and your husband love the recipe!
Could arrowroot or almond flour be subbed for the tapioca?
I think that arrowroot would be the better sub in this recipe. 🙂
Kristen, this looks fantastic!
Thank you so much!!