Recipe for Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp

The ocean did call, and I did inform them we’re making air fryer coconut shrimp!

This recipe for air fryer coconut shrimp is SO easy and can be ready in as little as 20 minutes. If you’re looking for a healthier option to traditional deep-fried coconut shrimp, make sure to check out the recipe below for full details!

What is an Air Fryer

Let’s get down to the basics first. What is an air fryer? I know many of you have them sitting on your kitchen counters right now; however, for those who don’t, let’s get into what it actually is. An air fryer is really just magic. It uses hot air in a contained space to make your food crispy, similar to if you were to deep fry them. The best part? You get almost identical results of deep frying without all the calories used for frying. 

Traditional deep frying uses oil to fry (and usually not the uses we’re very fond of). With air frying, you’re using little to no oil each time! For this recipe, you will be using less than 2 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil for the whole batch. Deep frying could NEVER. 

How Long To Cook Coconut Shrimp in the Air Fryer

 Honestly, I feel like at least half of you are here just for this answer. I find the hardest part of the air fryer is figuring out how long and at what temperature to cook your food. For Coconut Shrimp, I recommend cooking them at 400 degrees for 4 minutes on each side. In between cooking times, make sure to oil your coconut shrimp using a brush in order to get that delicious golden brown crust. 

My other pro tip is to avoid overlapping your coconut shrimp. This rule applies to anything you cook in the air fryer, really. Overlapping causes your food to cook unevenly. You may get half a shrimp that is cooked while the other half isn’t (not ideal). 

How to Enjoy Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp

So you made the thing, and now you need to figure out what to do with it. First and foremost, you can enjoy your air fryer coconut shrimp with your favourite dipping sauce. This could be anything from a Thai chilli sauce or pina colada sauce. Another delicious option is to enjoy them with a little bit of lime juice; this is honestly a safe bet I know you’ll love!

Then, there are the more labour-intensive options that are still so worth it. My favourite way to enjoy this recipe is by adding them to tacos! I prefer a soft-shell taco with your fave veggies, cheese, and coleslaw. Believe me, you won’t be disappointed. Alternatively, you can add your shrimp to a beautiful salad if you’re looking for something lighter. 

Is there another way you like to enjoy air fryer coconut shrimp?? Let me know below in the comments!

How to Make Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp 

Okay, so how do you actually make these things? Let’s get into it. 

Step 1: I always recommend getting all your ingredients out and ready before you really start to get into it. This makes sure you are ready to move into the next step without having to stiff through the cupboard for 5 minutes. 

Step 2: So you have all your ingredients, next you need to mix your three bowls for dredging it. Your first bowl will have your flour & spices, the second will have milk and eggs, and your third will have panko bread crumbs and coconut flakes.

Step 3: Next, it’s time to bread those shrimp! I suggest doing this with tongs and having a plate ready for your breaded shrimp. Alternatively, pick one hand to bread your dry ingredients and the other for wet. This prevents your hands from being 100% covered in breading (no thanks).

Please note this is probably going to be a bit messy. Just commit to the mess!

Step 4: It’s time to get air fryer ready! Begin by adding your shrimp to your air fryer, making sure they don’t overlap. Once they’re in lightly brush them with extra virgin olive oil using a brush. 

Depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to do this in two separate batches. 

Set your air fryer to 400 degrees and cook for 4 minutes. Take your basket out, flip your shrimp, re-oil them and pop them back in for another 4 minutes. 

Step 5: Remove and enjoy! Get a plate out, grab your sauce & whatever else and get ready to enjoy those coconut shrimp!

You did it!! For garnishes, I added limes and parsley. These are not necessary, but if you want your plate to look pretty, they don’t hurt. 😉