Fried crispy coconut shrimp is restaurant’s favorite food down here in Florida. The addition of crunchy coconut flakes makes it feel and taste so tropical and it just fits right in with all the beautiful palm trees. But guess what, you do not need to go out to enjoy this sweet, crunchy, delicious coconut flakes shrimp, save yourself a trip, it is super quick and easy to make at home.

The easiest way to fry the shrimp is to make it in the deep fryer. My preferred method in this recipe for making incredible homemade coconut shrimp is shallow frying however. The result is crispy (even crispier then after deep fryer), tasty, golden brown beautiful moist and tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside coconut shrimp tempura roll. Flavor, taste and texture of shrimp are simply the best! Shallow frying required only a fraction of oil like you would use deep frying the shrimp. You will need to fry in batches to ensure there is no overcrowding and will need to turn the shrimp once. And there are zero sacrifices in the flavor and texture department compared to baking it. It is hard to achieve the same perfect crunch and gorgeous, appetizing color while baking without frying.

And coconut shrimp easily comes together in a breezy time. All you need for breading is flour, egg and mixture of breadcrumbs. The breading process is pretty basic consisting of 3 simple steps: dredge in flour, dip in egg, roll in a mixture of Panko breadcrumbs and shredded unsweetened coconut flakes.

Unsweetened flakes are really a way to go, save the sweetness for the luscious sweet chili dipping sauce.

Homemade sweet chili dipping sauce comes together just by combining orange marmalade, apricot jam, and garlic chili sauce or sriracha together, or you can use store bought variety or a completely different shrimp chili sauce. It all depends on your personal preferences.

This version of recipe is delicious, easy to make and is a huge hit with kids and adults alike. This is absolutely favorite recipe in my cookbook. No-one can resist a crunchy, tasty coconut shrimp dipped in a sweet peppery sauce. It is a perfect appetizer for parties or just for your family dinner (or even breakfast). So make sure to make a couple of batches because it will be gone in a blink of an eye. Enjoy!