Sweet and crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp with Garlic Plum Sauce! Tasty, tropical treats that are super quick and easy to make in your oven!
Crunch your way to happiness with this no-mess, no-fuss Baked Coconut Shrimp with Garlic Plum Sauce! This island-inspired finger food recipe is ridiculously delicious! Shrimp, sweetened coconut flakes, eggs, onions, plum sauce, and seasonings make this spectacular shrimp dish!
A Crispy, Crunchy Crowd Pleaser!
This baked coconut shrimp with a pleasing crunch is everything you want in a fried shrimp recipe—without the frying! (Also, without the grease, mess, calories, and having to stand over a hot pan of oil!)
Baked Coconut Shrimp is light. Crisp. Fast. Simple. Sweet. And the plum sauce is plum yum! This tropical shrimp recipe is fantastic as a stand-alone dinner or finger-food addition to any spring buffet or summer cookout!
Other Recipes to Serve with Coconut Shrimp
- Asian Broccoli Ramen Slaw is tangy, sweet, and packed with a satisfying crunch!
- Mixing sweet fruit with a burst of mint, make this Boozy Tropical Fruit Salad for a bright, fresh, crowd-pleasing side dish!
Ingredients
Shrimp: Large, peeled and deveined shrimp are perfect for this recipe! You can choose to go a step larger or smaller with the shrimp and you can peel and devein yourself if you prefer.
Coating: The shrimp will be dredged through egg whites, cornstarch, sweetened coconut flakes, salt and garlic powder. This combination is simple and scrumptious!
Plum Sauce: Using a bought plum sauce, we’ll blend it with soy sauce, honey, diced garlic, and chopped green onion for a unique sweet and tangy sauce unlike anything else you’ve ever eaten!
How to Make Baked Coconut Shrimp with Plum Garlic Sauce
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and generously spray the foil with cooking spray to prevent the coconut from sticking. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and set it aside for now. Set up a dredging station. In one bowl, mix the cornstarch, salt, and garlic powder. In a second bowl, beat three egg whites until foamy. Add the coconut flakes to a third bowl.
STEP TWO: Dredge the shrimp one at a time through the cornstarch mixture, coating thoroughly. Then, dip it into the egg wash. Finally, dip it into the coconut. Place the shrimp on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer, leaving some space between them.
STEP THREE: Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the coating is golden and the shrimp are cooked through.
STEP FOUR: While the shrimp cook, pour the jar of plum sauce into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, and green onion. Stir together and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
STEP FIVE: Remove the garlic plum sauce from the heat and transfer to a bowl.
STEP SIX: Remove the shrimp from the oven, transfer it to a platter, serve with the plum sauce, and watch it disappear!
Tips for Success
- Tail-on shrimp are needed! This is a finger food, dip-in-the-yummy-sauce food, so you need the tail as a little handle!
- Place a paper towel or a strip of parchment paper under your dredging bowls for easy cleanup.
- Once it’s thawed and ready to prep, pat dry the uncooked shrimp. This helps the egg batter and coconut to stick.
- When dredging through the coconut flakes, press down to set them really into the shrimp.
Can I Make Coconut Shrimp in the Air Fryer?
Yes! Now, this shrimp recipe only takes 15-20 minutes in a traditional oven, so it’s easy as is. But if you want to use the air fryer, go for it!
Once you dredge the shrimp and coat them in the coconut flakes, let them sit for 10-15 minutes to help the coating stick better. (You don’t want it flying off in the air fryer.) Preheat your air fryer to 385 degrees F. Once hot, place some of the shrimp in the fryer basket in a single layer, leaving room between each shrimp. Then cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Continue until all your shrimp are “fried” to golden, crispy perfection!
Is Coconut Shrimp Gluten-Free?
Because we use cornstarch instead of flour, this recipe for baked coconut shrimp is gluten-free! Our full list of ingredients is also gluten-free, but as with any bought or prepared food (like the jar of plum sauce), always check the ingredients to be sure.
More Succulent Shrimp Recipes to Love
- Shrimp Salad
- Spicy Garlic Shrimp
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Shrimp Scampi
- Baked Bang Bang Shrimp
- Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Tacos
*This post originally posted on 12/31/2013.
Ingredients
Coconut Shrimp
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
- 3 egg whites
Garlic Plum Dipping Sauce
- 7 ounces plum sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 green onion finely chopped (green and white parts)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat generously with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Take the shrimp out of the package and pat them dry with paper towels. Set aside.
- Set up a dredge station. In a shallow bowl, mix the cornstarch, salt, and garlic powder. In another shallow bowl, beat the egg whites until they're foamy. In a third shallow bowl, spread out the coconut flakes.
- Dip one shrimp first into the cornstarch until coated. Then dip into the egg whites, and finally dip in the coconut until well-coated. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
- Place the shrimp in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, leaving room between them so that they don't touch.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the coating is golden brown. Remove from the oven.
Garlic Plum Dipping Sauce
- While the shrimp cooks, pour the plum sauce into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the soy sauce, honey, garlic, and green onion. Bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the sauce to a bowl.
- Plate the coconut shrimp on a serving platter with the bowl of plum sauce and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can use tail-on or tail-off shrimp depending on your preference.
- Nutritional information includes 1 ounce of plum sauce and 8 shrimp per serving.
Christine says
Excellent recipe. Do not feel you MUST use sweetened coconut – I didn’t, and it tasted glorious! Now to find a reduced-sugar plum sauce…