Prep Time:  30 mins
Cook Time:  5 mins
Total Time:  35 mins
Servings:  4

In this recipe, you'll learn to make fried coconut shrimp with a spicy chipotle adobo dipping sauce. This makes a great quick meal or appetizer with a sweet and spicy flavor combo! We cooked ours using a fryer attachment for our gas grill, but any deep fryer will do.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Frying Shrimp

  • 2-3 inch depth of peanut oil for frying
  • 1 1/2 lbs jumbo shrimp (peeled and deveined)

Ingredients for Dredge

  • 3/4 cup corn starch
  • 2 each fine lime zest
  • 1 tsp ground ginger powder
  • 1 tsp coarse salt
  • 1 tsp ground white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 4 each egg whites

Ingredients for Breading

  • 3 cups desiccated coconut
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 Tbsp corn starch
  • 1/3 cup honey

Ingredients for Dipping Sauce

  • 1 cup puréed chipotles in adobo sauce
  • 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter

Items You'll Need

Instructions

Instructions for Adobo Sauce

  1. In a sauce pan over medium heat, add puréed chipotles in adobo sauce, coconut sugar, lime juice, and cilantro.
  2. Mix until sugar dissolves.
  3. Stir in unsalted butter while removing pan from the heat.
    Butter being added to the Adobo sauce
  4. Serve sauce or chill in fridge until ready to serve.

Instructions for Coconut Shrimp

  1. Prep coconut for breading shrimp.
  2. If using unsweetened dried coconut, toss the dessicated coconut with the confectioners sugar and corn starch to blend well and coat.
  3. Whisk together the hot water and honey until incorporated and pour over the coconut mixture. Toss to blend and allow the coconut to rehydrate for 10 minutes or so.
  4. Mix together all dry dredge ingredients in a separate mixing bowl.
    All dry ingredients being mixed in a bowl
  5. Add egg whites to a small bowl next to the seasoned cornstarch mix.
  6. Place coconut breading in another shallow bowl next to the egg whites.
  7. Preheat oil in fryer to 350°F, use a grease thermometer so that you can monitor the temperature.
  8. Batter shrimp individually by rolling in seasoned cornstarch mixture, then dunking in egg whites, and finishing the process with a roll in the coconut batter.
    Dredged shrimp on a plate before frying
  9. Once battered, fry in the preheated 350°F oil and maintain an oil temperature above 325°F for the entire cook.
  10. Fry until shrimp are golden brown, then drain any excess grease before plating.
  11. Plate with adobo dipping sauce, and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
  12. Serve, and enjoy!
    Finished and plated fried coconut shrimp with a coconut filled with sauce