Name: Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp Recipe - Cooked in Minutes!
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients: 16-20 large peeled & deveined shrimp (frozen); 1/2 cup flour; 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs; 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes; 1 egg; 1/4 tsp each salt & pepper

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Homemade, crispy Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp in minutes! Perfectly cooked from frozen, this recipe delivers crunchy coconut goodness with minimal effort.

Air fried shrimp on a black plate around a small white bowl of sweet chili sauce with an air fryer in the background.

This coconut shrimp is my absolute favorite appetizer for air frying. This method of cooking creates a crunchy coconut crust on the outside with tender, juicy shrimp on the inside.

Too busy to make this right away? Pin it for later! Pin this post to your favorite board on Pinterest and it will be there when you’re ready!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Homemade air fryer frozen coconut shrimp is way easier to make than you would think. It’s a fairly simple task that includes a bit of preparation that yields great results!

Air fried coconut shrimp being dipped in sweet chili sauce.

Air Fryer Shrimp Recipe

The last time we visited Hawaii we went to a local restaurant called Seven Brothers where we had the most amazing coconut shrimp. Upon returning home we made it our mission to recreate some semblance of that delicious dish.

This air fryer coconut shrimp is as close to that iconic Hawaiian dish as we can get it. Be sure to add this one to your menu planning!

Air fried coconut shrimp on a black plate with a small white bowl of sweet chili sauce.

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Supplies

Ninja Air Fryer – this is a great all-around air fryer in my experience!
Parchment paper – awesome for lining the basket of the air fryer and making clean up a breeze.
Air Fryer Paper Liners – these disposable air fryer liners work great too!
Cutting board – for slicing & dicing ingredients.
Knife – this is my go to kitchen knife.
Paper Towels – making clean up a breeze.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

How to Get the Best Results from Your Air Fryer

It’s important to preheat the air fryer to ensure even and consistent cooking.
Make sure your food is in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd the basket, as this may lead to uneven cooking. Cook in batches if needed to allow for adequate circulation of hot air.
Save on cleanup by lining your air fryer basket with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Clean your air fryer! I recommend washing by hand, but check your manual.

Ingredients

Start with a few simple ingredients from the grocery store. Full details are in the printable recipe card and the bottom of this post.

Large peeled & deveined shrimp, frozen
All purpose flour
Panko breadcrumbs – any brand of breadcrumbs will work.
Unsweetened coconut flakes
Egg
Salt & pepper

Raw jumbo shrimp prepared and in a white bowl.

Instructions

1. Defrost frozen shrimp in the refrigerator or a sink filled with water.

2. Prepare the shrimp (peel and devein) if needed.

One raw jumbo shrimp cut and deveined on a wooden cutting board.

3. Butterfly the shrimp by cutting along the back deep enough to fold open the two halves.

Tip: use a sharp pairing knife and be sure not to cut too deeply as to separate the two halves of the shrimp. The tail should remain attached.

Dipping station for coconut shrimp of bowls on a white counter.

4. In a medium bowl combine panko, coconut and S&P. Mix well.

5. In a small bowl, beat the egg.

6. Place flour in a shallow bowl.

7. Dredge the shrimp in flour, dip shrimp in beaten egg and coat in the panko coconut mixture.

Tip: be sure that the mixture coats the inside of the shrimp as well as the outside.

Raw coconut breaded shrimp in the basket of an air fryer.

8. Place shrimp into the basket of the air fryer in an even layer. You will likely need to cook in two batches.

Cooked coconut breaded shrimp in the basket of an air fryer.

9. Cook at 390 for 5 mins.

Recipe Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, we love this homemade coconut sweet chili sauce. Soy sauce or spicy mayo would be good choices too.

Feel free to add crushed macadamia nuts to the panko mixture. We couldn’t agree if this was a part of the original Hawaiian recipe or not.

Close up of cooked coconut breaded shrimp in the basket of an air fryer.

Cook time will depend on the size of the shrimp. We use jumbo shrimp in this recipe, smaller shrimp will not take as long to cook.

Just check on the breaded shrimp in the basket half way through cooking to see if the coconut crust has started to turn golden brown.

Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge.

More Tasty Air Fryer Recipes

Now that you have experienced just how simple an air fryer is to use, I have tons of other easy air fryer recipes for you.

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