There’s no denying the appeal of coconut shrimp — crunchy, sweet, and easy to eat, like a meaty popcorn kernel. But they can be a mess to fry up, which makes them a perfect candidate for the air fryer. These shrimp are marinated in coconut milk, then coated in breadcrumbs and more coconut before getting cooked up to crispy perfection and served with a cooling-yet-spicy coconut yogurt. That’s three hits of coconut and none of the excess grease; I can’t think of a better sales pitch than that.
- ½ pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp (tails intact)
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- Finely grated zest of 1 lime
- Kosher salt
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Cooking spray
- 1 small or ½ medium cucumber, halved and seeded
- 1 cup coconut yogurt (or dairy yogurt)
- 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
1. In a bowl, combine the shrimp, coconut milk, lime zest, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Let the shrimp stand for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and shredded coconut and season with salt and pepper.
3. A few at a time, add the shrimp to the breadcrumb mixture and toss to coat completely. Transfer the shrimp to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Spray the shrimp all over with cooking spray.
4. Transfer the shrimp to the air fryer and cook at 400°F until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Move the shrimp to a serving platter and season with more salt.
5. Grate the cucumber into a small bowl. Stir in the coconut yogurt and chile and season with salt and pepper. Serve alongside the shrimp while they’re warm.
Related
Go Basic:
To make plain fried shrimp, omit the coconut milk, lime zest, and shredded coconut. Set up a breading station with 1 cup all-purpose flour, 4 large eggs, lightly beaten, and 1 cup panko breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls, and season each with salt and pepper. Working one at a time, coat each shrimp in the flour, dip in the egg, and dredge in the breadcrumbs. Transfer the shrimp to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and continue with the recipe.
NEXT: How to make crispy 'fried' Brussels sprouts in your air fryer
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Recipes and photographs reprinted from Air Fry Every Day: 75 Recipes to Fry, Roast, and Bake Using Your Air Fryer. Copyright © 2018 by Ben Mims. Photographs by Denny Culbert. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.