Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
My Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp is a restaurant quality appetizer that you can make at home! It’s so easy to make and healthier than the traditional deep fried version, thanks to the air fryer. It can be made gluten free too!
Servings: 24 shrimp
Calories: 47kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra large shrimp (21-26 count, peeled and deveined with tails attached)
- ¼ cup flour (can use gluten-free flour)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs (can use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs)
- Olive oil spray
- Sweet chili sauce for serving
Instructions
- First, butterfly the shrimp (this step is optional but will give the shrimp a nice appearance). To do this, insert a small knife along the back of the shrimp starting near the head and run it down the center of the shrimp to the tail, cutting about ¾ of the way into the shrimp (do not cut all the way through the shrimp). Using your hands, spread the flesh open until the shrimp lies flat. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
- Set up a breading station. Place the flour, salt and pepper in a tray and mix them together. Place the eggs in a second tray and whisk them with a tablespoon of water. Place the coconut flakes and breadcrumbs in a third tray and mix them together.
- Working one at a time, pat the shrimp dry and dredge them in the flour. Dust off any excess flour and then dip them into the egg wash. Finally, press the shrimp into the coconut mixture, coating both sides.
- Heat an air fryer to 350°F. When hot, place a layer of shrimp in the basket and spray or brush them with olive oil. Don’t overcrowd the basket. Cook for 4 minutes then open the basket and flip the shrimp over. Cook another 4 minutes until done (if you did not butterfly the shrimp, you may need to cook them 1-2 minutes longer). Remove the shrimp from the basket and cook the remaining shrimp.
- Arrange the shrimp on a serving platter. Serve them with sweet chili sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Pat your shrimp dry before breading it. This will help the coating stick better and allow the shrimp to get extra crispy.
- Preheat the air fryer first to get it nice and hot before cooking.
- You can spray or brush the air fryer rack with oil as well as the food, if desired. You can skip this step but I like to spray the shrimp to get a nice golden brown color and to prevent sticking.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket. You want the shrimp in a single layer so that the air circulates around them. This will help them cook evenly and crisp up nicely. If your air fryer comes with a second rack, you can put a layer of shrimp on that as well and cook twice as many.
- Flip the shrimp halfway through to get even browning on both sides.
- Every air fryer is different in terms of how hot they get and how quickly they heat up so you may have to adjust the temperature and cooking time based on your air fryer. This recipe was tested using a Ninja Max XL 5.5 quart air fryer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 shrimp | Calories: 47kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 54IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg