Baked Coconut Shrimp

The Coconut Shrimp Theory of Home Cooking.

We cook at home for many reasons—to save money, because we’re too tired to go out, to connect with our families—but this baked coconut shrimp recipe is a perfect example of one of the best and least-talked about reasons to cook at home: because you can make healthy versions of “junky” foods and therefore indulge in them without guilt of any kind. Is this our primary driving force for cooking for our families? No. Is this a very very excellent reason to become a seasoned home cook? YES!

How To Make Coconut Shrimp

Our coconut shrimp recipe is baked rather than fried both because baking is easier and baked coconut shrimp are substantially healthier than fried. Plus, there’s no drawback—coated with a crisp, savory-sweet coconut batter, this recipe yields the best coconut shrimp ever. They’re gluten free, low-carb and truly just as good (we might even say better) than their greasy fried restaurant-made counterparts. Here’s how to make healthy coconut shrimp:

1. Prep your shrimp! Actually, ask your fishmonger to do this for you. Because it’s free and saves you a ton of time! Ask them to remove the skins and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on.
2. Batter up! Swapping almond flour for regular makes these sweet-and-savory baked coconut shrimp gluten-free and nearly carb-free but still totally flavor-full!
3. Coconut coating. Use your hands to pat the shredded coconut onto the shrimp to make sure it’s nicely stuck.
4. Bake! 12 minutes in the oven, or until the coconut shrimp are lovely and crisp and cooked through.
5. Dip! Our baked coconut shrimp dipping sauce is super easy—read on for a little how-to.

2-Ingredient Dipping Sauce

Chili paste (sambal oelek), plus honey. Stir them together until you’ve got a lovely, dippable vicious red sauce. Voila! The best, simplest, sweet-spicy coconut shrimp dipping sauce you could ever hope for. And if you want to try it on your next sandwich, that probably wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.

What Goes with Coconut Shrimp?

This easy baked coconut shrimp recipe needs no accompaniment, but it’s also not *quite* a meal in and of itself. We love to serve coconut shrimp as a simple cocktail party snack—pair with an icy beer, or (if you’re feeling ambitious) a tropical cocktail like a Mai Tai. If you want to round these healthy coconut shrimp out into a meal, serve them with this killer sriracha-dressed Asian slaw and some simple steamed white rice. There’s no wrong way to serve something as delicious as these crispy, easy gluten free coconut shrimp.

Tools You’ll Need:

• Mixing bowls
• Baking Sheet

Other Shrimp Recipes To Love:

Because we’re all obsessed, right?

• Garlic shrimp stir-fry.
• Shrimp melt with capers.
• Shrimp, asparagus and sausage sheet pan dinner.
• Chimichurri marinated shrimp over creamy polenta.

We’re Coconutty for Coconut Shrimp!

And we hope you are, too. Snap a photo of your baked coconut shrimp, and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!