Oven Fried Coconut Shrimp with Thai Pineapple Chili Sauce.
Switching up the average weeknight meal with Oven Fried Coconut Shrimp with Thai Pineapple Chili Sauce. This coconut “popcorn” shrimp is breaded in sweet coconut, sesame seeds, oven-baked, then dipped in a spicy, tangy Thai chili lime sauce made with sweet, juicy pineapple chunks. Add fresh limes and Thai basil for a finishing touch. This is what I call at-home takeout. And yes, these popcorn shrimp bites are even healthier than ordering out…because they’re baked, not fried…plus so much tastier. Serve with veggies, steamed rice, or oven-baked french fries for an easy family dinner that’s different, sweet, spicy, and full-of-flavor.
Tuesday night coconut shrimp anyone? I’m feeling like we could use a fun, low key style recipe to livin’ up the week. Enter this coconut shrimp. We might not be relaxing on an Island, but we can pretend and at least have a fun dinner…right?
I’ve been wanting to post a good coconut shrimp recipe for a while now. Ever since our last family vacation to the Caribbean a few years back. I wanted to recreate the coconut shrimp we had almost every night. It was deep-fried, extra-crisp, and served with an array of different sauces and dips.
And you guys? It was delicious. So delicious that honestly some nights it just turned into dinner.
It’s been a couple of years since that family trip. I’d forgotten how good a simple coconut fried shrimp is. That is until I made this coconut popcorn chicken in the spring. I was then reminded of just how good the flavor of coconut can be when used in a savory way. After posting the popcorn chicken, so many of you requested a recipe for coconut shrimp. But yet, I still hesitated.
Why? Simply because I didn’t want to fry all that shrimp in hot oil. Just too much of a pain, you know? But then I got to thinking. I’ve certainly baked shrimp before, and I’ve certainly made many “oven fried” chicken recipes, so why couldn’t I do the same with shrimp? I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but I figured it was worth trying.
The verdict? It works! And it’s easy, so easy, and it tastes delicious. Think about your favorite crispy fried coconut shrimp, but ditch all the oil. It’s not exactly the same because you don’t have that deep-fried flavor, but personally…I actually like this better. Instead of an oily taste, you can actually taste the sweet coconut and those sesame seeds add a little nutty Thai flare too.
Beyond good.
So here’s how to make oven fried coconut shrimp.
As with all of my oven fried recipes, this one is pretty easy too. I will say that breading each little shrimp does take a minute. But it’s much, much easier, cleaner, and healthier than frying.
The coconut breading is a mix of sweet shredded coconut, Panko breadcrumbs, and sesame seeds. The shredded coconut is the KEY flavor here. As the shrimp bake in the oven, the coconut becomes “fried” turning extra sweet, nutty, and crisp. What’s amazing is that since we’re not frying, you don’t get any of that oily flavor, just coconut flavor.
Once the shrimp are all breaded, bake until the shrimp are crispy all over.
Three tips for getting perfectly crisp shrimp.
The first tip, pulse the coconut in the food processor to really break the shreds down into a fine crumb. If you don’t have a food processor, try to find this brand of shredded coconut, which comes very finely shredded. This step is not a must, but I do find that the shrimp cooks up nicer with finely shredded coconut than it does with the shredded coconut that’s more common in store-bought brands.
Second tip, do not overcrowd your baking sheet. If you have too many shrimp on one pan, the shrimp with steam instead of crisp. We want crispy coconut shrimp, so make sure to leave room for the shrimp to really crisp up in the oven.
Tip three? Use olive oil to help the breading crisp up nicely. This is also key. You can use an olive oil mister or just drizzle the shrimp with oil. Both work, but don’t skip this step.
Now, on to that pineapple chili sauce?
As you would expect…it’s my favorite part. You guys know how much I love a sweet and spicy sauce, but add pineapple to the mix?
My absolute favorite.
I made things easy and used this sauce as my base. To the sauce, I added a couple tablespoons of ketchup, garlic, and plenty of fresh lime juice and zest. I then stirred in fresh, finely chopped pineapple. It takes seconds to put together and is truly what I call, an addicting sauce.
Think sweet, tangy, and just a touch spicy with small chunks of pineapple throughout.
It is SO GOOD!
And finally…put the shrimp with the sweet sauce and serve um up…YUM. Think crispy, coconutty, and very addicting. The sauce is spicy, yet sweet and tangy, with pineapple chunks. The most delicious flavors.
The shrimp only takes minutes to cook up, so it makes for a fast dinner any night of the week. You could also make this as a fun weekend appetizer.
During the week, I will serve the crispy shrimp over steamed coconut rice or noodles, or serve with oven baked fries. I also like to add lime and plenty of fresh Thai basil from the garden. Then just add a summer salad to round out the meal. But on the weekends…I like to serve this as an appetizer along with a favorite tropical drink.
You can’t go wrong either way, delicious. Have fun with this one and enjoy!
Looking for other easy shrimp recipes? Here are a few ideas:
20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp
Better Than Takeout Garlic Butter Shrimp Pad Thai
Sheet Pan Hawaiian Pineapple Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Jalapeño Special Sauce
Lastly, if you make this oven fried coconut shrimp with Thai pineapple chili sauce be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Oven Fried Coconut Shrimp with Thai Pineapple Chili Sauce
Healthier than take-out, these shrimp are baked, not fried…and so much tastier!
Ingredients
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 pounds large shrimp, tail on, peeled and deveined
- 1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon raw sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- kosher salt and black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil for brushing
Pineapple Chili Sauce
- 1/2 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1-2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pineapple
- zest and juice from 1 lime, plus more for serving
- Thai basil or cilantro, for serving
- honey mustard or aioli, for serving (optional)
Instructions
-
1. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the shrimp and toss well to coat.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Rub 2 baking sheets with oil.
3. To a medium-sized bowl, add the coconut, Panko, flour, sesame seeds, paprika, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
4. Remove each shrimp from the egg, and dredge through the crumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the shrimp have been used. Make sure not to crowd your pan, if necessary use two baking sheets. Lightly brush/drizzle the shrimp with olive oil. Transfer to the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked and the breading crisp.
5. Meanwhile, make the chili sauce by combining all the ingredients in a bowl.
6. Serve the shrimp topped with Thai basil, limes, and the pineapple chili sauce for dipping. Add creamy honey mustard or aioli for a little double-dip action. Enjoy!
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Amazing !! I have never had a pineapple Thai sauce – I dont eat shrimp, but I am totally making the sauce 😀
Thank you so much Sheenam! xTieghan
I love looking at all of your beautiful pictures, however instead of flooding your post with the same basic picture why not show more step by step pictures?
Hi Susan! I will definitely try to do this.. I have been creating videos for many of my recipes so that you all can get an idea of how I make it. Thank you for trying this one! xTieghan
Not a big shrimp person but I LOVE pineapple !
Thank you Clare! I hope you try this! xTieghan
Love your recipes!! I don’t care for coconut, what can I substitute? Did you use fresh or canned pineapple? Thank you.
Hey Liza,
You can simply omit the coconut and substitute with additional Panko, I used fresh pineapple. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, I was wondering can you use frozen shrimp for this recipe?
Thank you
Hey,
Yes you can, but you will want to thaw the shrimp first. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks so delicious!! Making it tonight, love all your recipes! A big fan!!
Thank you so much Debbie! xTieghan
Your fried coconut shrimp with Thai chili, love it
Thank you Carol! xTieghan
Outstanding and without all the heavy oil! We loved the shrimp as well as the amazing sauce. I had no sweet chili sauce, so we made it from scratch and then added to the recipe per your directions! Thanks so much. Great evening dinner!!
Thank you so much Patricia! I am really glad this turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
Loooove that this is oven baked, frying scares the bejeezus out of me
Thank you so much Becky!! xTieghan
Got to try this one, I love coconut prawns! Genius to bake them x
Thank you Kelly!! xTieghan
I usually use parchment paper on my sheet pan when roasting something in the oven. Can this be used with the shrimp? Or would that effect the “crisp” factor?
Hey Collette,
You can use parchment paper if that is your preference:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was AMAZING!!! We used our air fryer since it is super hot right now in TX, and they turned out great! If you use an air fryer, you’ll be cooking in smaller batches so definitely reduce the time a little on cooking. My husband wants to try this again and make shrimp tacos with them. Any recipe he’s contemplating to have again while eating is 100% a winner.
Thank you so much! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
This was so delicious. Made a few changes with the pineapple (used a pineapple coconut sauce I had) but otherwise the same. Incredible. I topped on spaghetti tossed in the sauce but would definitely recommend as an appetizer as well. Thank you! Love your book!!!
Thank you so much Deann! I am really glad this turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
This was outstanding! The only change I made was to substitute brown sugar in the chili sauce vs garlic. I served this with homemade French fries and fresh corn on the cob and it was an excellent meal! Thank you for keeping dinner fun and exciting.
I am so happy this turned out so well for you, Dina!! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
So good! Super fast and an easy clean up which was great for making them on a weeknight. The only fail I had was buying chili sauce instead of Thai chili sauce 🤦🏼♀️…obviously two different things. Thankfully I caught it before making the sauce and made a honey Dijon aioli instead.
Thank you so much Alex! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I am so happy this turned out so well for you, Alex! Thank you for trying it!! xTieghan
I like this coconut shrimp and thai chili sauce.Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe with us.
Thank you Kristina! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Easy to make and Soooo good! I loved it!
Thank you so much Reilly! xTieghan
This was excellent! I made it tonight and were amazed by the flavors. The sauce has residual heat to it so you feel it in your mouth and on your lips for awhile. I’m going to make it again with chicken tenders. Great recipe!
Thank you so much Mary!! I am so happy this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hello, I am wondering if this could possibly be tried in an air fryer?
Hey Harmony,
Sorry I am honestly not sure how that will work as I do not own an air fryer. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can you use pre-cooked shrimp for this recipe?
Hey Natalie,
Unfortunately I would not recommend using pre cooked shrimp for this recipe. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
me and my entire family just devoured over 2 pounds worth of these shrimp! not a morsel was left! so delicious and the sauce, while super spicy on its own, was perfect with the sweet shrimp. I dont know if my shrimp were extra large or something (it was 2 pounds) but there was wayyyy not enough breading per the recipe and i had to make another batch. also needed 3 baking sheets and 4 might’ve been better. no biggie – next time ill just double the recipe for the breading. thanks so much! coconut shrimp has always been a fave, and this is so much healthier than frying or at a restaurant!
Wow that is seriously so amazing to hear! Thank you so much Aukse!! xTieghan
Delicious! The sauce is so yummy and can be used on so many other proteins. I puréed it a little. Was perfect.
Thank you Susan!! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
Beyond delicious!
Thank you Kim!! xTieghan
Amazing! Made this for a Sunday dinner and everyone said it was the best coconut shrimp they ever had. I did double the recipe for the batter as the dry mixture gets wet and doesn’t adhere to the shrimp as well.
Wow that is really great to hear! Thank you for trying this one, Kristin! xTieghan
Currently, I care for my mom 24/7. Meals are challenging part of being a care taker. Mom know what she like/doesn’t. I made this for her last night. Big scope of rice with 5 big prawns. As I leave her to eat I ask her to eat as much as she can. Well, to my surprise the bowl was empty and asked for more! She ate 2 more. Wow! that was incredible. Thank you! Thank you!!
Thank you Arlene!! I am so happy to hear that she loved this recipe! Also, so sweet of you to be taking care of her and making her amazing meals! xTieghan
Oh emmmm geeeee! These turned out so incredibly delicious. Ours were not as golden pretty as in the picture, but it didn’t matter. It’s packed with flavor and the pineapple dipping sauce is my fave. Sweet, a little tangy and spicy. All the right flavor combination. Love it!
I am so glad these turned out so well for you, Ash! Thank you so much for trying this!! xTieghan
Fantastic recipe! I had a bit of trouble getting the coating to stick, but it came out of the oven perfectly. My teenage daughter who rolled her eyes and said “I don’t like shrimp” ate more than anyone else. Great weeknight recipe, but I could see it as a good one when we can have friends over again! Yum and thanks.
Wow that is so amazing! Thank you so much Lori! xTieghan
This was amazing! Made your garlic butter ramen as a side dish. Will definitely become a staple dinner in our home!
Thank you so much Rose! xTieghan
Just made this for the 2nd time in 2 weeks. So easy and so delicious! The chili sauce is delicious and provides the right amount of punch with the shrimp. So so good!
Thank you so much Megan! xTieghan
I made this recipe tonight. This IS a delicious, simple, crispy, easy recipe. And, I’m going to make the Thai Pineapple Chili Sauce by the quart!! I used frozen peeled & deveined shrimp (16 medium shrimp per two people) Worked like a charm! Btw, you can do a lot of subbing with the sauce ingredients and it still tastes great.
Love that!! Thank you so much for trying this one, Karen!! xTieghan
Do you think the recipe would turn out the same with gluten free panko and flour!? I would love to try this recipe!
Hey Gabrielle,
Yes I think those would be great substitutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this last night and it came out great! I followed the recipe exactly, and left the shrimp in the oven for 8 minutes. I have never tried baking shrimp before and it came out delicious! The sauce was good too. This was truly so easy too. I love a good shrimp recipe!
I am so happy to hear that Ally! Thank you so much for trying this! xTieghan
We loved this recipe and the dipping sauce, however, my shrimp didn’t get as nice and brown as they look in the picture. I baked at the longest recommended time of 12 minutes. I thought cooking longer might cook the shrimp too much. Any thoughts?
Hey Cory,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe! Did you drizzle with olive oil? I find that really helps to crisp them and get them nice and golden brown. Please let me know if this helps for next time! xTieghan
Really lovely. We made it with the coconut milk rice and it was great. We added a few beans and onions to the rice to get some green in there, which was nice.
I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Ida! Thank you! xTieghan
This was great! Super easy to make, which I really appreciated on a busy night. My 16 year old son ate almost all of it. He loves coconut shrimp. He declared this one of the best!
Thank you so much Heather! I am really glad this turned out so well for you all! xTieghan
This turned out perfectly. Another hit. I might add some cayenne to the breading next time, but I’d gladly make and eat it again either way. Two pounds of shrimp for three of us and not much left over.
I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Keith!! Thank you! xTieghan
Is it ok to prep these ahead of time.
Hey Lisa,
Yes, totally fine to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I just made this recipe tonight and it was a winner! I didn’t get the brown color on the shrimp after 10 minutes but when I flipped them the bottom side was nice and golden. So next time I’ll probably flip halfway through to get them golden on both sides. Served with the yummy sauce over simple white rice. Hubs and I gobbled it up!
I am so happy you both loved this one, Jessie! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Pretty well perfect! I’ve made them a few times now. Caution as they could be addictive!
Hey Teresa,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
How do you recommend prepping this if you want to make it a few days in advance? I want to make this on NYE, however, I will be working so I don’t think I’ll have time to start it from scratch the day of. Please let me know, thanks!
Hey Elise,
You can go ahead and make the sauce ahead of time, but the shrimp is really something you want to make the day of. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Loved the Sunday Bolognese sauce. Absolutely delish!!!
Thanks so much Gretchen!! xTieghan
If serving as an appetizer, what would you recommend would be other good flavorings to mix with this? Thinking finger-food-like appetizers.
Hey Megan,
Here are some other appetizers that I think would work well:
https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/cauliflower-and-cheese/
https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/jalapeno-cheddar-corn-fritters/
https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/goat-cheese-stuffed-bacon-wrapped-dates/
https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/sweet-potato-parmesan-tater-tots/
Let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made the coconut shrimp several times and they are delicious. If I want to prepare the shrimp ahead of time for company, can I bread them and refrigerate, or will the panko lose their crispiness? Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Hey Sherry,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a go! I am thrilled it was enjoyed. I do worry that the Panko would get soggy, but you could certainly give it a try! xTieghan