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.
½poundpeeled and deveined medium shrimptails intact
1cupcanned coconut milk
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Kosher salt
½cuppanko breadcrumbs
½cupunsweetened shredded coconut
Freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1smallor ½ medium cucumberhalved and seeded
1cupcoconut yogurtor dairy yogurt
1serrano chileseeded and minced
Instructies
In a bowl, combine the shrimp, coconut milk, lime zest, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
Let the shrimp stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and shredded coconut and season with salt and pepper.
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.
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.
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.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
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.