Baked Coconut Popcorn Shrimp with Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce

May 15, 2013

 

A few weeks ago, I had asked on my Facebook page if there were any recipes you feel like I am missing or something you want to see more of. I was happy to oblige some of the responses. So, if you ever feel like there is something you want (I mean after all I am here for you), please shoot me an email or leave me a comment here or on Facebook.

Anyway, back to the requests. Somebody had asked to make kale tasty. I don’t really like the taste too much of cooked kale, so I often put it in salads with a good dressing. That is my trick to make it yummy. If you aren’t on the kale train yet, try yesterday’s salad and I swear you will be singing a different tune.

Another request was for coconut shrimp. At first, I was kind of like hmmm…. That is a very specific request. To be true to myself and offer you all something new, I made my take on coconut shrimp.

It is coated in a light breading and baked in the oven. The coconut gets all toasty. I made a non-fat Greek yogurt based dipping sauce that compliments the sweet coconut and lime hints with a bit of kick. This is definitely not the traditional heavily breaded and fried coconut shrimp. I think that thanks to that Facebook request, I have found a new simple summer go-to appetizer. I could not stop popping these, one after another.

I also think next time I make the dipping sauce, I will be boosting the amount of horseradish and sriracha. That’s just how I roll!

Baked Coconut Popcorn Shrimp with Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce

Course Appetizer
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 -6
Author Sarcastic Cooking

Ingredients

  • For the Shrimp:
  • ½ Pound Raw Shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 Large Egg
  • ½ Cup Low-Fat Buttermilk
  • 1 Cup Flaked Coconut
  • ¼ Cup All-Purpose Flour
  • Zest of 1 Lime
  • Pinch of Salt and Pepper
  • For the Dipping Sauce:
  • 1 Teaspoon Ketchup
  • ½ - 1 Teaspoon Sriracha
  • ¼ Cup Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
  • 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
  • ¼ - ½ Teaspoon Prepared Horseradish
  • Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set off to the side for later.
  2. Pat the shrimp dry with a few paper towels or a kitchen towel. Cut the shrimp into bite-size pieces. I cut the shrimp in half.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the egg.
  4. In a separate medium bowl, mix together the coconut, flour, lime zest, salt, and pepper.
  5. First, dip the piece of shrimp in the egg/buttermilk mixture. Then let it drain slightly before adding it to the coconut. Toss the shrimp in the coconut/flour mixture until coated. Then place the shrimp on the parchment. Continue this until all the pieces of shrimp are coated.
  6. Bake the shrimp for ten minutes then flip the shrimp over and bake for 10-15 more minutes until golden.
  7. While the shrimp bakes, make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, sriracha, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, horseradish, salt, and pepper.
  8. Serve the shrimp right out of the oven with the dipping sauce on the side.

You Might Also Like

  • Julie
    September 14, 2013 at 2:04 pm

    Just wondering, did you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut?

    • Stefanie
      September 15, 2013 at 12:19 am

      Unsweetened.

  • Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe
    May 24, 2013 at 4:12 pm

    Yum! These look delicious and totally poppable! I probably wouldn’t be able to stop…

  • Tom @ Waegook Tom
    May 15, 2013 at 8:46 pm

    ALWAYS boost the horseradish and sriracha. I only found out about sriracha during my month in the USA, and absolutely love it – my Couchsurfing host in Providence introduced me to it. New favourite condiment. Although horseradish will always be number one in my heart.

    Also, this recipe sounds fantastic. Coconut anything is good with me. Well, almost. I actually loathe coconut water and coconut juice, but the flakes themselves? Om nom nom. And shrimp? DOUBLE NOMS.

    • Stefanie
      May 16, 2013 at 8:06 pm

      Oh man!!! I hate coconut water too!! I did try it with vodka and lime though and it wasn’t too shabby.

  • Julia
    May 15, 2013 at 12:57 pm

    These look delicious! I am a huge fan of coconut. I made coconut chicken tenders recently and baked them in the oven and they were so good. I am trying these next. Love that dipping sauce too! You are always so creative! 🙂

  • Stephie @ Eat Your Heart Out
    May 15, 2013 at 10:36 am

    I love coconut shrimp, but the fried stuff is so heavy I can only eat like, two bites before I’m done. This is much more up my alley!

  • Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough
    May 15, 2013 at 8:30 am

    I LURVE coconut shrimp! Going to have to make some ASAP and try out that yummy-sounding dipping sauce!