Coconut Shrimp with Mango Dipping Sauce
I am so excited to share this coconut shrimp recipe with you today. You may remember me talking about the Christmas Eve traditions in my mom’s family. My grandma always adhered to the Italian “seven fishes” tradition, and for a long time she made all of the old-time fish: eel, smelts, baccalà , calamari, etc. We were, without a doubt, the best-smelling family at midnight Mass (total sarcasm there!). Not many of us really like all of those different types of fish, so over the last few years we began revamping our menu so that expensive seafood isn’t wasted. We played around with crab legs for a couple of years, but then found a crab cakes recipe that everyone loved. In addition, this coconut shrimp has become a menu mainstay. Everyone goes crazy for it; there would be a revolt if it wasn’t made!
I love this coconut shrimp recipe because it’s so easy to prepare and the frying takes mere minutes. While we’ve all been thrilled with this shrimp for a few years now, the one thing that has been missing is an equally impressive dipping sauce. The coconut shrimp I’ve eaten in restaurants is routinely served with some sort of spicy fruit marmalade. The best I’ve had was at the Outer Banks Brewing Station, where they served a mango-jalapeño salsa alongside their coconut shrimp. I’ve tried a number of store-bought sauces and salsas, but haven’t been overly pleased with any of them. This mango dipping sauce is the perfect accompaniment – it’s sweet, and just spicy enough (although you can adjust the hot sauce if you prefer it more spicy).
Even though our family makes this dish a Christmas tradition, it’s certainly a fabulous summer dish. It reminds me of sitting in Florida at open-air restaurants, enjoying the breeze. Whether you make it a summer tradition, holiday tradition, or an everyday tradition, you’ll be sure to love this!
One year ago: Grandma’s Ambrosia Salad
Two years ago: Roasted Banana Ice Cream
Three years ago: Buttermilk Biscuits
Four years ago: Cobb Salad
Five years ago: Instant Pancake Mix
Coconut Shrimp with Mango Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
For the Shrimp:
- 1 pound (453.59 g) extra-large shrimp, 21 to 25 count, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) paprika
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) table salt
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup (93 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup (60 g) panko bread crumbs
- 1 to 2 quarts (0.95 to 1.89 litres) vegetable oil, for frying
For the Mango Dipping Sauce:
- 1 cup (165 g) frozen mango chunks, thawed
- 1 cup (224 g) mayonnaise
- ¼ cup (4 g) fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 6 to 8 drops Sriracha sauce, add more if you like it a bit more spicy
Instructions
- Make the Mango Dipping Sauce: Place all of the dipping sauce ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until completely smooth. Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve (will keep for 1 week).
- Make the Shrimp: Whisk together the flour, spices, salt and sugar in a shallow dish or pie plate. Lightly beat the eggs with the water in another shallow dish. Combine the coconut and panko in a third shallow dish.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or other large pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees.
- Meanwhile, coat and bread the shrimp. Working with several shrimp at a time, drop them into the flour mixture and turn to coat. Shake the excess flour from the shrimp, then dip the shrimp into the eggs, turning to coat well, and allow the excess to drip off. Drop the shrimp into the coconut-panko mixture, and press the coconut lightly to adhere. Shake off any excess coconut and place the shrimp on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
- When the oil reaches 350 degrees F, gently place half of the shrimp in the oil and fry, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until golden, about 2 1/2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, spider, or tongs, transfer the shrimp to a wire cooling rack placed over a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining shrimp. Serve immediately, accompanied by the mango dipping sauce.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I made this tonight and it was phenomenal! The dipping sauce was the BOMB!! Thank you for the recipe!!
Made this recipe for my family on Thanksgiving as an appetizer. It was very easy to follow and absolutely amazing.. everyone loved it and wanted the recipe!!! ThankS!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I cook for a high end senior living facility & I make the mango sauce everytime I prepare coconut shrimp.
Hi – curious if you make these ahead given that you have them on Christmas eve – or does someone slave over the hot oil once guests arrive? I’d like to make them for game night, but I’d like to have them done before guests arrive so I could clean up all the mess. Honestly, besides the fat and calories, that is the top reason why I pass over fried food recipes again and again – too much mess, smell, last minute work.
Hi Lynne, I do not make these ahead of time. Christmas Eve is a big fry-fest in our family, with fritters, calamari, crab cakes, and these shrimp. We usually have appetizers sitting out, and as people arrive we all take turns frying everything (people nibble on the fritters and calamari as they come out, while they wait for the rest of the meal to be ready). It’s how Christmas Eve has always been done in our family, we do a lot of lingering and visiting, so it doesn’t seem stressful or rushed.
Hi could you make this and bake instead of deep frying? If so what temp and how long. Thank you!!!
Hi Erin, I have never tried to bake these, so I can’t say how they would turn out. I don’t have a time/temperature for you, since I haven’t done it.
Thank you sooooo much for this recipe! It was a HUGE hit for our NYE family dinner and is now to be a holiday staple! I doubled the recipe but won’t double the sauce again, it makes a TON, but is really good. Thanks again and Happy New Year!!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I cook for a high end senior living facility & I make the mango sauce everytime I prepare coconut shrimp.
For dinner last night I brushed the leftover sauce onto tilapia before baking, then topped each fillet with cucumber melon salsa. I received wonderful comments from the residents.
Thank you for making me look like a culinary genius!
OMGoodness, I just made these for dinner tonight after lusting over the recipe for a couple months. This might be the best shrimp I have ever had! The panko bread crumbs with the coconut made it crunchy and slightly sweet. Easy to make too.
Looks wonderful!!
It’s possible I lived on Bahama Breeze’s coconut shrimp for a year or two. These look incredible. I can’t wait to make them as it’s been years since I’ve had them. They seem like such a great summer food too.
Whoa- that mango dipping sauce sounds to die for! I think I could take a swim in it, as weird as that may be.
Totally addictive!! The best shrimp app everrrrr!
This recipe sounds delicious!! I’m not sure what Sriracha sauce is. If I cant find it in Aus, is there an alternative I can use?
Hi Laura, It’s an Asian hot sauce, so any hot sauce can be substituted (or a pinch of cayenne).
The dipping sauce I make for this shrimp is orange marmalade, horseradish & dijon mustard. It’s yummy.
I’ve never had coconut shrimp but I think there’s a first for everything!
Ok, everything about this is a YES for me. A hollered-out-loud-so-everyone-can-hear YES! I love the mango sauce in particular! I wonder if you could grill the mango before you made the sauce, for a little smoky sweet flavor? I think that would be great on grilled shrimp, or even fish!
These shrimp look so good!! Love the dipping sauce!
Yum! These shrimp look fantastic. Crispy and delicious! Love the dip. :)
This is like the tropical vacations that I haven’t had yet in a dish! Can’t wait to try it this summer.
I’m all over coconut shrimp, but I’ve never had a mango dipping sauce to dunk it in.. holy heck, that is genius!
I love coconut shrimp but it’s that mango sauce I’m dreaming of!
Love these shrimp…. but I can’t get over the mango sauce… to many times we forget the dipping sauce!
I made coconut shrimp yesterday! What a coincidence. Mine was a bit different… but not too different. I dip mine in an orange marmalade, jalepeno, pineapple sauce. Bring on the hot nights!
I didn’t know it was possible to crave shrimp at 10am, but somehow you just managed to help me get there! haha! This looks awesome!
Oh I LOVE coconut shrimp! And that mango dipping sauce is calling my name!
This looks like a terrific flavor combination. You can’t go wrong with coconut and mango! That shrimp looks so crunchy and delicious! This looks so good.
Now I am craving coconut shrimp! It’s been ages since I have had it!
OMG…this recipes sounds so amazing! Coconut shrimp and mango dipping sauce…my mouth is watering!!! :-)
Love the mango with the coconut flavored shrimp!
I love, love, love the mango dipping sauce!! It must go so well with the coconut shrimp!!
Oooh, coconut shrimp is my favorite! It looks fabulous!
Wow, your timing is perfect with this recipe! I’ve been dreaming of coconut shrimp for weeks and procrastinating over making it because I wasn’t sure which recipe to try. Problem solved :) I’ll be making this very soon!!
These look fabulous!
That looks fabulous!
Michelle, LOVE this recipe! The shrimp look phenomenally tasty, but with your creamy, spicy-sweet dipping sauce? Over the moon! And, yes…sometimes Christmas traditions need to be tweaked when new favorites come along!
I absolutely love shrimp! I bet the sauce is a great compliment to the flavor of the shrimp!
Coconut shrimp is one of my all time favourite things to eat, ALthough I’ve never made it myself, i get a bit nervous around hot oil since i’m just so clumsy! This looks amazing.
Oh heavens this looks incredible!! Today I am posting a recipe with mango and coconut, it is such a perfect pairing! Its only breakfast time but golly I want shrimp! xx
Oh, this is good. I think I have all these ingredients, and my deep fryer is already primed from last night. It’s fate.