Beer Battered Coconut Shrimp - Easy Party Appetizer or Main Course - Recipes Just 4U (2024)

Coconut Shrimp is one of my favorite meals to have when I eat out. I love the Red Lobster pina colada style coconut shrimp and also love the type that uses a beer batter.

For tonight, since it is the weekend, I opted to try making these easy beer battered coconut shrimp. It has become one of my favorite easy appetizers.

The recipe ended up being one of the best examples of battered shrimp that I have ever eaten and it is now one of my favorite go-to shrimp recipes.

Coconut shrimp is one of those meals that you think “I wish I could make this at home” when you have it out. Believe me, I thought that too. But this recipe is so easy, anyone can make it at home!

Really all that you need is a bit of time, a dipping station and some hot oil. Oh – and it’s a TEENY bit messy to make but the end result is so tasty that you won’t mind that.

Let’s get started on the Beer Battered Coconut Shrimp Recipe.

This recipe has just a few ingredients. You’ll need:

• Some tail on large shrimp
• Panko bread crumbs
• Flaked Coconut
• All purpose flour
• Baking powder
• salt and pepper
• an egg
• and some beer. Don’t forget the beer!!

Make sure the shrimp are cleaned and deveined. You can buy them prepared that way, or you can devein the shrimp yourself.

The Panko and flaked coconut get combined in one pan. I used a shallow baking dish, since this makes it easier to coat them later. Just whisk the two and set the pan aside. You can use either sweetened or unsweetened coconut, as you wish.

I used sweetened because that is what I had on hand today and they were lovely. There is only salt and pepper to season in this recipe and the sweetness of the coconut really did shine.

Don’t substitute normal bread crumbs for the Panko. Panko is made from crustless bread and the crumbs are larger and more airy than normal bread crumbs.

The end result is a very crispy shrimp that absorbs less of the oil. They also stay crisp longer, which is important if you are going to serve these as appetizers instead of a main course.

Next, combine the flour, salt and pepper, baking powder and the egg. Pour over the beer and mix it all together. It will form a really thick batter.

Now, set up a dipping station. I lined two baking sheets with silicone baking mats and placed it near the dipping station. The shrimp need to sit in the fridge for about 1/2 hour after you coat them so having them on baking sheets allows them to be spread out and stack-able in the fridge.

This is the part where you get a bit messy. In actual fact, it’s not too bad. The hardest part is getting the tail coated enough with the beer batter so that it will be sticky when you put it in the coconut mixture.

So, you will have to get a BIT of the batter on your finger tips but any coating has that possibility. (I often use both hands to keep them cleaner but didn’t even need to do that for these!

First, dip the shrimp into the beer batter. Let the excess batter drip off and then plop the shrimp into the baking dish. That will coat one side! The spoon over more of the coconut/Panko mixture over the top and grab the tail and allow any residual dry coating mixture to drop back into the pan.

Lay the coated shrimp out on the baking pans and place them in the fridge for a half hour. Don’t skip this step. If you let the shrimp sit on the counter they will lose some of the crispness. Making them nice and cold will also make sure that most of the coconut stays on the shrimp (instead of in the oil)when you cook them.

Heat the oil in a pan with deep sides, or heat the a deep-fryer to350 degrees F (175 degrees C) Fry the coated shrimp in batches, turning once for 2-3 minutes. Don’t crowd the pan for best results. Be careful to test the oil and don’t let it get too hot or you will burn the shrimp.

Use tongs to remove to paper towels to drain. The coating on these beer battered shrimp is so light and crispy. I can’t wait to bite into one of them!

Time to taste test these beer battered coconut shrimp!

My favorite part of making each recipe is that first taste, to see if they turned out as well as I had hoped. I was NOT disappointed. The coating is light and crispy with a slight sweet taste of the coconut. They are not at all oily and the inside is cooked perfectly.

Serve the beer battered coconut shrimp warm with your favorite dipping sauce. They make a perfect party appetizer!

And an even better main course. Seriously, I can’t wait for you to try these. So, so GOOD.

Whether you decide to serve them at a party with guests over co*cktails, or as part of a tasty family meal, they will be gone in a flash. And the next time you eat out at a restaurant, you won’t be thinking that you can’t make these beer battered coconut shrimp!