We caved and finally bought our first air fryer last year, and I have to say, we understand the hype now. It’s been so fun coming up with new recipes and ideas to create in it. One of the very first things we made were air fryer coconut shrimp, but we’ve tweaked the recipe a few times, and it’s finally ready to share!

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Honestly, who does not love coconut shrimp, right?! What’s not to like! Our absolute favorite coconut shrimp we’ve ever eaten were in Maui. We were on our honeymoon and had several fancy dinners already and wanted a more low-key place that night. We found Coconut’s Fish Cafe not too far from our hotel and got their coconut shrimp appetizer. Seriously amazing! Theirs is paired with a Thai inspired pineapple salsa and will make you feel like you’re on right on the beach. This recipe is a healthier version, made with a mango salsa instead, but evokes some of the same qualities we loved about that dish.

Ingredients:

The Shrimp:

I recommend using larger shrimp for this recipe. We used some jumbo Key West shrimp that were U22/25 in size. I would recommend U16-25 size. Smaller shrimp dry out easier and aren’t best for dishes where the shrimp are the highlight, in our opinion. We recommended to leave the tails on — this is just to make them easier to handle/eat afterwards, but is not a must.

The Coconut:

You can use plain shredded coconut, but I would recommend toasting it first, to give it more of a crunch. We used coconut chips — you can crumble them easily in your hands before adding to the breadcrumb mixture and they already have a fabulous crispy texture.

The Salsa:

We are huge mango fans, but there are so many varieties and they are not all equal. We are partial to the Ataulfo mangoes (the smaller yellow ones), as they tend to be juicier and sweeter. You really need a nice, ripe mango for the salsa.

We used serranos for heat — one was enough for us, but you can add/reduce according to your heat preferences. You could also use jalapeno, which is slightly milder.

The Air Fryer:

We went back and forth for a few weeks trying to decide on the perfect air fryer, so a LOT of research went into it. We finally settled on the Cafe Couture Smart Toaster Oven with Air Fryer and we have been so happy with it. It also functions as a toaster and oven for baking too. I would say we use it at least 4-5 times a week, at minimum. We’ve baked cookies and cakes in it and they’ve turned out perfect. It’s nice to be able to bake without turning on the large oven and heating up the whole house. Our Texas people get this — when it is 100+ degrees outside, the last thing you want to do is turn out the oven and heat up the house even more.

The air fryer setting works well. The basket that comes with it can fit probably about 10-15 shrimp comfortably. We did have to do two batches to cook them all, but since they cook in only 8 minutes, this was not a big deal. The cook times will definitely vary depending on what brand/type of air fryer you are using, so you may have to tweak that slightly.

Substitutions:

This recipe can easily be made gluten free but substituting gluten free flour and gluten free panko bread crumbs. You could also opt for full coconut and omit the breadcrumbs altogether if trying to go for a more keto friendly option.

The salsa can be made with other tropical fruit as well. We’ve made a similar salsa using peaches that we served with a pork chop that was outstanding. Pineapple would also work great.

Serving Suggestions:

We paired the air fryer coconut shrimp with a basic steamed white rice. You could do a cilantro lime rice or coconut rice (adding a bit of coconut milk and sugar) for a more flavorful alternative but we were keeping things simple since it was a weeknight.

Other pairing options could include soba or rice noodles or a large salad.

These could also work great as an appetizer rather than a main dish.