Indian Curry Coconut Shrimp with Chili Mango Sauce

Coconut shrimp was such a nineties thing, wasn’t it? All the rage, these little guys were present at many a cocktail party, wedding, or, if you were me – my dinner plate whenever I hit the local Red Lobster (it’s always what I ordered). If I’m being truthful here, I tend to not pay all that much attention to trends when I plan my recipes or menus. I just make what I like – that’s pretty much the only rule I follow – and I really, really like these Indian Curry Coconut Shrimp.

You will need to grab a few bowls to make these, and we’ll set up a pretty standard dredging assembly like to get the shrimp coated in the (absolutely perfect!) coconut/panko crust. So, there will be a few dishes to wash when all is said and done, but it’s really worth it.

Just like calories and dollars, I only want to consume and/or spend them if it’s worth it. And these incredible coconut shrimp are absolutely that. They’re worth it, every single dirty dish.

The Breakdown: Indian Curry Coconut Shrimp with Chili Mango Sauce

Whether you opt to serve this as an appetizer or as part of a full meal, this is the best coconut shrimp you will ever make. The panko + corn starch + coconut make for the most crunchy coating imaginable, and by painting each shrimp with a sweet/spicy coconut curry mixture (instead of just beaten egg), we’ll turbo charge the flavor in these shrimp.

What do you say? Let’s elevate a relatively tired dish into something really special …tweaking things just enough to transport traditional coconut shrimp from Nineteen Ninety Something … straight to our modern day kitchens.

Best Ever Crunchy Coconut Shrimp

What you’ll need:

1 lb. large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on)

Salt and pepper, as needed

⅔ cup corn starch (give or take; you might not use it all, or you might need more)

2 TBSP Indian red curry paste (in the international cooking aisle, such as Patak’s)

2 TBSP cream of coconut (found in the cocktails/mixers section of most stores)

1 TBSP water

¾ cup panko breadcrumbs

¾ cup sweetened flaked coconut

Vegetable, grapeseed or canola oil, for cooking

For the sauce

⅓ cup sweet chili sauce

⅓ cup mango chutney

How to make these Coconut Shrimp with Chili Mango Dipping Sauce:

Pat the shrimp dry and season them with salt and pepper.

Put the corn starch in a bowl. Combine the curry paste, cream of coconut, and about 1 TBSP water in a bowl; stir to combine. In a third bowl, combine the panko and coconut.

To dredge the shrimp, start by coating them in corn starch, and then in the curry paste mixture, and then finally in the panko mixture, pressing that in to ensure it sticks and adheres to all sides of the shrimp. I like to do a bunch of shrimp and set them on a baking sheet, so they’re all ready at once when it’s time to fry them.

When all of your shrimp are breaded/coated, add enough oil to a large, deep-sided skillet to coat the bottom. Keep the oil nearby, as you will probably need to add more in between batches. Set the heat to medium high (should get to about 350 – 360 degrees F, if you have a thermometer).

When the oil is hot and shimmering, fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown on both sides; about a minute per side. Shrimp cooks fast and the sugar in the coconut also can burn, so just keep an eye on them (don’t walk away) and reduce the heat a bit, as needed, to control the temperature.

Drain the cooked shrimp on a paper towel-lined plate or tray. Sprinkle with a little more salt. Serve right away, with the dipping sauce, while they’re hot and crispy (they don’t keep!).

To make the sauce: combine the sweet chili sauce and the mango chutney in a small bowl. Stir to mix well.

If you like the looks of this Indian Curry Coconut Shrimp with Chili Mango Sauce, you might want to check out:

Coconut Red Curry Drip Beef

Slow Cooker Feta & Chickpea Masala

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