Coconut Shrimp with Orange-Chili Dipping Sauce

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Coconut Shrimp with Dipping Sauce —An Outback Steakhouse copycat recipe! It’s fast, easy, and guaranteed to trump restaurant and take-out versions! Perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and full of coconut flavor without being heavy or greasy.

Coconut Shrimp with Orange-Chili Dipping Sauce - Plump, juicy shrimp with a crispy, crunchy coconut coating!! Fast, easy, and better than you get in restaurants! Will be your new favorite shrimp recipe!!

Easy Recipe for Coconut Shrimp

We recently were on a little road trip, and the nearest restaurant to our hotel was an Outback Steakhouse. My daughter fell in love with their coconut shrimp, and I could put the orange dipping sauce on everything in sight.

I made a copycat version of the Outback coconut shrimp and sauce, and the recipe is fast, easy, and trumps the restaurant shrimp, if I do say so. Perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and full of coconut flavor without being heavy or greasy. 

The Thai chili sauce adds savoriness and heat to the sweet orange marmalade and the spicy-sweetness of the dipping sauce for the coconut shrimp is addictively good.

Even if you don’t love coconut, this easy shrimp recipe could make you change your mind! My family was fighting over the last shrimp.

Coconut Shrimp piled on plate

Coconut Shrimp Ingredients

To make the coconut shrimp, you’ll need:

  • Raw shrimp
  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • Eggs
  • Sweetened shredded coconut
  • Canola oil (for frying)

To make the coconut shrimp dipping sauce, you’ll need:

How to Make Coconut Shrimp

The shrimp and the coconut shrimp sauce are both easy to make, but the process does involve deep frying. If you’ve never fried anything before, this is a great recipe to start with!

Here’s an overview of how the coconut shrimp and dipping sauce are made:

  1. Prep the shrimp: First, dip the shrimp into one bowl containing flour, then dunk into a bowl with beaten eggs, and then dredge in bowl containing a coconut and Panko breadcrumbs.
  2. Fry the shrimp: I fry in canola oil because it’s less expensive than coconut oil, but coconut oil will give you an extra pop of coconut flavor.
  3. Make the coconut shrimp sauce: Simply whisk together orange marmalade, sweet Thai chili sauce, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Tip: The dipping sauce for the coconut shrimp pairs well with pretty much everything — grilled chicken, pork chops, you name it! 

dipping coconut shrimp into orange chili sauce

What Temperature Should You Fry Shrimp At?

It’s very important that your oil is at the right temperature before frying the shrimp. The oil should be between 325 and 350 degrees F.

Use a thermometer to test the oil temperature, if possible.

Otherwise, you should stick the end of a wooden spoon into the hot oil. If small bubbles immediately form around the spoon, the oil is likely hot enough. 

How to Reheat Coconut Shrimp

Avoid reheating shrimp in the microwave at all costs! Microwaved shrimp are often rubbery, and the coconut-Panko coating loses its crispness. 

Instead, I recommend reheating the coconut shrimp in a 350 degree F oven. The shrimp will only need to be baked for a few minutes until they’re heated through. 

Coconut Shrimp with Orange-Chili Dipping Sauce - Plump, juicy shrimp with a crispy, crunchy coconut coating!! Fast, easy, and better than you get in restaurants! Will be your new favorite shrimp recipe!!

Can I Air Fry the Coconut Shrimp?

I’m sure you could, but I don’t own an air fryer (yet!) so I can’t speak to precise cook times.

However, one reader commented that air frying the shrimp at 350F for 9 to 10 minutes worked well for her. She also turned them halfway through.

If you try this recipe for coconut shrimp in an air fryer, please leave me a comment below letting me know how it turned out!

Can I Bake the Coconut Shrimp?

In theory, yes. However, I’ve only made this recipe as written.

I’d like to experiment more with the baking vs. frying method, but I haven’t because, well, shrimp are expensive and I didn’t want to waste them if they didn’t turn out so well via baking!

But I’ve seen some blog posts with ‘fried’ shrimp that were actually baked and they didn’t look super crispy and so I was just resigned to frying. 

This Coconut Shrimp recipe is an Outback Steakhouse copycat. It's fast, easy, and guaranteed to trump restaurant and take-out versions! Perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and full of coconut flavor without being heavy or greasy.

Tips for the Best Coconut Shrimp

Breadcrumbs: Use Panko breadcrumbs for the best results. Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese breadcrumbs used for tempura because they get much crispier than traditional breadcrumbs. They’re usually found next to traditional breadcrumbs at your grocery store. 

Frying the shrimp: You want to fry the shrimp in batches so the temperature of the oil stays consistent. If the oil becomes too cool, the coconut shrimp will begin soaking up the oil instead of frying in it. 

Once you’ve fried the shrimp, place them on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up the excess oil while you finish frying the rest. 

This Coconut Shrimp recipe is an Outback Steakhouse copycat. It's fast, easy, and guaranteed to trump restaurant and take-out versions! Perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and full of coconut flavor without being heavy or greasy.

What to Serve with Coconut Shrimp

Obviously, the sweet-spicy coconut shrimp dipping sauce is a must! But besides that, you can serve a variety of dishes alongside the coconut shrimp.

It just depends if you’re making a meal out of the shrimp or are serving them alongside other appetizers.

Either way, here are some sides that pair well with coconut shrimp:

Coconut Shrimp with Dipping Sauce —An Outback Steakhouse copycat recipe! It's fast, easy, and guaranteed to trump restaurant and take-out versions! Perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and full of coconut flavor without being heavy or greasy.

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4.59 from 56 votes

Coconut Shrimp with Orange-Chili Dipping Sauce

By Averie Sunshine
This recipe is an Outback Steakhouse copycat, fast, easy, and guaranteed to trump restaurant and take-out versions. Perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and full of coconut flavor without being heavy or greasy.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 1 lb shrimp
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Ingredients  

Shrimp

  • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tail on
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • ¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • about 2 cups canola, vegetable, or coconut oil, for frying

Dipping Sauce

  • ½ cup orange marmalade
  • cup sweet Thai chili sauce
  • pinch salt, optional and to taste
  • pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste

Instructions 

Make the Shrimp 

  • Clean the shrimp; set aside.
  • To a small bowl, add the flour, salt and pepper, stir to combine; set aside.
  • To a separate small bowl, add the eggs and beat; set aside.
  • To a separate medium bowl, add the coconut, Panko, stir to combine; set aside.
  • To a Dutch oven or large skillet, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat. While oil heats up, begin the battering process.
  • Dip 1 shrimp in flour, dunk in egg, and dredge very well in the coconut-Panko mixture pressing it on as needed to ensure shrimp is very well coated (I re-drege some of the more skimpy-coated shrimp if I have extra coating mixture after they’ve all been coated once); set aside on a platter while you repeat battering process with all remaining shrimp.
  • After all shrimp have been battered, begin frying. I take the temperature of the oil and between 325F to 350F is recommended for best results; wait to fry until your oil is hot enough to ensure a crispy coating.
  • Add the shrimp in small batches (4 to 6 at a time) to the hot oil, frying for about 2 to 4 minutes, flipping as necessary, and frying until as dark and crispy as desired. Frying time will vary based on pan size, size of shrimp, and personal preference. Frying in small batches helps the oil stay at a hotter temperature, which ensures a crispy crust.
  • After frying, remove from oil, place on paper towels, and continue the frying process until all shrimp have been fried.

Make the Sauce 

  • To a small bowl, add the marmalade, Thai chili sauce, optional salt, optional cayenne pepper, stir to combine, taste, and adjust ratios if desired.
  • Serve shrimp and sauce immediately. Shrimp are best warm and fresh.

Notes

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Reheating in a 350F oven is better than microwaving to help coating stay as crispy as possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 192kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 111mg, Sodium: 590mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 13g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Originally posted 2015, reposted May 8, 2019 and reposted March 18, 2022 with updated text.

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    The dipping sauce for the coconut shrimp was exactly how it is at the Outback!! And I used an air fryer it said ten minutes for shrimp 5 on each side turning them halfway. Well i tried 5 minutes each side and to me they were overdone. I cooked them in the air fryer for 3 minutes each side and they turned out wonderful!!

  2. 5 stars
    The dipping sauce for the coconut shrimp was exactly how it is at the Outback!! And I used an air fryer it said ten minutes for shrimp 5 on each side turning them halfway. Well i tried 5 minutes each side and to me they were overdone. I cooked them in the air fryer for 3 minutes each side and they turned out wonderful!!

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad that the dipping sauce was spot on for you! And that you figured out in your air fryer, 3 mins each side is all. That’s what I would guess because in general shrimp cook quickly.

  3. 5 stars
    Very good. I used 1.5c of OJ, 1 TBSP corn starch, 1/2 c sugar; cayenne and brought to boil, simmer for 5 and you have a excellent dipping sauce.

  4. 5 stars
    Very good. I used 1.5c of OJ, 1 TBSP corn starch, 1/2 c sugar; cayenne and brought to boil, simmer for 5 and you have a excellent dipping sauce.

  5. 5 stars
    I made this and it was delicious…its very close to Outback. When I worked there we used the Coco Lopez when breading and the sauce was orange marmalade and horse radish …I love your site and recipes !! Thank you so much for all of them and time creating them !!..Bill

  6. 5 stars
    I made this and it was delicious…its very close to Outback. When I worked there we used the Coco Lopez when breading and the sauce was orange marmalade and horse radish …I love your site and recipes !! Thank you so much for all of them and time creating them !!..Bill

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and considering you worked there and say it’s pretty close, I take that as a high compliment!

  7. I LOVE your recipes, but will you please add a “Jump to Recipe” button when you post your recipes? I usually read all you’ve written the first time I view a recipe on your website, but having this option would make finding the recipe so much easier when I return to your site to actually make it. I think yours is the only site I use that doesn’t have this option. 

  8. Love your recipes and can’t wait to try this one. Off topic comment 
    – your food photos are gorgeous. Do you take them yourself? I’m putting together family recipes in the Paprika app so I can share them with my kids. I consider myself a fairly good iPhone photographer but my food photos always look flat. Great job!

    1. Thanks and yes I do take my food photos myself. This particular post is actually from 2015 but I updated it and republished it. So it’s even better when someone thinks 7 year old photos still look good!

      Nothing harder than trying to take a good food photo with a phone. You can get lucky but it’s challenging for sure!

  9. What brand of sweet Thai chili sauce do you use? I’m curious because I know there’s a few different brands and I want it to taste perfect 

  10. 5 stars
    How long is the sauce good for in a storage container in the fridge. I saw the shrimp is good for 3 days. The sauce actually made too much for me and my wife.

  11. 5 stars
    How long is the sauce good for in a storage container in the fridge. I saw the shrimp is good for 3 days. The sauce actually made too much for me and my wife.

    1. The sauce will keep for a very long time in my opinion 2 weeks or so, provided you have been dipping into it with the shrimp. That what you are saving was virgin untouched sauce, otherwise if it’s already got shrimp bits in it, I would say 3 days as well.