Keto Coconut Shrimp is on deck today – and it’s the most perfect combination of crispy coating and sweet, tender shrimp. ? ?? ? You will be the hit of every party and BBQ this summer if you hook up your friends with these low carb coconut shrimp! And the best part is that they are super easy to make!
Living on a tropical island, coconut shrimp is present on almost every restaurant menu. Unfortunately for me, the coconut shrimp found here without fail contains sugar-sweetened coconut and bread crumbs – making it not keto friendly at all.
Recently, I decided to experiment with a keto coconut shrimp recipe, and was determined to get that same crispy exterior, with an addicting mix of salty and sweet flavors. But would it work??? I’m happy to report, the answer is YES.
Baking is the easiest method to making these keto coconut shrimp, but unfortunately it just didn’t produce that super crispy exterior I was looking for. When I opted to fry them, it all came together and my keto coconut shrimp turned a beautiful golden brown! Frying for the win! ??
Don’t be intimidated by the frying step, it’s really not hard and the two most important things to remember when frying your keto coconut shrimp is to 1) make sure the oil is hot enough (about 375 degrees, but no hotter) and 2) that you don’t crowd the pan with too many shrimp at once.
If you do those two things, your keto coconut shrimp will come out perfectly!
I seasoned my keto coconut shrimp with Creole seasoning, which makes it easy and adds a subtle spice that we really loved.
Of course, no coconut shrimp is complete without a tasty dipping sauce to eat it with! I used a basic Sriracha mayonnaise for these, but they are also fantastic with my keto sweet chili sauce if you’ve got a few extra minutes to whip some up. You won’t be sorry!
If you’re wondering what kind of coconut to use to make keto coconut shrimp, I recommend a finely shredded unsweetened coconut that is usually labelled “desiccated” coconut. If you use regular shredded coconut, I find that it doesn’t adhere well to the shrimp and will just end up falling off in the oil.
Purchasing desiccated coconut is pretty easy – lots of grocery stores sell the Bob’s Red Mill brand, but there are other sources including Amazon, where you can buy it even cheaper.
I love desiccated coconut in my Keto Coconut Shortbread Cookies too – so if you do order some, it needn’t go to waste!
Keto Coconut Shrimp – Low Carb
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Keto Coconut Shrimp are easy to make and just as good as the restaurant version – without the sugar and carbs! Low carb, gluten free, dairy free, and nut free too!
Ingredients
For the coconut shrimp:
- 3/4 cup desiccated unsweetened coconut
- 3/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons powdered erythritol sweetener
- 2 eggs
- 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled (about 36 shrimp)
- Oil for frying
For the dipping sauce:
- 1/2 cup real mayonnaise (I prefer Hellman’s or Dukes for store-bought)
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated erythritol sweetener (I use Swerve)
Instructions
For the coconut shrimp:
- Combine the coconut, coconut flour, Creole seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and sweetener in a medium sized bowl.
- Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat well with a fork until fully combined.
- Dip the shrimp into the egg mixture and then into the coconut mixture, rolling carefully to coat. Don’t handle the shrimp too much or the coating will fall off.
- Fill a large pot with oil, about 3 inches deep. Alternatively you can use a deep fryer and set it to 375 degrees.
- Heat the pot on the stove, uncovered, over medium high heat until the oil is between 350 and 375 degrees. (If you don’t have a thermometer, you know the oil is ready when a small piece of bread turns golden brown within one minute of adding to the oil. Don’t eat the bread! ?)
- Once the oil is at the proper temperature, add about 1/3 of the shrimp to the pan.
- Cook for 2 – 3 minuets or until golden brown and firm. Remove with a strainer or slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Repeat with the remaining 2/3 of the shrimp, 1/3 at a time.
- Serve hot.
For the dipping sauce:
- Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Stir well and serve with the hot shrimp.
Notes
Approximate net carbs per serving = 5g.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Keto Seafood Recipes
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Tropical
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 jumbo shrimp + 2 T sauce
- Calories: 439
- Fat: 30g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 48g
Keywords: Keto Coconut Shrimp, Low Carb Coconut Shrimp, Coconut Shrimp
Ruth says
Most of your sweet recipes use erythritol which is an absolute no no for many or us. It reacts in my stomach violently. Can stevia, which is natural, be used on a 1:1 basis? Does anyone have the answer to this?
Argia McKercher says
Just made these for dinner tonight. I just knew they would be amazing, and this recipe didn’t disappoint. Everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for another winning recipe. I have missed Coconut Shrimp and now can look forward to adding this into the favorites mix. ( I wanted to add a picture, but can’t see how to)
★★★★★
Marsha says
Just made this! Tasted great! I only had The only Grapeseed Oil (high smoke point) and it worked perfectly.
★★★★★
Marsha says
That should’ve read: I only had Grapeseed Oil (high smoke point) and it worked perfectly. :-)
Tiffany says
LOVE all your recipes! This one was great flavor and texture wise. The only negative, which was my own fault, was not having desiccated coconut. I used regular shredded coconut, which did not stick well due to the larger size. So people…you DO need desiccated! Again they were still delicious, just without as much coating and coconut flavor as there could have been. Also I oil fried(vegetable oil) half and did half in the air fryer…definitely recommend regular oil frying. Yummy!
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for letting us know your results in the air fryer Tiffany! I’ve been meaning to try that and wondered how they would turn out and if it would be worth it. Hope you can try this again with the dissipated coconut so you can enjoy them at their best! Thanks for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe. 😘
Karen says
Has anyone tried this without the sweetener?
Argia McKercher says
I made these tonight and didn’t realize until after dinner that the sweetener was still on the counter, unopened. Honestly, the shrimp were delicious that I probably won’t use the sweetener next time I make this recipe. And, there will definitely be a next time.
★★★★★
Nikki says
Tastes like restaurant food!!
★★★★★
Natasha says
Can I use swerve instead of powdered sugar?
Mellissa Sevigny says
The recipe calls for powdered erythritol sweetener – I did use Swerve. There is no sugar in this recipe.
Cheryl says
Would coconut oil work for frying the shrimp?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yes, just don’t let it get too hot!
Dottie says
Hmmm…. What about an AIR FRYER? I was thinking about buying one of those as a friend has great success with chicken nuggets and fries for her kids.
Linda Mc says
Excellent recipe – thank you. A few tips: since I wasn’t able to get desiccated coconut, I took regular unsweetened flaked coconut and ground it a little in my spice grinder, and made coating mixture as directed. After preparing shrimp for frying, I chilled the breaded shrimp for about an hour which helped keep the coating from falling off during the frying process. Worked perfectly. Recipe is a keeper.
★★★★★
Abby says
Does Stevia work in this recipe? Erythritol bothers my stomach.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I haven’t tried it with stevia personally, but theoretically it should work fine.
Jen C says
What kind of oil did you use to fry these?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Peanut oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil (less healthy but works) are all good options.
Tedi says
Have you tried air frying them? Was wondering if that would work as well?
AMY WEBB says
I did them in a preheated 390 air fryer spritz with oil for 10 minutes. They were lighter in color than the deep fried ones but not bad. I might try 400 next time. They were very good in taste.
★★★★★
Joni says
This was very good! I tried it over the weekend and my husband said it was a keeper and asked if we had leftover for him to take to work. I don’t have an air fryer yet so once I get one I will try this recipe out with different cooking times for the perfect time. Additionally, the seasoning that this recipe calls for I can get locally but it has added sugar so I went ahead and made up my own.
★★★★★
Karen says
Could you use an air fryer?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yes, but I’m not sure what the instructions would be since I haven’t tested mine out yet.
AMY WEBB says
I’m going to try it in my air fryer this week and will report back
Mikki says
Do you use raw shrimp or pre cooked?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Raw shrimp – if you use pre-cooked they will be too tough!