Air fryer coconut shrimp with mango curry aioli
Coconut shrimps are one of those recipes that pack in lots of good fats, so it’s best to limit saturated fats by using an air fryer.
Air fryer shrimps are quick and simple to prepare, and they taste just as good, if not better, than your favourite restaurant appetiser. These healthier fried coconut shrimps are made in the air fryer with only a few ingredients and no need for a lot of oil. Cooking shrimps in the air fryer is quick and easy, wonderfully crispy and succulent, and so much better for you! Thank you Instant Pot for the recipe.
Ingredients
Mango curry aioli
- 1/2 cup mango chutney 125 mL
- 1 cup mayonnaise 250 mL
- 1/2 tsp curry powder 2 mL
- 1/2 tsp salt 2 mL
Shrimp
- 1/2 cup all‑purpose flour 125 mL
- 2 tbsp hot pepper sauce 30 mL, such as Frank’s RedHot sauce
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar 15 mL
- 1 tbsp seafood seasoning 15 mL, such as Old Bay
- 1/2 cup pale lager beer 125 mL, such as Corona
- salt
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs 125 mL
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 125 mL
- 12 large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails intact, 13 to 15 per lb
- coconut oil cooking spray
Method
Mango curry aioli:
-
In a bowl, combine chutney, mayonnaise, curry powder, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
Coconut shrimp:
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, seafood seasoning and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt; then slowly whisk in the beer and hot sauce to make a smooth batter. In a shallow bowl, combine the panko and shredded coconut.
-
Holding a shrimp by its tail, dip it into the batter, letting any excess drip off, then dredge it in the panko mixture, pressing and rolling it several times to coat well. Transfer to cooking trays, giving space around each shrimp so they don’t overlap. Spray shrimp evenly with cooking spray.
-
Place the drip pan in the bottom of the cooking chamber. Using display panel, select Air Fry, set Temperature to 400°F (200°C) and set Time to 10 minutes. Preheat Vortex until display indicates Add Food.
-
Slide cooking trays into middle and bottom positions and close door. When display indicates Turn Food, turn shrimp over on each cooking tray and switch bottom tray to top position and middle tray to bottom position. Cook until shrimp are pink and crust is golden. Serve the shrimp with the Mango Curry Aioli.
Recipe notes
- Make sure to use unsweetened coconut on these shrimps. Using sweetened coconut will result in a burned crust on the shrimp.
- Shrimp are sold by the pound, and the size on the package indicates how many you get per pound. I like to use the colossal (13 to 15) or jumbo (21 to 25) size to make coconut shrimp that have the shells on. That way I can easily peel them down to the tail, and use the tail to hang on to when dipping into the batter.
- To thaw frozen shrimp, put them in a bowl in the refrigerator or, for faster results, take them out of the package and put in a bowl of cold water and let a trickle of water run into the bowl while excess water goes down the drain. The shrimp should be ready in about 15 minutes. Let dry on paper towel–lined tray before dipping.
- Variation: To make gluten free, substitute gluten-free all‑purpose flour and panko bread crumbs for regular flour and bread crumbs. Replace beer with a gluten-free option or sparkling water or ginger ale.
