Crispy Coconut Shrimp in Air Fryer
Large shrimp coated in a crispy coconut and Panko breading, cooked quickly in the air fryer. Serve with sweet chili sauce.
Steps
- 1
Preheat the air fryer to 190°C (375°F).
- 2
In separate bowls, beat the eggs and mix the shredded coconut with Panko, salt, and pepper.
- 3
Dip each shrimp first in egg, then coat thoroughly in the coconut-Panko mixture.
- 4
Place shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway.
- 5
Serve hot with sweet chili sauce.
Shopping list
450g (1 lb) large shrimp, 100g (1 cup) shredded coconut, 120g (1 cup) panko breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, salt, black pepper, sweet chili sauce
Recipe story
Originating from the coastal kitchens of Thailand, coconut-breaded shrimp were prepared by fishermen using local ingredients. This recipe was documented in 19th-century Thai cookbooks. Its popularity spread across Southeast Asia due to the crispy texture and sweet flavor. Today, it is reinterpreted in the air fryer for a lighter version.
Ingredient Secrets
Black pepper
Known as 'black gold' in antiquity, pepper was so valuable that it served as currency and tribute. In the Middle Ages, Venetian merchants controlled the pepper trade, and individual peppercorns were often counted. Legend has it that when Alaric, king of the Visigoths, demanded tribute from Rome, he included 3,000 pounds of pepper.
Sea salt
Sea salt, extracted from ocean waters by evaporation, was one of the most precious goods of antiquity, used both as food and as currency. In ancient Rome, soldiers were paid with salt, which is the origin of the word 'salary'. Salt roads connected entire civilizations, and in the Middle Ages, salt was so valuable it was called 'white gold'.
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