Coconut Shrimp with Apricot Dipping Sauce

This delicious coconut shrimp is served with a delectable apricot dipping sauce and a side of brussels. Everything is completely gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free & AIP/Paleo compliant!

Delectable and crisp, this coconut shrimp recipe is always a crowd-favorite finger food, especially paired with my yummy Apricot Dipping Sauce.  Prep is simple: dunk the shrimp into arrowroot starch, then into a bowl of coconut milk, and finally into a mix of shredded coconut flakes and cassava flour before frying to perfection. Serve this alongside some crispy brussels sprouts to complete a truly scrumptious meal!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Tips & Tricks
• Recipe

Ingredients

Coconut Shrimp

• 1 lb shrimp, thawed and tails removed
• Arrowroot starch
• Salt
• Cassava flour
• Unsweetened shredded coconut
• Coconut milk
• ¼ cup coconut oil (plus more if pan gets too dry)

Apricot Dipping Sauce

• 6 oz dried apricots
• Water
• Honey (sub an additional 1 oz of apricots for Whole30)
• Apple cider vinegar
• Ground ginger
• Garlic powder

Brussels Sprouts

• 1 lb Brussel Sprouts (pre-trimmed)
• Olive oil
• Salt

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Coconut Shrimp

1. Thaw and take tails off of shrimp.
2. Start with 3 medium bowls. Combine arrowroot flour and salt in the first, coconut milk in the second, and cassava flour and coconut shreds in the third.
3. Dip the shrimp into the arrowroot flour, then the milk, and finally into the cassava and coconut mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Set the coated shrimp aside on a plate as you coat the remaining shrimp.
4. Heat a ¼ cup coconut oil on medium-high in a large saute pan.
5. Without overcrowding the pan, fry the shrimp for 3-5 minutes (do two batches if necessary!). Flip and fry the other side for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Remove to a plate and repeat for the next batch. Add 2-4 tablespoon more coconut oil to coat the pan if necessary. Serve warm.

Apricot Dipping Sauce

1. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Lower heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, undisturbed.
3. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.

Brussels Sprouts

1. Set the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut off stems from the brussels sprouts and cut larger sprouts into two.
3. Transfer to a medium bowl. Drizzle evenly with olive oil and salt.
4. Lay them out on a baking sheet, being mindful not to overcrowd. If you need two baking sheets, do that.
5. Bake brussels sprouts in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until they are browned and can easily be pierced with a fork.

Tips & Tricks

Coconut Shrimp

1. Removing the shrimp tails is a personal preference. If you’d rather keep them on, go for it!
2. You want a lot of the cassava/coconut mixture on each shrimp, so make sure to coat them liberally. 
3. For the crispiest texture do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the shrimp in batches (~8-10 shrimp) if necessary.
4. When you fry the shrimp, leave them completely undisturbed for at least 3 minutes before flipping to get them golden and crisp.
5. If you run out of oil in the pan, add more. You do not want dry shrimp!

Apricot Dipping Sauce

• If you continue to cook down the apricot sauce you will make yourself a delicious jam. The thickness is completely up to you and depends on how long you cook it!
• I like my apricot sauce to be smooth, but some people prefer to have it on the chunkier side. The amount of time blended is what will affect this so make it however you like.
• If you prefer to use fresh apricots for the sauce, use 1 cup instead of 6 ounces.

Brussels Sprouts

1. Cut the brussels sprouts a uniform size so that they bake evenly. Halve the larger ones, if necessary.
2. Do not overcrowd the pan. This will prevent browning and they will turn soggy instead. 
3. Make sure you evenly coat them with olive oil. This is the true secret ingredient to getting them perfectly crisp!

Recipe