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Crunchy Coconut-Sesame Shrimp With Spicy Lime Mayo

4.6

(29)

Gray plate of crispy coconut shrimp on a distressed gray backdrop with a side of spicy lime mayo.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca

This platter of golden and crispy shrimp delivers joy and deliciousness whether you’re hosting a fête for friends or just looking for a weeknight dinner with a little extra oomph. It features big, succulent shrimp coated in a mixture of unsweetened shredded coconut, panko, sesame seeds, and just a touch of sugar, which enhances the natural tropical sweetness of the coconut without overwhelming the delicate flavor of the shrimp.

And what’s anything fried without a dipping sauce? Here, it’s a bright, zippy number featuring Greek yogurt, a little mayonnaise, sambal oelek (hello, saucy red chile heat!), garlic, lime, and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Make sure to round out your platter with some fresh, crunchy vegetables, like chunky pieces of cabbage, sugar snap peas, and/or cucumber spears. —Asha Loupy

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

Spicy Lime Mayo

¾

cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

¼

cup mayonnaise

2

Tbsp. (or more) sambal oelek

2

tsp. finely grated lime zest

1

Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. fresh lime juice

½

tsp. toasted sesame oil

½

tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; plus more (optional)

1

garlic clove, finely grated

Shrimp and assembly

1½

lb. large shrimp (16–20), peeled, deveined, patted dry

2

tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided

½

cup all-purpose flour

2

large eggs

1

cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½

cup panko

⅓

cup white and/or black sesame seeds

1

Tbsp. granulated sugar

Vegetable oil (for frying; about 1¼ cups)

Cabbage wedges, sugar snap peas, cucumber spears, and/or other crunchy vegetables (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    SPICY LIME MAYO  

    Whisk ¾ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. sambal oelek, ½ tsp. toasted sesame oil, 2 tsp. finely grated lime zest, 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. fresh lime juice, ½ tsp. toasted sesame oil, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 garlic clove, finely grated, in a small bowl to combine. Taste and add more sambal oelek and/or season with more salt if needed. Cover spicy lime mayo and chill until ready to serve.

    Step 2

    SHRIMP AND ASSEMBLY  

    Arrange 1½ lb. large shrimp (16–20), peeled, deveined, patted dry, on a rimmed baking sheet and season with 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Place ½ cup all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat 2 large eggs in another shallow bowl to blend. Mix 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, ½ cup panko, ⅓ cup white and/or black sesame seeds, 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, and remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a third shallow bowl.

    Step 3

    Working with a couple shrimp at a time, dredge in flour, shaking off any excess, then dip into egg, letting excess drip back into bowl, and dredge in coconut mixture, pressing gently on both sides to adhere and evenly coat. Transfer breaded shrimp back to baking sheet as you go. Chill 10 minutes (this will help the breading stick to the shrimp).

    Step 4

    Pour vegetable oil (about 1¼ cups) in a large skillet to come ¼" up sides and heat over medium-high. Working in 2 batches, cook shrimp until crisp and golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and let drain.

    Step 5

    To serve, divide spicy lime mayo among plates or shallow bowls, spreading it on 1 side and mound shrimp on top. Pile some cabbage wedges, sugar snap peas, cucumber spears, and/or other crunchy vegetables on other side. (Alternatively, you can serve family-style on a large platter.)

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Reviews (29)

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  • Fast and simple with plenty of ingredients we already had in our apartment. placing the cooked shrimped on a bed of rice made the meal complete. Just don't forget to thaw out that shrimp!

    • Cesar & Genesis

    • Chicago, IL

    • 4/13/2022

  • Delicious! The sauce is great, the shrimp are great. Added mango to the meal: perfect pairing with the shrimp and sauce (all in one bite)

    • Ervincaldwell

    • Greenville SC

    • 4/29/2022

  • it is annoying not to get the recipe and will not order your magazine to get it

    • Anonymous

    • 5/21/2022

  • The recipe is not really necessary. Just google The name of it and the recipe will be on other sites that are free. Bo appetite is not making up all these recipes.

    • Carolek

    • 5/21/2022

  • Has anyone tried this in an air fryer? Time & temp? 4 stars in anticipation!

    • Anonymous

    • Victoria BC Canada

    • 5/28/2022

  • 1) " Bo (sic) appetite (sic) is not making up all these recipes." Oh, yes they are! 2) "it is annoying not to get the recipe and will not order your magazine to get it". Poor baby. Go right ahead and go to sites that "pirate" all the crative work they do. These "free" websites are plagiarizing (correct spelling) Bon Appetit. (PS: I love this recipe.)

    • Madeleine Kammen Rocks

    • NY-Boston

    • 6/20/2022

  • Really loved the coconut-sesame shrimp component, but found the spicy lime mayo overpowered the delicate flavor of the shrimp a bit. I will do this recipe again, but will try serving it with a mild sweet-chile sauce for dipping.

    • MasterChef

    • Monterey, CA

    • 7/29/2022