This Keto Coconut Shrimp Recipe makes crunchy and flavorful coconut shrimp that your whole family will love. This recipe also includes what we think is the best low-carb sweet and spicy dipping sauce for coconut shrimp. This recipe is suitable for those following a low-carb, Keto, gluten-free, Atkins, or Banting diet.

Dipping the low-carb coconut shrimp in the shrimp sauce

The recipe

The flavor of these Keto Coconut Shrimp will transport you straight to the tropics. The light sweetness of the coconut with the keto-friendly sweet chili dipping sauce pair together perfectly to create the ideal summer dish.

 

This recipe is an easy way to get out of the rut of typical weekday meals and learn a new way of prepare shrimp while staying low-carb. It’s also the ultimate family-friendly low-carb dish that will keep kids coming back for seconds. 

The inspiration for keto coconut shrimp

Growing up, coconut shrimp was one of my favorite dishes. I loved the crunchiness of the coconut breading and the sweetness of the dipping sauce. So when I was brainstorming new recipes to work on, coconut shrimp was the first thing to pop into my head. Turns out, it’s actually pretty easy to make coconut shrimp at home!  

 

Funny enough, despite how many times I’ve made this recipe, I’ve actually never made traditional higher-carb coconut shrimp at home.  Although it took a few tries to get the proportions of this recipe just right, my whole family always looked forward to those coconut shrimp recipe testing days.

 

This easy low-carb coconut shrimp recipe is inspired by this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen. To make this recipe low-carb, I substituted almond flour for the wheat flour and breadcrumbs and substituted unsweetened coconut for the sweetened coconut. 

 

Overhead shot of gluten-free coconut shrimp.

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Can you have coconut on keto?

Yes! Although coconut has a natural sweetness to it, it also contains a large amount of fiber which can be subtracted from the total carb count in order to calculate the total net carbs.

 

For example, 1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut contains 16 grams of carbs and 12 grams of fiber. This equals out to only 4 net carbs for a whole cup of coconut.

 

Keep in mind that shredded coconut is only low-carb if it’s unsweetened. Also, the carb count varies significantly based on the brand of shredded coconut. So be sure to always double check that there’s no added sweeteners before purchasing shredded coconut.

 

It’s also helpful to keep the sugar content of shredded coconut in mind when eating out. A lot of sweets that include coconut or even coconut shrimp, a savory dish, are typically made using sweetened coconut.

 

How to make Keto Coconut Shrimp

Making the ultimate Keto Coconut Shrimp is easy and just requires a little preparation.

 

First, you need create three separate bowls for the breading process. The first bowl includes a mixture of almond flour and seasoning. This includes salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. A thin coating of this mixture helps provide just a little extra flavor that doesn’t overpower the coconut or dipping sauce.

 

The second bowl consists of beaten eggs.  The egg locks in the flavor from the first breading and it also helps the coconut mixture stick. The last bowl is filled with a coconut flake mixture with a small amount of almond flour and sweetener.

The breading process can get a little messy. Through trial and error, I’ve discovered a few tricks to make this process a little less messy. The most “life-changing” tip is to use the shrimp tails to hold onto while dipping the shrimp. This is especially important when dipping the shrimp into the egg mixture.

 

After dipping the shrimp into the egg, make sure there’s no excess egg attached. Any excess can make the final coconut mixture crumbly and eggy. If you notice this happening, you can separate the coconut mixture in half and set aside one half until you’ve used up the first half. This will prevent the entire mixture from becoming eggy and unusable.

 

While coconut shrimp can be baked or fried, we like to fry them for that extra crispiness. In this recipe, we use avocado oil for frying, but any high-temperature oil can be used. To conserve oil, we don’t use as much as someone might typically use for frying. About a 1 1/2 cm layer that covers the entire surface of the pan should be sufficient.

 

When frying the shrimp, be sure to leave room between each shrimp. I normally fry no more than five or six shrimp in the pan at one time. Also, check on them frequently as they can burn quickly if the oil becomes too hot. 

 

Close up of a gluten-free fried shrimp dipped in sauce

What kind of shrimp should I use to make coconut shrimp?

While most medium to extra-large shrimp would work to make coconut shrimp, the proportions of this recipe caters to jumbo shrimp. I tend to prefer using jumbo shrimp because it’s a good ratio of coconut breading and shrimp. The breading process also becomes a lot faster with jumbo shrimp.

 

When picking out shrimp to use for this recipe, be sure to select ones that are peeled and deveined with tails on. If you are using smaller shrimp, you may need to increase the amount of breading to cover all of the shrimp. Alternatively, you could decrease the quantity of shrimp.

 

What goes well with keto coconut shrimp?

When serving coconut shrimp, be sure to set a few slices of lime on the side. You can also garnish it with some finely chopped parsley.  I like to think of it as a tropical dish, so I like to pair these low-carb coconut shrimp with tropical fruity flavors. For example, you could pair them with this Tropical Slaw with Papaya Chia Dressing from I Breathe I’m Hungry. And of course, you can’t go wrong with pairing it with a good low-carb Piña Colada like this one from Tasty Low Carb or our Low-Carb Blackberry Mojito .

Keto coconut shrimp with the spicy shrimp sauce

What makes our coconut shrimp dipping sauce special?

Most dipping sauces for coconut shrimp consist of a mixture of jam and sweet chili sauce. Unfortunately, both of those ingredients pile up the carbs really quickly. I spent a lot of time to wracking my head trying to think of replacements for this ingredients.

 

Mom and I finally decided that it would be easier and more accessible to make the whole sauce from scratch. Unlike specialized sugar-free jams or low-carb sauces, this dipping sauce uses simple ingredients that you probably have on hand. While it tastes just as good if not better than other dipping sauces, it’s at fraction of the carbs. On top of that, it’s so easy to make and so versatile!

Enjoy!

-Harper

Keto Coconut Shrimp recipe

Our Keto Coconut Shrimp Recipe makes crunchy and flavorful coconut shrimp that your whole family will love. This recipe also includes a crave-worthy, low-carb sweet chili sauce for dipping. 🍤😋❤️

Very close up photo of a cooked coconut shrimp dipped in its sauce.
5 from 6 votes
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Low-Carb Coconut Shrimp Recipe

This Keto Coconut Shrimp Recipe makes crunchy and flavorful coconut shrimp that your whole family will love. This recipe also includes what we think is the best low-carb sweet and spicy dipping sauce for coconut shrimp. This recipe is suitable for those following a low-carb, Keto, gluten-free, Atkins, or Banting diet.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword gluten-free coconut shrimp, keto coconut shrimp, keto shrimp recipe, kid friendly shrimp recipe, low carb coconut shrimp
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 5
Calories 266 kcal
Author Harper

Ingredients

  • 1 pound peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp, tail-on defrosted
  • avocado oil or other high temperature oil of choice

Breading mixture

Egg mixture

  • 2 eggs large

Coconut mixture

  • 1 1/4 cups shredded coconut unsweetened
  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 1 tsp. granulated stevia erythritol sweetener

Instructions

Coconut Shrimp

  1. Transfer the defrosted shrimp to a large plate line with paper towels. Next, using another paper towel, pat the shrimp dry to remove any excess moisture.

    Process photo of raw shrimp on a plate.
  2. Prepare three shallow bowls for breading process. In the first bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients of the breading mixture until thoroughly combined.

    Process photo of breading mixture.
  3. In the second bowl, beat the two eggs together.

    Process photo of egg mixture.
  4. In the final bowl, combine all the ingredients of the coconut mixture and stir until evenly combined.

    Process photo of coconut breading mixture.
  5. Next, one by one, dip the shrimp into each mixture while holding onto the shrimp's tail. Make sure that the shrimp is evenly coated by each mixture. Start out by dipping the shrimp in the breading mixture. Next, dip the shrimp in the egg mixture. Finally, dip the shrimp in the coconut mixture, flipping as necessary to coat each side.

    Process photo of shrimp on plate after breading.
  6. In a large skillet, add avocado oil (or other high-temperature oil of choice) until it lines the bottom of the pan in 1-2 cm of oil, depending on your preference. Preheat the oil over medium heat until hot before adding the shrimp. Carefully place 4-5 shrimp in the pan at a time. Cook on each side just until golden brown. When thouroughly cooked, transfer shrimp to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Serving with dipping sauce and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

    Shrimp on plate after frying.

Recipe Notes

These nutrition calculations are for 5 shrimp. This assumes there are 25 shrimp in a pound. The exact number of shrimp per serving may vary between 4-6 depending on the size of shrimp.

The nutrition calculations also count for 2 tablespoons of avocado oil for the entire recipe. More oil may be used in the process, but it will not all soak in the shrimp.

Nutrition Facts
Low-Carb Coconut Shrimp Recipe
Amount Per Serving (5 shrimp)
Calories 266 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 174mg58%
Sodium 690mg30%
Potassium 118mg3%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 2%0%
Vitamin C 0%0%
Calcium 2%0%
Iron 5%28%
Net Carbs 3g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Close up photo of a cooked coconut shrimp dipped in its sauce.
5 from 6 votes
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Best Keto-Friendly Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

A sweet and spicy dipping sauce that pairs well with shrimp.

Course Condiment
Cuisine American
Keyword best keto shrimp sauce, keto sauce for coconut shrimp
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 5
Calories 12 kcal
Author Harper Slusher

Ingredients

  • 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
  • 5 tbsp. granulated allulose sweetener
  • 3 tbsp. hot sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 tbsp. lime juice fresh
  • 4 tbsp. water
  • 1 tsp. lime zest

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the xanthan gum and the allulose until combined.

    Process photo of sweet chili sauce of sweetener and xanthan gum.
  2. Next, turn the heat on medium-low and whisk in the hot sauce and garlic. Then gradually add the lime juice and water while whisking. Bring the sauce barely to a simmer and then remove from heat and stir in lime zest.

    Process photo of finished sweet chili sauce.

Recipe Notes

When reheating this sauce, whisk in 1-2 tbsp. water to restore its original consistency. Nutritional calculations are based on 1/5th of the recipe.

Nutrition Facts
Best Keto-Friendly Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
Amount Per Serving (0.2 recipe)
Calories 12
% Daily Value*
Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 78mg3%
Potassium 21mg1%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 0g0%
Protein 0g0%
Vitamin A 3%0%
Vitamin C 5%6%
Calcium 4%0%
Iron 0%0%
Net Carbs 2g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.