Coconut-ginger shrimp offers a taste of the tropics

This time of year I start to get antsy for the temperature to climb. On the chilliest days I cruise around the Web planning tropical vacations. Dressed in layers with a blanket over my lap I dream about hopping on a plane bound for cloudless beaches. I’m not picky, just a peaceful spot nearer to the equator than my living room. Sadly a sun-drenched getaway is in the cards for me this winter. Luckily I have alternate method of visiting the tropics: Baked Coconut Shrimp.

I came across this recipe more than a decade ago while flipping through an issue of Cooking Light Magazine. The simple list of ingredients caught my eye. Over the years I prepared their version of Coconut Shrimp for appetizer parties. As much as I liked the flavor, the ingredients didn’t seem to work quite right. My biggest complaint was the sticky mess the recipe created. Sweetened coconut shreds are sticky, and when they begin to mix with the egg whites it clumps together but doesn’t stick to the shrimp very well.

This recipe was on the menu of last fall’s cooking classes. While teaching each class I experimented with a few tweaks and substitutions. All the versions were delicious, but now I have a recipe that comes together more quickly and with far less mess.

In the days before beginning my weight loss journey, I would often order fried coconut shrimp from one of the various chain restaurants we frequented. Just for fun I compared my updated recipe to one that makes a copycat of the battered and fried coconut shrimp on the menu at a popular steakhouse chain. The copycat recipe had nearly twice the calories, more than double the Weight Watchers PointsPlus, and 4 times the sodium and carbohydrates!

Enjoy this Coconut-Ginger Shrimp as an appetizer or add a few fruit and vegetables side dishes to turn it into a meal. I think it pairs extremely well with pineapple. Recently I came across a recipe for Pineapple Slaw with Ginger Lime Dressing. Next time I serve Baked Coconut-Ginger Shrimp it will be with this salad on the side. I may also turn up the heat and sprinkle some sand on the floor, for the full tropical effect.

Baked Coconut-Ginger Shrimp

Serve this sweet and toasty baked coconut shrimp as tempting appetizer or a special occasion entrée. This is a great recipe to involve your guests in the cooking process. Moderately adapted from Cooking Light Magazine, April 2002

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 lb of shrimp (31-40 per pound or bigger) uncooked or cooked, peeled with tails on
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 3/4 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut, unsweetened
  • Optional: lime – to squeeze over finished shrimp

Method

Tip: You can prepare this recipe with raw or cooked shrimp. If using frozen shrimp make sure it is completely defrosted before beginning.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

2. In a small dish combine cornstarch, salt, chili powder, and ginger. Place coconut in a shallow dish.

3. In a small bowl whisk egg whites into a thick frothy foam.

4. Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel then toss shrimp in the cornstarch mixture.

5. One at a time dip each shrimp into the egg whites then coat with shredded coconut, pat gently to help the coconut stick.

6. Assemble the coated shrimp on the prepared baking sheet. When the pan is full but not crowded bake the coconut shrimp in the preheated oven. Cook for about 15 minutes. Finished shrimp should be fully pink, smell sweet and toasty, and be golden in color. Serve warm.

7. If desired, squeeze half a lime over the cooked shrimp before serving.

Approximate Nutrition Per Serving:calories 289, fat 16 g., carbs 15 g., fiber 3 g., protein 22 g., PP = 8

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.