Air-Fryer Panko Coconut Shrimp

1. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. In a shallow bowl stir together flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. In another shallow bowl whisk together egg and coconut milk. In a third shallow bowl stir together panko and shredded coconut.

2. With basket inserted in the appliance, preheat air fryer to 350°F for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 170°F (or the warm setting).

3. Working in batches, dredge shrimp in flour mixture to coat, shaking off excess. Dip shrimp in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, and toss shrimp in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Place breaded shrimp on a large plate. Generously coat shrimp on top sides with cooking spray and season with additional salt and pepper.

4. Coat the air-fryer basket generously with the cooking spray. Arrange half of the shrimp in the prepared basket. Do not crowd shrimp. Air-fry 8 to 10 minutes** or until golden brown and crispy, shaking the basket or turning the shrimp once halfway through cooking. Transfer cooked shrimp to a baking sheet and place in warm oven while cooking the remaining shrimp. Serve with chili sauce for dipping. Serves 4.

Tips

Serve as an appetizer, as part of a meal with rice and stir-fried veggies, or in coconut shrimp tacos (see recipe).

Coconut note:

This recipe works equally well with desiccated coconut - small shreds of unsweetened coconut - or sweetened flaked coconut. The sweetened coconut will result in more browning.

Cooking Tip

Cook the first batch of shrimp only 8 minutes. This ensures that the shrimp held in the warm oven are not overcooked.