Frozen Coconut Shrimp Air Fryer

Even if your box of frozen coconut shrimp doesn't include air fryer instructions, you can use these instructions to crisp up a delicious appetizer in minutes! Pair with your favorite dipping sauce and you'll be ready to dig in.

How To Make Frozen Coconut Shrimp In Air Fryer

Some frozen food manufacturers are beginning to include air fryer instructions right on the packaging along with other appliances such as a conventional oven, toaster oven, and microwave. But even if your packaging doesn't state explicitly that you can use an air fryer to prepare the food, you can!

A general rule for converting conventional oven instructions to air fryer is to reduce the indicated temperature by 25 degrees, and reduce the cook time by 20%.

So if the conventional oven instructions on your frozen coconut shrimp say to preheat your oven to 425F and bake for 25 minutes, you'll set your air fryer to 400F and cook for about 20 minutes.

For the instructions in this recipe, I've reduced the temperature and cook time a smidge since I am not writing the method for any one specific brand of frozen shrimp. Larger pieces of shrimp will take longer to cook, while popcorn shrimp will cook much faster.

Is Frozen Coconut Shrimp Cooked or Raw?

Frozen shrimp is sold both fully cooked or partially cooked. It's important to refer to the packaging to make this distinction. If your brand of shrimp is not fully cooked, you will need to cook it to a safe internal temperature. Most sources say that fried shrimp to be cooked to an internal temperature of 120F, while those who are susceptible to food-borne illnesses should bump that number up to 145F. If you have frozen shrimp with white spots, this article explains whether it is safe to eat or not.

Do You Need To Add Oil To The Air Fryer?

I like to spritz the fryer basket with a bit of cooking spray to prevent sticking, but other than that, no, frozen fried coconut shrimp will not need anything extra added to it to crisp right up in your air fryer.

What Does Frozen Coconut Shrimp Taste Like?

After crisping up a batch of frozen coconut shrimp in the air fryer, the result is a breading that's a little salty and just a touch sweet, with shredded coconut mixed right into the seasoned flour dredge.

Coconut trees line the coasts of areas such as Caribbean and Polynesian islands, making their fruit a convenient pairing for seafood fresh out of the water.

Is An Air Fryer Better Than The Oven?

Prepared frozen fried foods are usually optimized for baking in the oven to crisp up the breading. Air fryers use superheated air flowing around all sides of the food that results in a crisp deep-fried crunchy texture.

Using an air fryer instead of a conventional oven for preparing frozen fried foods is not necessarily better than the oven, but it does use a bit less energy and takes a bit less time.

How To Serve Coconut Shrimp

So you've got a big plate of hot air fried coconut shrimp ready to go. What do you serve it with? Pair it with any of your favorite condiments and seafood sauces. Here are some ideas:

• Cocktail sauce (no horseradish? try this one)
• Sweet chili sauce (try adding some apricot preserves to chili sauce to make your own)
• Honey drizzle
• Cilantro Lime sauce
• Sweet & Sour Sauce
• Good ol' fashioned ketchup

Side Dishes For Coconut Shrimp

Air Fryer Frozen Coconut Shrimp can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or main dish. The world is your oyster! Ooh, maybe serve them with some fried oysters? Here are some ideas for dishes to serve with your crunchy, sweet and salty shrimp!

• Buttery pasta
• French fries
• As part of a fried seafood platter (fried fish fillet, fried clams, fried oysters, etc...)
• Pineapple fried rice
• Coleslaw
• Green salad with fruity vinaigrette dressing
• Grilled pineapple slices

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