How to Make Your Coconut Shrimp Recipe More Appealing

How to Cook Coconut Shrimp?

Coconut shrimps should be crispy. It usually takes you more or less than an hour to get it ready but you don’t have to worry because it is easy to make. Coconut shrimps are battered with coconut flakes before deep frying or baking. Here how to cook coconut shrimp (or substitute prawns, depending on preference...read what the difference is between prawns and shrimp).

Ingredients:

Additional Options for Coconut Shrimp

To complete your dish, you need to make a pair for your ala carte menu. When ordering something whether you’re in a restaurant or anywhere, you tend to add dips, drinks, and other dishes. 

That’s also the same with coconut shrimp. Believe me; it will make the taste even better. Now that you have an idea how to make one, you should start thinking what to make next – dips, side dishes, drinks, or desserts.

Dips

Of course, finger food needs drops just like French fries need tomato ketchup! For the coconut shrimp, you can also make a sweet or savory dip. You can mix finely diced mangoes with lemon or just serve with chili sauce or lime. If you are looking for something creamy, you can make buttermilk dressing.

Pineapple salsa adds up to the flavor of the coconut shrimp while lightened up honey-mustard sauce will make it rich and creamy. For Asian-style dip, combine soy sauce with lime juice or ginger and garlic.

Side Dishes

Coconut shrimp could be paired off with light side dishes. Do not prepare heavy side dishes because it will overpower the natural taste. Creamy side dishes will also affect the flavor of the coconut shrimp. You can have a fresh green salad with Caesar dressing or grilled veggies dredged with seasoning mix. Garnish it with grilled pineapple or serve with a scoop of ice cream.

Drinks

There are usually drinks that complement the taste of the coconut shrimp. For adults, tropical drinks are usually the best choices. These include pina colada, mojitos, and daiquiris. But for the kids and non-alcoholic beverages, you can make fruit smoothies, skewer orange slices, and fruity flavored juices or ice teas. Make it more colorful and attractive using a paper cocktail umbrella.

Dessert

Desserts are always a must for some people. But if you think you are already full, you can skip this part. However, desserts could help balance the taste with its sweet flavor. So if you think you are still up to having dessert, why not? For your dessert, you can bake a key lime pie that complements the citrus flavor of the meal. You can also have fruits or sherbet topped with fresh berries.

What Are the Side Dishes to Serve With Coconut Shrimp?

As mentioned, coconut shrimp can be served with side dishes, especially the butterflying shrimps. It is eaten with a tartar sauce or you can combine it with other dishes. Other people pair it with steak while others just choose plain rice. When we say butterfly shrimp, it means the shrimp has been deeply cut in the middle to lay it flat before cooking. Here are the side dishes for coconut shrimp:

1. Pasta

Cook the orzo, rice-shaped pasta, in chicken broth with onion and garlic. You can also add mushrooms. You can also use couscous, instead of orzo since it also works well with the coconut shrimp. You can also add the cream sauce with butter and garlic if you wish.

If you want a simpler version, you can just go with macaroni, mayonnaise and chopped celery and sprinkle it with chopped pimiento. Other than that, Macaroni and cheese will be a great side dish option for coconut shrimp. If you want, you can add crumbled bacon and green onions to enhance it.

2. Rice

Serve your dish with plain white rice. To enhance the taste, you can add onions, tomatoes, spices, and herbs. Chopped walnuts, pine nuts, water chestnuts or pecans also work best to add texture to the dish. Tomatoes, green peppers, and onions are actually included in Spanish rice.

Risottos, on the other hand, give off its creamy texture while wild rice, grass grain, makes the dish look more appealing. You can add shallots and mushrooms if you want, too. When choosing the rice to cook, take advantage of jasmine or basmati rice.

3. Potato

For your side dish, you can actually have French fries or baked potatoes. However, you can still add flavors that will complement the taste of the coconut shrimp. You can add bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream, or green onions. For the French fries, you can sprinkle it with garlic salt, herbs (oregano, basil, thyme), or onion.

Other potato dishes include hash browns, scalloped or cheesy potatoes, mashed potatoes, and potato salad. For the hash brown, you can add sour cream, cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup, and cheddar cheese. For the cold potato salad, you can use russet potatoes or red potatoes. Add dill pickle relish, celery, and pimiento on your salad too.

4. Vegetable

Vegetables are healthier options for your coconut shrimp. You can either serve hot or cold vegetables or fresh vegetable salad. Make your own salad with sweet onion, tomato, bell pepper and salad dressing. You can also use these for garnishing your coconut shrimp. Coleslaw is another preferred choice which is enjoyed by many. If not, you can have spinach with onion and cheese. Carrots glazed with brown sugar and orange juice is also a must try. Other than that, you can sauté green beans with garlic, mushroom, and almonds for coconut shrimp side dish.

Serving Your Coconut Shrimp

Cooking coconut shrimp is easy. You just have to make sure that it is well-cooked and crispy. While planning to buy your ingredients, you must also think of what to serve with your coconut shrimp recipe. You can add dips, side dishes, drinks, and desserts of your choice. When you have fully decided, go ahead and make it. After minutes of cooking, finally, you are now ready to serve your coconut shrimp.