Happy hump day! I’m on a huge summer salad kick lately, and this Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp Salad hits all the high points…fruit? check. Tropical flavors? Check. Fresh to death? Check. And the dressing is both sweet and spicy with an Asian twist thanks to the sweet Thai chili sauce.
I’ve had a lot of people ask me if getting an air fryer is worth it. To be honest with you, mine sat on my counter hardly used for about a year. But then I decided it was time to make it more than a paperweight and now I can’t get enough! I use it to meal prep chicken every week (so juicy), and it’s perfect for other fun stuff like these shrimp. The air fryer I use isn’t on Amazon anymore, but this one is comparable and highly rated (it’s big enough for a whole family…or a big meal prepper like me).
The shrimp come out perfectly crispy and golden brown delicious. Just be sure not to overcrowd them in the air fryer to ensure they get enough air circulating around them. Enjoy!
Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
Coconut Shrimp
- 2 lbs extra large shrimp (13-15 per lb), peeled, tail-on
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs* (56 grams)
- 1/2 cup finely shreded sweetened coconut* (40 grams)
- 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour* (60 grams)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp each: salt and pepper
Salad
- 10 cups baby spinach (325 grams)
- 2 medium mangos, peeled and chopped (650 grams)
- 2 small avocados, peeled and chopped (225 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (225 grams)
- 1/3 cup pickled red onion – recipe below (45 grams)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (5 grams)
Sweet Chili Dressing
- 1/4 cup sweet Thai chili sauce (2 oz)
- 2 tbsp lime juice (1 oz)
- 2 tbsp coconut milk (1 oz)
Instructions
Whisk dressing ingredients until combined, set aside.
Assemble base of salad with spinach, mango, avocado, tomatoes, pickled red onion, and cilantro. Set aside in refrigerator while prepping the shrimp.
Add coconut and breadcrumbs to a bowl and mix until combined. Set aside.
Add flour, salt, and pepper to a separate bowl and mix. Set aside.
Add eggs to a third bowl and whisk. Set aside.
Rinse and dry shrimp on a paper towel, then dip them one at a time into flour, then eggs, then breadcrumb mixture, coating the shrimp completely.
Air fry shrimp at 380 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until breading is golden brown and shrimp is cooked through.
Top salad base with shrimp and dressing and serve.
Recipe Notes
*The nutrition info is calculated using the amount of flour, bread crumbs, and coconut I actually needed to coat the shrimp (30 grams flour, 20 grams coconut, 16 grams bread crumbs), BUT you want to have more than this in the bowls to make breading the shrimp easier.
Pickled Red Onion
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium red onion, sliced (100 grams)
- 1 cup water (8 oz)
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (4 oz)
- 2 tbsp sugar (24 grams)
- 2 tsp salt (10 grams)
Instructions
Microwave water in a microwave safe dish until almost boiling, about 1-2 minutes.
Add sugar and salt to hot water and stir until completely dissolved. Add apple cider vinegar and stir.
Place onion slices in a resealable glass jar and pour pickling liquid over top until onions are covered in liquid.
Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.
Just found you via Instagram and tried this recipe! So so delicious and macro-friendly compared to what you can buy frozen from grocery store/at restaurants.
Only changes I made were that I couldn’t find as large of shrimp as recommended so it took a bit longer to make. I also needed maybe half the flour, but probably double the panko/coconut, and a bit more egg. I also have a small air-fryer so it took a while, but well worth it!
The dressing is so delicious; I’ve had similar before but have never tried buying the ingredients to make at home so I am glad that I did!
Next time I make this I’ll probably add in some egg whites for more protein/volume to dip, and look for some bigger shrimp. But definitely will be a repeat!