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I would order coconut shrimp more often if it wasn't so dang greasy. It's clearly a restaurant favorite, but with 126 calories and 7+ grams of fat in ONE shrimp, it's hardly worth it. That works out to be a pretty gluttonous meal if you eat the entire serving.
Problem is, I love coconut and I adore shrimp. For that reason, I created a coconut shrimp recipe with only FOUR ingredients (plus salt and pepper). You’ll be amazed at the amount of flavor you get from just four ingredients. Tangy buttermilk tenderizes sweet shrimp while acting as the “glue” for the coconut . I also added whole wheat saltines for that “fried”, crispy texture. As the little crustaceans bake in the oven, the coconut turns golden brown and develops a subtle nuttiness, the perfect contrast for the buttermilk. The best part? You can enjoy EIGHT of these gems for just 196 calories and 5 grams of fat.
Coconut Shrimp
Cooking spray
1 1/4 pounds raw extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined (leave the tails on)
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/3 cup crushed whole wheat saltine crackers (7 crackers)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place shrimp in a large bowl, add buttermilk and turn to coat.
In a shallow dish, combine coconut, crushed crackers, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
Remove shrimp from buttermilk and shake off excess buttermilk. Transfer shrimp to coconut mixture and turn to coat both sides, pressing coconut mixture into shrimp if necessary to create a nice crust. Place shrimp on prepared pan and bake 10-12 minutes, until shrimp are opaque and cooked through and coconut coating is golden brown and crispy.
Serves 4
Calories: 196
Total Fat: 5 grams
Saturated Fat: 3 grams
Total Carbohydrate: 11 grams
Sugars: 5 grams
Protein: 25 grams
Sodium: 427 milligrams