Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp Recipe | So Crunchy, Juicy & Full Of Flavor! (2024)

FAQs

How do you make shrimp plump and juicy? ›

By starting cold and not exceeding 170°F, instead of dropping them into boiling liquid, you get the plumpest, most tender shrimp from edge to edge. As a final step, run the shrimp under cold water to chill them, then spin them dry in a salad spinner.

Get your skillet hot, add some butter and when it stops foaming, drop the prawns into the pan, don't crowd them, cook a few seconds on each side, watching the color, they should go from pink to a pinkish white leaning more towards the white side, and get them out of the pan.

However, a small amount of oil is usually necessary to achieve a crispy texture. A drizzle or a quick oil spray is all you need for restaurant-quality fries and golden brown fried chicken, while other foods don't need any oil, like pizza or leftovers you might reheat.

In fact, one of our favorite shrimp recipes is this souvlaki-style grilled shrimp, which includes lemon juice, oregano, and paprika. Letting the shrimp sit in the marinade ensures that they get evenly coated in herbs and spice, leaving you with shrimp that are consistently flavorful.

Velveting shrimp is a cooking technique commonly used in Chinese cuisine to achieve a tender, succulent texture. It involves marinating the shrimp in a mixture of cornstarch, and other seasonings like soy sauce, rice wine, or sesame oil.

Should I Soak My Shrimp? This one comes down to the chef's preference. Some prefer to soak seafood in milk before cooking to keep it from tasting too fishy. If you choose to soak your shrimp, you should do so with whole milk for at least 10 minutes.

Batter (cold!)

A key step for ensuring the cooked batter is ultra-crispy is COLD raw batter. The shock of the cold batter hitting hot oil = crispier prawns. The batter is kept cold by making it just prior to frying, and using fridge-chilled soda water / club soda.

Alkaline baking soda slightly alters the pH of the shrimp, making them as plump and succulent as lobster and resistant to overcooking. The brine also causes the meat to pull away from the shells while cooking, so you get all the great flavor of shell-on shrimp without the hassle.

Simple garlic and butter can add a mild but tasty flavor to shrimp. Add about a spoonful or so of butter and a couple of cloves of minced garlic to your shrimp. Mix the shrimp together until they're coated in the garlic and butter and then enjoy. Serve your shrimp as a snack.

Mix ¼ cup kosher salt with ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup boiling water and 2 cups of ice. Add shrimp into a bowl of brine and let sit for 20-30 minutes for peeled shrimp and 40-60 minutes for your unpeeled shrimp. Rinse well with cold water and pat dry afterward. That's all there is to it!

Does shrimp get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

Prepping & Cooking Shrimp:

Add in shrimp and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side until they turn pink and opaque. Remember to avoid overcooking to maintain a tender and succulent texture in your sautéed shrimp.

Dry the outside of the food properly before you add oil. Do not use too much oil, as this will make the food less crispy and more fattening. Meat or poultry can be lightly brushed with oil or marinated to get the crispiest results.

The foods are too wet

Deep fryers can expel moisture from foods like batters, but an air fryer isn't capable of that, Mumford says. “Don't put in limp, wet veggies and expect a miracle. Instead, an air fryer should be used to quickly crisp up already breaded or crunchy foods,” he says.

So we often apply a mild baking soda solution to meat before cooking it. In our Fisherman's Pie, we use the same trick on shrimp, allowing them to stay plump and juicy throughout cooking.

Most types of shrimp will benefit from the simple, inexpensive process of brining, no matter how you plan on cooking them. Brining is like a marinade but instead of flavoring, it's sole purpose is to keep food tender and moist.

[Optional] Shrimp and baking soda bath to make shrimp crunchy and snappy. Add shrimp to a large bowl with cold water and baking soda. Gently massage and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. Rinse the shrimp a few times then pat dry.