Honey Black Pepper Coconut Shrimp

Who doesn't love coconut shrimp? It's so crispy and addicting, but usually deep fried. I personally have FOF (Fear of Frying 🤣) -- I just think about grease fires, the mess involved in cleaning up, etc. I have to get over it, because I want homemade fried donuts and churros in my life! ANYWAYS...this coconut shrimp is BAKED! The combination of light and crunchy panko breadcrumbs mixed with shredded coconut makes them just as crunchy as the fried version.

I started by making a Honey Black Pepper sauce, that I topped the shrimp with and then served as a dipping sauce! Then, the 3 step breading process of flour, egg and panko. Traditional with any breaded chicken parmesan, etc.

At the very end, I grated lime zest over the top -- it seems like a small detail but WOW, it was the perfect finishing touch. It was so fragrant and gave me all the summertime vibes I needed.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Slate Valley Farms honey

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 lime, zested

• 1 tablespoon black pepper, divided

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (about 12 3/4 ounces), divided

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 cup water

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

• 2 cups panko

• 1 pound peeled and deveined tail-on raw medium shrimp

Directions

For the honey syrup:

Combine honey, sugar, lemon zest and juice, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-high, stirring constantly. Simmer, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.

For the shrimp:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Stir together 2 cups flour, salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a shallow bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk together eggs, 1 cup water, baking powder, and remaining 1 cup flour in a separate bowl until just combined. Stir together coconut and panko in a third bowl.

Dredge 1 shrimp in salted flour mixture; shake off excess. Dip into egg batter; let excess drip off. Dredge in coconut mixture, pressing lightly to adhere. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, being sure not to overlap.

Bake shrimp at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, until browned. Place on a serving tray and drizzle 1/4 honey syrup over shrimp and then top with zest of one lime. Serve remaining sauce in dish for dipping.