Easy Buffet Style Creamy Chinese Coconut Shrimp Recipe
This Easy Buffet Style Creamy Chinese Coconut Shrimp Recipe is a quick and easy 30-minute dinner! The tender shrimp is sautéed in coconut oil, then stirred into the sweet coconut sauce!
The decadent, silky, creamy sauce goes perfectly with shrimp and prawns. To soak up all of the sauce, serve the dish over rice, quinoa, or even creamy mashed potatoes.
Keep this Creamy Coconut Shrimp recipe on hand for a busy weeknight or special occasion! I guarantee that it will be one of your favorite recipes!
Chinese Fried Shrimp with Coconut Sauce
If you like a quick weeknight dinner, you’ll love this savory but simple Chinese recipe! Start your rice and peel the shrimp for this creamy coconut shrimp and dinner is ready in about 30 minutes!
Serve this soon-to-be family favorite dinner with white rice, mashed potatoes, or quinoa.
This dish can also be a main dish. It goes well with a variety of vegetables. Spice it up with Air fryer Jalapeno Poppers, and serve it with Easy Air Fryer Asparagus Parmesan or Air Fried Taco Bell Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes.
Want some salad on the side? Try my Gluten-free Tabouli Salad | Easy keto Tabbouleh or Easy Refreshing Pomegranate Salad.
Chinese Restaurant Style Coconut Shrimp
Why You’ll Love this Shrimp with Coconut Sauce
- Chinese Buffet Style Shrimp is a quick and easy recipe bursting with flavor, perfect for busy weeknights. No need to visit the local Chinese buffet.
- The sauce! The creamy coconut sauce is to die for. It tastes amazing and is excellent as a dipping sauce for crusty bread.
- It’s a tasty appetizer or filling main course that will soon become your favorite dish.
- Crispy coconut shrimp satisfies your Chinese food cravings without having to go to the restaurant. And making this dish from scratch is far healthier than ordering take-out. This homemade version is sure to become a favorite.
Chinese Fried Shrimp with Coconut Sauce Ingredients
This recipe requires only a few basic ingredients, many of which can be found at your local grocery or specialty food store. The following ingredients are required to make this rich, creamy coconut shrimp recipe:
Shrimp: You can use fresh shrimp or frozen shrimp.
Coconut cream: Coconut cream is an essential ingredient for the coconut sauce. It gives it a smooth creamy texture.
Sweetened condensed milk: It adds a sweet flavor that pairs well with coconut milk and coconut cream.
Mayonnaise: You need some mayonnaise for the coconut sauce.
Salt: Please do not leave out the salt. A small amount goes a long way toward enhancing all of the flavors.
Coconut milk: I recommend using the canned kind because it has a richer flavor and texture.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch makes the sauce thicker.
Green onions (optional): Garnish your shrimp dish with green onions (aka scallions).
Oil: Use any flavorless vegetable oil to fry the shrimp.
Tempura Batter Ingredients
Flour: Use all purpose flour or cake flour.
Eggs: Use a cold egg so that the tempura batter doesn’t absorb oil.
Soda Water: Soda water makes your batter light and airy. You can also add sprinkling water if you don’t have soda water. Make sure the soda water is chilled before combining the batter ingredients.
Corn starch: Cornstarch holds the batter together and adds crispiness.
A Great Recipe for Weeknight Dinners
How to Make Chinese Buffet Coconut Shrimp
Tempura batter and Frying shrimps
First, whisk together egg and chilled soda water in a medium bowl. Pour it over flour and corn starch. Keep mixing until all combined. Skip this step if using a store-bought tempura batter.
Next, add the shrimp to a large bowl, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Pour tempura batter on the shrimp; make sure every shrimp is coated with the batter.
Then, add oil to a large skillet on medium-high heat. Fry battered shrimp in hot oil on each side for 3-4 minutes until crispy.
Finally, place cooked shrimp on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Coconut Sauce
First, in a sauce pan, combine coconut milk, coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk, mayonnaise, corn starch, and salt. Mix until all combined.
Next, cook the coconut sauce on medium heat while constantly whisking until you have a silky smooth sauce.
Assembly
Place fried shrimp in a large bowl, pour coconut cream mixture on top, and mix until shrimp are coated with the sauce.
Finally, garnish with green onions, and enjoy.
Tender Shrimp Nestled in a Sweet Sauce
Substitutions
- Gluten free: Use gluten-free flour instead of all purpose flour to make the tempura batter.
Variations
- Spicy: This Chinese buffet style recipe is also delicious when spiced up. You could flavor the creamy coconut milk sauce with sweet chili sauce, cayenne pepper, or sriracha sauce.
- Zesty: Garnish the dish with some fresh lime zest and some lemon wedges. This will take your dish to Amazing!
Equipment
For this Chinese recipe, you will need a large skillet/ frying pan for shrimp and a sauce pan for the sauce.
Storage
Creamy coconut shrimp heats well in the microwave! Simply place a paper towel over the top of the bowl while heating it for a few minutes. If you have any leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
If the sauce thickens, stir in a little water and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
The Perfect Combination of Nutty and Sweet Flavors
Top Tips
- For this fried coconut shrimp recipe, I recommend using medium or large shrimp / jumbo size shrimp. Make sure to devein shrimp using a sharp paring knife before cooking.
- You can use store-bought Tempura batter mix, just follow the instructions on the back of the box.
- I recommend using canned coconut milk for cooking. The coconut milk sold in cartons is extremely thin and intended for drinking while canned coconut milk is thick, rich, and creamy.
- Full fat coconut milk yields a thicker, more decadent sauce than reduced-fat. If you use reduced-fat coconut milk, you may want to add corn starch to thicken the sauce.
- For a more elevated entrée and a complete meal, serve this creamy coconut shrimp over rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
- Avoid overcooking the shrimp. If the shrimp are overcooked, they will become tough and rubbery. When shrimp are completely cooked, their color changes from translucent to white. The shrimp will also have some light pink streaks. Cooking them only takes a few minutes.
- Make the batter right before frying; if you let it sit too long, the gluten will form and the batter will not be light and crispy. .
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
This Creamy Coconut Shrimp is best eaten immediately after cooking, so i don’t recommend making it ahead of time. If you have any left overs, simply place a paper towel over the top of the bowl while heating it for a few minutes.
Both contain the same ingredients, are non-dairy alternatives, and are gluten-free; however, coconut cream contains more fat and is thicker.
To ensure that your shrimp tempura is perfectly crispy, heat the oil to at least 340 degrees F. If the oil is not hot, the batter will absorb too much of it and become soggy.
If you’ve tried this recipe or any other recipe on Sourandsweets, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience with my recipes. Please share it with me on Instagram.
Easy Buffet Style Creamy Chinese Coconut Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp medium to large shrimp
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Tempura batter mix:
- 130 ml chilled soda water or sprinkling water
- 1 egg
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour or cake flour
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
Coconut Sauce:
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons coconut cream
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
For Garnish:
- 1 green onion
For frying:
- 1 cup oil
Instructions
Tempura batter and Frying shrimps
- Whisk together egg and chilled soda water. Pour it over flour and corn starch. Keep mixing until all combined. Skip this step if using a store-bought tempura batter.
- Add shrimp to a large bowl, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Pour tempura batter on the shrimp; make sure every shrimp is coated with the batter.
- Add oil to a large skillet on medium high heat. Fry battered shrimp on each side for 3-4 minutes until crispy.
- Place fried shrimp on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Coconut Sauce
- In a saucepan, combine coconut milk, coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk, mayonnaise, corn starch, and salt. Mix until all combined.
- Cook the coconut sauce on medium heat while constantly whisking until smooth and thick.
Assembly
- Place fried shrimp in a large bowl, pour coconut sauce on top, and mix until shrimp are coated with the sauce.
- Garnish with green onions, and enjoy.
This was delicious and similar I made some changes. It didn’t say whether or not to use sweetened coconut cream. I assumed because you said to add condensed milk for sweetness it was unsweetened so I bypassed the condensed milk since mine was sweetened and I could just add to taste (tnis id easier than adding a small amount of another ingredient) . I also couldn’t find my coconut milk so I ended up using fat free half and half and unsweetened coconut flake for flavor. It was DELICIOUS. I also lowered the fat and calories with avocado mayo. Totally unnoticeable. M
My daughter requested this type of shrimp before leaving for an extended overseas trip, I told her to find me a recipe and I’d try it. I follow it exactly, with the exception of using a tempura batter mix, and my daughter said it tasted just like the “real” thing! I would have added a picture but she polished off a pound of shrimp 😊
Can I use cracker meal instead of tempura since I already have it in the house?
I haven’t tried it with cracker meal but you can try making it with cracker meal. Let me know how it goes.
Where do you find coconut cream? OR How do you make it?
you can find it in any grocery stores.
Do you have to use sparkling water/ soda water?
sparkling water results in light and crispy batter, however if you don’t have have sparkling water just use water.
My husbands favorite
I’m going to make this recipe
for my daughter’s 35yo birthday! We both love coconut shimp with the white sauce. She is going to be sooo happy! Thank you for sharing this recipe! 🦐🍤🍚👍🏽
Not sure why but I forgot to add the mayonnaise. Hubby loved this recipe !