Golden oven-fried coconut shrimp collides with a sweet and spicy chili aioli, crisp cabbage, and lots of avocado in these loaded coconut shrimp tacos.
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Taco Tuesday is cancelled. It’s every night this week because holy cow, the obsession with these shrimp tacos is REAL.
Regrettably, shrimp isn’t usually high on my list of favorite proteins but that all changes if we’re talking about coconut shrimp. I had it for the first time in Maui a few years back and ever since then I’ve been obsessed.
I’ve been dreaming up a way to put it in taco form for a few months now and thus, these sweet and spicy little things of dreams were born.
Featuring coconut shrimp that’s made in the oven instead of deep frying! Alongside a sweet, creamy, and just slightly-spicy aioli that pairs just hunky dory with all that toasted coconut goodness.
Add a little crisp cabbage + silky avocado and pile it all in a tortilla and we’re in the taco biz.
These Shrimp Tacos Feature…
- Crispy oven-fried coconut shrimp
- Soft flour tortillas
- Sweet and spicy sweet chili aioli drizzled on top
- Crunchy shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, and green onions
Making the Shrimp Tacos
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Mayonnaise
- Garlic
- Sweet chili sauce
- Parsley
- Egg
- 2% or skim milk
- All-purpose flour
- Flaked coconut
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Red pepper flakes
- Garlic powder
- Shrimp
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Flour tortillas
- Cabbage
- Avocado
- Green onions
Choosing Your Shrimp
You will need 1 lb of medium shrimp for this recipe. I recommend buying them fresh if possible and make sure they are peeled and deveined prior to cooking.
Tips for Perfect Shrimp Tacos
- Use standard breading procedure – this means coating the shrimp in flour, beaten egg, and then rolling in the breadcrumb/coconut mixture. This method will help your breading stick to the shrimp.
- Space shrimp apart on sheet pan – make sure the shrimp is not touching each other during baking so they have plenty of space to evenly cook.
- Coat shrimp in nonstick spray – a light coating of nonstick spray will help crisp up the coating.
- Bake shrimp at 425F – this high temperature will help the exterior of the shrimp crisp up nicely.
- Flip shrimp halfway through cooking – this helps both sides of the shrimp crispy up evenly.
- Warm tortillas – warming the tortillas will give them a much better texture. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high and warm tortillas 30-60 seconds per side.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on these tacos.
- Adjust heat level – you can use a mild sauce such as sweet and sour or orange sauce in place of the sweet chili sauce and omit the red pepper flakes in the breading. Alternatively, to up the heat level, try adding red pepper flakes or hot sauce to the aioli to taste.
- Use corn tortillas – these will work great in place of the flour tortillas.
- Try different taco fillings – try adding a slaw, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, or sliced cucumber.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend serving these tacos while the shrimp is hot from the oven in warmed flour tortillas with a little shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, green onions, and drizzles of aioli on top.
These tacos are perfectly filling on their own but also pair great alongside steamed rice, beans, or a salad.
Whatever you do, do NOT skip the sweet chili aioli drizzle here! It really brings out the best flavor paired with the toasty coconut and all that meaty shrimp underneath. Personally, I would bathe in it.
Your next taco night can’t possibly get any better than this, folks!
More shrimp dinners to make next!
Save this recipe for later using the ‘save to recipe box’ button. If you make it, please let me know by leaving a comment + star rating below the recipe card. This only takes moments and helps support my website so much!
Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Sweet Chili Aioli
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
Sweet Chili Aioli
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 medium clove garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Coconut Shrimp Tacos
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup 2% or skim milk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Warmed flour tortillas
- Shredded cabbage, avocado, and green onions for serving
Instructions
Sweet Chili Aioli
- In a small bowl, combine all aioli ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
Coconut Shrimp Tacos
- Preheat oven to 425F and grease a large sheet pan well.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and milk together until smooth. Place flour in a separate shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Combine coconut, panko, chili flakes, and garlic powder in a third shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Dredge shrimp in flour, shaking off excess. Dip shrimp in egg mixture, then roll in coconut mixture until fully coated. Arrange shrimp in a single layer on prepared sheet pan.
- Spray shrimp well with nonstick spray. Bake shrimp at 425F 10 minutes then flip shrimp to opposite side, spray with more nonstick spray, and bake an additional 8-10 minutes until shrimp is crispy and golden-brown.
- Arrange 3 shrimp in warmed tortillas and top with shredded cabbage, avocado, and green onions. Drizzle a little aioli on top and serve tacos immediately. Enjoy!
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