Hawaiian-Style Coconut Tempura Shrimp
with Tropical Slaw, Zesty Rice & Sweet ’n’ Spicy Sauce
- Eggs
- Tree Nuts
- Shellfish
- Milk
- Wheat
There’s not much better than the light and airy crunch of something tempura-fried. We added toasted coconut to this magical Japanese-style batter, then coated and quick-fried shrimp for a sweet and savory bite. The crispy shrimp are piled over lime rice and served with a tropical slaw for a Hawaiian-inspired twist just in time for Asian Heritage Month! Everything is drizzled with a sweet-spicy-tangy sauce. What are you waiting for?!
Ingredients
¾ cup
Jasmine Rice
¼ ounce
Cilantro
1 unit
Lime
4 ounce
Pineapple
4 ounce
Shredded Red Cabbage
2 tablespoon
Mayonnaise
(Contains: Eggs)
½ ounce
Cashews
(Contains: Tree Nuts)
3 unit
Apricot Jam
2 teaspoon
Sriracha
¼ cup
Shredded Coconut
(Contains: Tree Nuts)
10 ounce
Shrimp
(Contains: Shellfish)
82 g
Tempura Mix
(Contains: Eggs, Milk, Wheat)
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon
Sugar
Cooking Oil
1 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• In a medium pot, combine rice, 1¼ cups water (2¼ cups for 4 servings), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. • Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, wash and dry produce. • Roughly chop cilantro. Drain pineapple over a small bowl, reserving juice. Zest and halve lime (for 4 servings, zest one lime and halve both). • In a medium bowl, toss together cabbage, cilantro, pineapple, mayonnaise, juice from half the lime, half the pineapple juice, and ½ tsp sugar (1 tsp for 4). Season with salt and pepper. Add cashews; toss to combine.
• To bowl with remaining pineapple juice, stir in jam, a squeeze of lime juice, and Sriracha to taste. Set aside. • Heat a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium heat. Add coconut and ½ tsp sugar (1 tsp for 4 servings); cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. • Turn off heat; transfer to a second small bowl. Wipe out pan.
• Rinse shrimp* under cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt. • In a large bowl, combine tempura batter mix, half the toasted coconut, ½ tsp salt (1 tsp for 4 servings), and 1⁄3 cup cold water (2⁄3 cup for 4). TIP: If mixture is too thick, add more water 1 TBSP at a time until it reaches a pancake-batter-like consistency. • Heat a ¼-inch layer of oil in pan used for coconut over medium-high heat. Stir shrimp into batter until fully coated. • Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
• Once oil is hot enough that a drop of batter sizzles when added to the pan, add coated shrimp in a single layer. Cook in batches until golden brown and cooked through, 2-3 minutes on the first side and 1-2 minutes on the second side. TIP: Add more oil as needed between batches, allowing it time to heat back up before frying more shrimp. • Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to paper-towel-lined plate. Immediately season with salt and pepper.
• Fluff rice with a fork; stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) and lime zest to taste. Season with salt. • Divide rice and slaw between plates; top rice with shrimp. Sprinkle shrimp and rice with remaining toasted coconut. Drizzle shrimp with sauce (or serve on the side for dipping) and serve.
Shrimp is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 145º.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Sep 2026- Flavor: The sweet-and-spicy apricot sauce and toasted coconut shrimp are a crowd-pleasing combination that many compare to restaurant or takeout quality 🎉.
- Ease of prep: This one takes more time and effort than a typical weeknight meal — expect 45–60+ minutes — but most reviewers agree it's worth every step.
- Suggestions: Keep the tempura batter at a pancake-batter consistency and make sure the oil is fully hot before frying for the crispiest results; some found using ice water helped. Prepare the slaw at least an hour ahead if possible, as the flavors meld nicely with a little resting time.
- Leftovers: Portions are generous and several reviewers enjoyed leftovers the next day, though the shrimp is best eaten fresh as it softens over time.
- Slaw: Opinions on the tropical slaw were mixed — many loved the pineapple and tangy dressing, while others found the cabbage too bitter or the dressing too sweet; consider chopping the cabbage finely for a better texture.
Reviews from our home cooks
This coconut shrimp recipe hits it out of the park. It's one of the most delicious recipes I have made. My husband couldn't stop raving about it.
My wife... the "warden" is SUPER PICKY about seafood. We like that the shrimp are American fisherman caught Gulf of America white shrimp. Unfortunately, they were a lil "shrimpy"; we added 1 pound of wild caught GOA Royal Reds... plenty of batter for all the shrimp. Fresh toasted coconut was treat. Likely, roast cashews, as well next time. Delicious slaw... next time make at least an hour in advance, flavors need to meld a lil more. We're not siracha fans, so we substituted thai sweet chili sauce. "The Warden" says, again, she loved the sauce.
The mix of flavors is great. The slaw really works with the sweetness of the shrimp. It's a great combo. Would order again for sure
Never made tempura before and this was so easy. And so yummy.
This was my first time cooking tempura! Although pan frying the shrimp healthier, deep frying the fish would've saved time. This was a tasty meal but both sides of shrimp must be cleaned. And cleaning shrimp adds to the prep time so if you're looking for a quick fix meal, this isn't the meal to cook.
Love all the tempura shrimp recipes! I keep the batter thicker and use ice water for the crisp!
This recipe was AMAZING!!!! If I see it listed again I will absolutely add it! This I would have never chosen on my own outside of this app. It was so much fun learning how to tempura. The taste! The slaw! Delish! Deff try it! You won't be disappointed
This was one of the longer recipes to prepare, but it was worth it!! Crispy shrimp, lime rice and such a good slaw! I'm a fan!
First time I tried to use tempura batter. This was a quick and easy recipe and the flavors were very good! A little high in calories but otherwise a great meal!!
Nicely balanced flavors, not too sweet. Enjoyed the tangy slaw. Pan frying shrimp was messy though.
