Creamy Coconut Shrimp
This creamy coconut shrimp recipe was inspired by a popular Chinese buffet entrée. The rich, creamy coconut sauce has a slightly nutty and sweet flavor with hints of citrus. Serve it with your favorite starchy side dish to soak up all the sauce.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds medium to large shrimp
- 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 to 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger
- 1 15 ounce can coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- zest of 1 lime
- juice from 1 lime about 2-3 tablespoons
- 1-½ tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch optional
- 1 tablespoon water
- 3 to 4 scallions diced
Instructions
- Peel and devein the shrimp.
- Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and cook for 1 minute on each side. Cook them in batches so you don’t overcrowd the skillet. Set the shrimp aside.
- Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime zest juice, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened.
- If you want the sauce thicker, combine the cornstarch and water in a small dish then stir it into the sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes until thick.
- Add the shrimp to the sauce and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to heat the shrimp.
- Remove from heat and top with chopped scallions.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the shrimp or they will get tough and rubbery. You can tell that they are completely cooked when it changes from a translucent color to white. You will also see some pinkish streaks on the shrimp. It only takes a couple of minutes to cook them.
- If you use frozen shrimp, make sure to thaw them completely and drain the excess liquid.
- Make sure to use canned coconut milk and not the stuff in cartons. Full fat coconut milk will give you a thicker, richer sauce than reduced fat.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 864mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g
