Crispy Coconut Prawns are a true thing of beauty. The crispy coconut out skin followed by the moist prawn inside is amazing. Serve with a chili dip for a perfect Indian appetizer/starter. You can use large shrimp instead of prawns but they should all be cleaned and have the shell removed. I use beer as an ingredient in the batter but mineral water works just as well.
Crispy Coconut Prawns are fun to make, dangerously moreish and just a little bit impressive when you set them down on the table. What I love most is how something so wonderfully crunchy and flavourful can be created with such a simple, almost rhythmic process—coat, dip, roll, freeze, fry, eat. Crispy coconut prawns are the sort of kitchen project that makes you feel like a proper home cook, even though the ingredients are straightforward and the steps are comfortingly easy.
The hero, of course, is the prawn. I always go for large ones—plump, shiny, already shelled but with the tail left on. Keeping the tail isn’t just for presentation (though it does make them look beautifully restaurant-worthy); it also serves as a natural handle for all the dipping and coating. There’s something very satisfying about grabbing each prawn by its little tail and giving it its moment in the flour. A light dusting of plain flour seasoned with just salt and pepper may sound simple, but it gives the batter something to cling to and helps the final coating crisp up like a dream.
Speaking of batter, this one might be my favourite part. It’s made with beer—or ale if that’s what you’ve got tucked away—which gives it a lovely light fizz. Add to that an egg, a teaspoon of baking powder, and a touch of garlic powder if you want that whisper of savoury depth. When whisked together, the batter should look a lot like pancake batter—pourable, smooth, and not overly thick. If it sits for a moment and starts behaving stubbornly, another splash of beer loosens it into perfection. There’s something deeply homely about cooking with beer. It always feels a bit like sharing a secret between the dish and the cook.
The final layer, the crispy coating, is where the magic really happens. Tossing together shredded coconut and breadcrumbs creates the sort of texture you can hear just by looking at it. Panko breadcrumbs are wonderful here because they’re already light and airy, but homemade ones work brilliantly too. The coconut shreds bring sweetness, toastiness, and that unmistakable tropical aroma that hits your nose the moment the prawns hit the oil. It’s one of those scents that gets everyone in the kitchen asking, “What on earth is that delicious smell?”
Once your dredging station is set up, things start to get delightfully methodical. Prawn into flour. Tap, tap. Into the batter. Let the excess drip away. Into the coconut-breadcrumb mixture. Press gently so every surface gets its share. Then onto a tray. Do it a few times and suddenly you’re in a rhythm, and before you know it you’ve created a small army of perfectly coated prawns ready for the next stage.
Now here’s the trick that takes these coconut prawns to the next level: freezing them. Just half an hour on a tray firms the coating so it clings beautifully during frying. It’s one of those clever little steps that makes all the difference—no scrambling breadcrumbs in the oil, no coconut prawns losing their coats, no disappointment. Just neat, golden, crisp perfection.
The frying itself is quick and deeply satisfying. A few minutes in hot vegetable oil and the prawns puff up and turn a gorgeous golden brown. The coconut toasts, the breadcrumbs form a crisp shell, and the prawns stay tender inside. Crispy Coconut Prawns come out looking exactly like the sort of thing you’d happily pay for in a seaside restaurant.
Once drained on kitchen paper and kept warm, they’re best served straight away—piping hot, fabulously crunchy, and dipped generously in chilli sauce. Sweet chilli, especially, sings alongside the coconut, creating that sweet-hot-savoury combination that never gets old.
Crispy Coconut Prawns are a celebration of texture, flavour, and simple cooking joy. They’re the kind of dish that brings people together—mostly because anyone within sniffing distance will appear in the doorway asking if they can try “just one.” And trust me, no one stops at having one of the crispy coconut prawns.
Crispy Coconut Prawns
Equipment
- 1 Deep Fat Fryer Deep Frying Pan
Ingredients
For the Prawns
- 500 g large prawns large deveined and shelled but tail left on
- ½ cup plain flour
- salt
- pepper
For the Batter
- ½ cup beer or Ale
- 1 large eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder optional
For the Crispy Coating
- 1 cup breadcrumbs homemade or panko
- 1 cup coconut shredded
Instructions
- Line a baking tray, large enough for the prawns with parchment paper
- Line up three dishes, all with sides deep enough to hold the batter content, crispy coating contents and the whisked egg.
- In one dish add the plain flour. This is for dredging the prawns.½ cup plain flour, salt, pepper
- In the second dish, combine all of the batter ingredients and whisk together to form a batter. It should not be too thick but more like pancake batter. Add a little more beer if required.½ cup beer, 1 large eggs, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp garlic powder
- Finally in the third dish combine the shredded coconut and the breadcrumbs.1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 cup coconut
- It is a very simple process, grab a prawn by the tail and dunk it into the flour making sure it is fully coated. Shake/tap off any excess.500 g large prawns
- Then dip it into the batter mixture and coat it well.
- Then dip it into the breadcrumbs/coconut mixture depressing it lightly to make sure the coconut sticks to the prawn.
- Then finally place the coated prawn onto the parchment paper covered tray mentioned in step 1.
- Repeat until all of the prawns have all been dredged, dunked and coated and place on the tray.
- Now for the smart part. Place the tray into the freezer for about 30 minutes until they have firmed up. This will make them easier to fry and stay together.
- In a fryer or deep pan, add enough vegetable oil, at least 3 -4 inches and heat until piping hot.
- Add the frozen prawns in batches for 3 – 4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on the outside. They should not be burnt looking.
- Once cooked transfer to kitchen paper to drain any excess oil and keep warm until they are all cooked.
- Serve the crispy coconut prawns immediately with chili sauce as a natural accompaniment.
32 comments
These are brilliant.. easy to prep and taste superb
The batter was light and perfectly complemented the crispy coconut coating.
My kids loved these and asked for them again the next day.
I appreciated how simple the steps were, even though the result looked fancy.
The beer batter made the prawns so airy and crisp, really impressive.
The freezer trick made a massive difference—genius tip.
I froze them as suggested and they held together beautifully when frying.
The prawns stayed plump and juicy, never rubbery.
Great balance of sweetness and savouriness, really enjoyable.
Nice flavour overall, though I would add a touch more seasoning next time.
These prawns tasted as good as they looked—absolutely brilliant.
The coating stayed crunchy even after they cooled slightly, which was great.
Turned out perfectly golden, just as described.
Very easy to prepare and a real crowd-pleaser.
A fabulous party finger food—guests kept asking for the recipe.
Crispy, tasty, and perfect with a cold drink.
My family devoured the whole plate in minutes, no leftovers!
Delicious, but I found the coconut a little overwhelming for my taste.
Loved the sweet coconut coating; it paired perfectly with the chilli dip.
A bit sweeter than I expected but still absolutely delicious.
A lovely treat that felt both special and easy to pull together.
Perfectly crispy on the outside while staying juicy inside—spot on.
Absolutely addictive—one of the best prawn dishes I’ve tried at home.
The chilli sauce accompaniment really brings everything together.
A little messy to prepare, but the end result was worth every bit.
Not my usual style of dish, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Crispy, golden, and full of flavour—these prawns were the highlight of our dinner.
Great textures, though I’d use less coconut next time.
I loved the texture, especially the combination of panko and coconut.
Light, crunchy, and not oily at all—exactly what I was hoping for.
The coconut adds such a lovely tropical twist, will definitely make again.
These prawns tasted like something straight from a beach restaurant.