Shrimp Recipes

Stop scrolling through endless shrimp recipes that never deliver. After 15 years of cooking disasters and Pinterest fails, I’ve narrowed it down to these two winners. 

My mom got me hooked on shrimp when I was little. Now I probably make it twice a week because it’s fast and my kids will actually eat it without complaining.

Today, I’ll tell you how I make these two dishes using my own method. Try any of them according to your craving. Also, you can easily add some extra herbs to these dishes for extra tang. 

Why You’ll Love These Shrimp Recipes?

Honestly? Shrimp is just reliable. It cooks fast, tastes good. Most importantly, it doesn’t break the bank when it’s on sale. 

Besides, it’s basically pure protein without all the fat you get from other meats. My kids think anything crispy is automatically better, so the coconut version wins them over every time. 

The cocktail one makes me look like I know what I’m doing when we have people over, 

even though it’s literally just boiling water. I’ve tried dozens of other shrimp recipes from food blogs, but I always come back to these two. They’re simple enough for weeknight dinners but nice enough that nobody’s embarrassed when company shows up.

Easy Coconut Shrimp Recipe

This started as me trying to copy something from Red Lobster years ago. Took a few tries, but now it’s better than theirs.

Ingredients for Coconut Shrimp Recipe

Ingredients	Amount	Substitution
Large Shrimp, peeled & deveined	1 lb	Medium shrimp works too
All-Purpose Flour	½ Cup	Gluten-free flour
Eggs	2	Egg whites
Panko Breadcrumbs	1 Cup	Regular breadcrumbs
Shredded Coconut	1 Cup	Unsweetened coconut
Salt and Pepper	To taste	No alternative
Oil For Frying	Enough to deep fry	Air fryer for a lighter option

How to Make the Coconut Shrimp Recipe?

Step 1

Dry off the shrimp really well, or everything falls off.

Step 2

Get three bowls. Flour in one. Beat the eggs in another bowl. Mix the panko and coconut in the third – add some salt and pepper here.

Step 3

Roll each shrimp in flour, then egg, then the coconut stuff. Press it on good.

Step  4

Heat oil until it’s really hot (around 350 if you have a thermometer). Drop a few shrimp in at a time. They’re done when they look golden – maybe 3 minutes tops.

Step 5

Finally, drain those fried shrimp on a paper towel and serve hot with chili sauce or pineapple dip. 

Basic Shrimp Cocktail Recipe

This is what I make when my mother-in-law visits. Takes 10 minutes, but she thinks I’m some kind of chef.

Ingredients for Shrimp Cocktail recipe

Ingredients	Amount	Substitution
Large Shrimp, peeled & deveined	1 lb	Medium shrimp works too
Water	6 cups	Seafood stock for more flavor
Lemon. Halved	1	Lime can be used
Bay Leaf	1	Omit if unavailable
Black Peppercorns	1 Tsp	Cracked pepper
Salt	2 Tsp	Sea salt preferred
Cocktail Sauce	1 Cup	Homemade or store-bought
Ice	Enough to chill	None

Instructions

Step 1

At first, bring a pot of water to a boil.

Step 2

Now, add lemon, garlic, bay leaf, and salt.

Step 3

Drop shrimp in and cook until pink; it will take about 2-3 minutes.

Step 4

Remove, cool in ice water, then chill before serving with sauce. 

Pro Tips

1. The C vs O thing: When shrimp are done right, they curl into a loose C shape. If they’re curled up tight like an O, you cooked them too long, and they’re gonna be chewy.
2. Frozen is fine: Don’t feel bad about using frozen shrimp. Just run cold water over them for 10 minutes, and they’re good to go.
3. Dry them off: This one took me forever to figure out. If you don’t pat the shrimp completely dry, whatever you’re trying to stick on them just slides off. Paper towels are your friend.
4. Don’t crowd the pan: When you’re frying the coconut ones, only do a few at a time. I used to dump them all in and wonder why they came out soggy and gross.

Serving Suggestion

Coconut Shrimp: I just put them on a big plate with whatever dipping sauce I have. Sweet chili is my go-to, but sometimes I mix sriracha with mayo if that’s what’s in the fridge. Lime wedges make it look more put-together.

For dinner, I throw together some rice (the microwave packets work fine) and maybe grill some pineapple if I’m feeling fancy. A bag of salad mix rounds it out.

When friends come over, I arrange everything on a tray with multiple sauces and let people go crazy. Always disappears fast.

Shrimp Cocktail: The classic way works – just pile them around a bowl of cocktail sauce with ice underneath. Looks impressive, takes zero effort.

Sometimes I get weird with it and put individual shrimp in shot glasses with sauce at the bottom. Sounds dumb, but people love it at parties.

If it’s just us, I serve it with crackers and whatever cheese is hanging around. Makes a decent light dinner with some cucumber slices.

Conclusion

These two recipes have saved me more times than I can count. Unexpected guests? Shrimp cocktail. Kids being impossible about dinner? Coconut shrimp wins every time.

I always have frozen shrimp in my freezer now. Both recipes are done in 30 minutes or less, and you probably already have everything else you need. Hard to mess up if you don’t overthink it.

These aren’t the only shrimp recipes out there, obviously. But when I’m tired and need dinner fast, this is what I make.

FAQS

What is the Tastiest Way to Cook Shrimp?

It depends on what you want. Crispy? Make the coconut ones. Something that looks impressive but takes no effort? The cocktail version. Just don’t cook them too long, or they get rubbery.

What is a Good Combination With Shrimp?

 Everything, basically. I throw it on pasta when I’m lazy. Goes great with rice. Sometimes I just cook it with garlic and lemon and call it dinner. Last week, I used leftover cocktail shrimp in a salad. 

What Are Good Shrimp Dishes?

Start with these two first. Shrimp Alfredo is decent if you want something heavier. Tacos are fun. But honestly, master these and you can figure out the rest.