I was first made aware of the existence of firecracker shrimp rather late in life. Namely, uh…a month ago. When they were part of the Katie Chin cooking demo I participated in at Macy’s. Guess I’ve been living under a rock.
We didn’t grow up making this appetizer, but I’ve come to know that it’s really easy to prepare. The basic version just uses plain shrimp, but I decided to do a spicy Coconut Firecracker Shrimp––the shrimp are marinated in Sriracha and honey, and then coated in flaked coconut (feel free to use either sweetened or unsweetened). Then they’re folded up in spring roll wrappers and fried for a couple minutes until golden and crispy.
They have a subtle coconut flavor, and when combined with a spicy aioli with cilantro, lime, and a little more Sriracha, they evoke thoughts of summer and beaches and beverages served in coconuts with little paper umbrellas.
Whether you’re looking for a quick, crowd-pleasing appetizer to make for the upcoming 4th of July holiday, or you need some nibbles to snack on by the pool this weekend, these Coconut Firecracker Shrimp fit the bill perfectly.
Let’s make them!
You’ll need:
- 24 large tail-on shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper
- 2/3 cup finely shredded coconut
- 12 spring roll wrappers, cut in half on a diagonal
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 2 cups vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Pat the shrimp dry of excess water with a paper towel. Score the underside of the shrimp lightly with a knife to straighten them out.
In a bowl, combine the shrimp with 2 tablespoons Sriracha and 1 tablespoon honey. Set aside.
Combine the mayonnaise with the lime juice, cilantro, and additional tablespoon of Sriracha. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
To assemble the firecracker shrimp, dredge each shrimp in the coconut.
Take each spring roll wrapper triangle and place it lengthwise on a clean work surface with the pointy side of the wrapper pointing left.
Lay the coconut-coated shrimp in the lower third of the wrapper, keeping the tail of the shrimp off to the side.
Roll the shrimp up halfway and fold the left side over.
Continue folding, sealing with egg wash.
Repeat until all the shrimp are assembled.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat until it reaches 300 degrees. Fry the shrimp until golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes.
You can use a fine mesh strainer to remove any coconut debris that falls into the oil as you fry. Serve immediately with the aioli on the side!
- 24 large tail-on shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper
- ⅔ cup finely shredded coconut
- 12 spring roll wrappers, cut in half on a diagonal
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 2 cups vegetable or canola oil, for frying
- Pat the shrimp dry of excess water with a paper towel. Score the underside of the shrimp lightly with a knife to straighten them out. In a bowl, combine the shrimp with 2 tablespoons Sriracha and 1 tablespoon honey. Set aside.
- Combine the mayonnaise with the lime juice, cilantro, and additional tablespoon of Sriracha. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. To assemble the firecracker shrimp, dredge each shrimp in the coconut. Take each spring roll wrapper triangle and place it lengthwise on a clean work surface with the pointy side of the wrapper pointing left. Lay the coconut-coated shrimp in the lower third of the wrapper, keeping the tail of the shrimp off to the side. Roll the shrimp up halfway and fold the left side over. Continue folding, sealing with egg wash. Repeat until all the shrimp are assembled.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat until it reaches 300 degrees. Fry the shrimp until golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes. You can use a fine mesh strainer to remove any coconut debris that falls into the oil as you fry. Serve immediately with the aioli on the side!
KATHY says
If I were to make these ahead, do you think they could be frozen and then just thrown in the fryer when I want some? I’ve made some and they were delicious and everyone enjoyed them, but now I want to make a ton at once so I can eat them when I’m craving them. Lol My only concern is the spring roll wrappers not being crispy or when frying them from the freezer it’ll cause it to explode in the oil?
Sarah says
Hey Kathy, we’ve freeze spring rolls all the time, and they fry up great. I haven’t tried freezing these firecracker shrimp, but I think it should work. Let us know how it goes if you do try it!
Michele says
They were great and super easy!!
Sarah says
Glad you liked them, Michele!
Melissa says
Are these “egg-roll” wrappers? The only spring-roll wrappers I find are round and hard and need to be dipped in water to soften them.
Sarah says
Hi Melissa, these are spring roll wrappers. You should be able to find them in the refrigerated or freezer section of the asian grocery store. The spring roll wrappers that you’re describing are vietnamese rice paper wrappers, which are different.
Bill says
Hi Melissa, check out our noodles and wrappers page HERE to see the differences. Specifically, the section on Spring roll wrappers used in this recipe is HERE
greta says
i made these for the 4th of july and they were really incredible! i have to make this recipe for every dinner party i go to now
Sarah says
Wow, that’s awesome! So glad you and the other party guests enjoyed them, Greta!
Kat ❤️ says
Oh my! :) excited to try this :)
Question..What kind of shredded coconut did you use? :) fresh? :)
Thank you so much sarah! ❤️
Sarah says
Hey Kat, I just used a finely shredded unsweetened coconut. You can also used sweetened coconut, though! If you want the coconut to be finer, just chopping it up with a knife or running it through the food processor works well.
AJ Paradis says
These look so good! Want!!
Sarah says
: )