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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    September 8, 2021 30 Comments

    Coconut Crusted Vegan Shrimp!

    1.9K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    My vegan seafood recipe series continues with these Coconut Crusted Vegan Shrimp! (Seriously, how cute are these)!?!? These crunchy golden bites are the perfect appetizer to impress. Golden, crispy, coconut coated on the outside, lightly chewy, juicy, with a slight taste of the sea on the inside. Serve these with homemade cocktail sauce for a real crowd-pleaser. Oil-free and air fryer versions are included in the recipe notes!

    Coconut Crusted Vegan Shrimp! Golden, crispy, coconut coated on the outside, lightly chewy, juicy, with a slight taste of the sea on the inside. Serve these with homemade cocktail sauce for a real crowd-pleaser. The secret ingredient to make these shrimp: soy curls! Oil-free and air fryer versions are included in the recipe notes! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganshrimp #veganseafood

    What are vegan shrimp?

    I've seen vegan shrimp for sale in fancy food stores, but in my recipe, I'm keeping it simple by using one of my favourite vegan products to make the shrimp: soy curls! The soy curls are soaked in a marinade of vegetable broth, lemon juice, miso paste, and a few other seasonings. This makes them juicy and taste lightly of the sea. The soy curls are then covered in a panko coconut coating and then fried until golden brown. Crispy and golden on the outside, and juicy and tender in the middle. Yum!

    Coconut Crusted Vegan Shrimp! Golden, crispy, coconut coated on the outside, lightly chewy, juicy, with a slight taste of the sea on the inside. Serve these with homemade cocktail sauce for a real crowd-pleaser. The secret ingredient to make these shrimp: soy curls! Oil-free and air fryer versions are included in the recipe notes! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganshrimp #veganseafood

    What are soy curls?

    If you are new to soy curls, they are this amazing affordable 1-ingredient dried soy product. Soy curls are bland in flavor with a light chewy texture. This makes them the perfect vehicle for sucking up any marinade you give them, making them perfect for this recipe. I always keep a few bags in my pantry at all times. You can find soy curls at bulk food stores, health food stores, vegan grocers, or on amazon.

    How to make Coconut Crusted Vegan Shrimp:

    Make your simple homemade cocktail sauce.

    To make the cocktail sauce: Add the ketchup, horseradish, vinegar, and hot sauce (if using), to a medium bowl and mix well to combine.

    Soak the soy curls in the marinade.

    For the soy curls: to a medium bowl, add the vegetable broth, lemon juice, miso paste, parika, garlic powder, and salt and whisk well to combine. Add the soy curls and stir to coat. Let the soy curls soak for about 10 minutes until they are softened.

    Note: for this recipe, to get the most shrimp-like shapes, I like to handpick the dry soy curls from the package. I select soy curls that are longer and curlier in shape to mimic shrimp shapes. Use the remaining soy curls to make recipes such as my soy curl tacos, lemon garlic soy curls, or Jerk BBQ soy curls. In these recipes, it doesn't matter if the soy curl bits are smaller or broken.

    Coat your soy curls in the panko coconut crust.

    To make the coconut panko shrimp: assemble the bowls: You will need three medium bowls.

    • In bowl 1: whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper.
    • Next, bowl 2: mix the warm water with the chia or flax (this will thicken in about 10 minutes).
    • Lastly, bowl 3: mix together the coconut and panko.

    Coat the soy curls: when you are ready to assemble the vegan shrimp, working with a few soy curls at a time, remove them from the marinade. (Do not squeeze them out, you want the soy curl to hold some of the marinade). Dredge the soy curls in the flour bowl and shake off excess. Next drop them in the chia mixture and toss to coat. Finally, toss them in the coconut panko mixture, then set them aside on a plate. Repeat with all of the soy curls until you have used up all of your ingredients.

    Note 1: The chia or flax mixture can get thick as you work, so feel free to mix in more water to the mixture as needed so that it is easy to work with.

    Note 2: the coating will stick to your fingers so I find it easiest to dedicate a pair of chopsticks to each bowl to make coating the soy curls easier and preventing it from sticking to your fingers.

    Fry the soy curls in oil

    To fry the soy curls: in a large skillet or non-stick frying pan, pour enjoy oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat, and when hot, carefully add the coconut-coated soy curls in a single layer, giving space around each soy curl. You will likely need to work in batches. Fry the soy curls on one side until golden brown. Then carefully flip over and fry the other side until the soy curls are browned all over (2 - 4 minutes per side). Drain the fried soy curls on a paper towel and repeat with the remaining batches. Coconut Crusted Vegan Shrimp! Golden, crispy, coconut coated on the outside, lightly chewy, juicy, with a slight taste of the sea on the inside. Serve these with homemade cocktail sauce for a real crowd-pleaser. The secret ingredient to make these shrimp: soy curls! Oil-free and air fryer versions are included in the recipe notes! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganshrimp #veganseafood

    Serve the coconut crusted vegan shrimp hot with the cocktail sauce. My chimichurri, marinara or garlic butter, or creamy red pepper cashew dip would also make yummy sauces for dipping if you want to try something other than the cocktail sauce.

    Bon appetegan!

    Sam Turnbull

    Print Recipe
    5 from 19 votes

    Coconut Crusted Vegan Shrimp!

    Golden, crispy, coconut coated on the outside, lightly chewy, juicy, with a slight taste of the sea on the inside. Serve these with homemade cocktail sauce for a real crowd-pleaser. The secret ingredient to make these shrimp: soy curls! Oil-free and air fryer versions are included in the recipe notes!
    Prep Time25 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    ingredient tag: coconut
    Servings: 4 (makes 30 - 38 vegan shrimp)
    Calories: 497kcal
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    For the Cocktail Sauce (optional):

    • ½ cup ketchup
    • 3 tablespoons horseradish
    • 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • hot sauce to taste (optional)

    For the soy curls:

    • 1 cup vegetable broth
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon white miso paste
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 2 oz (1 cup) dry soy curls *see notes

    For the coconut panko coating:

    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ½ cup warm water (plus more if needed)
    • 4 teaspoons ground chia or ground flax
    • 1 cup unsweetend shredded coconut
    • ¾ cup panko bread crumbs (gluten-free if preferred)
    • light oil for frying (such as vegetable or canola)
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    To make the cocktail sauce:

    • Add the ketchup, horseradish, vinegar, and hot sauce (if using), to a medium bowl and mix well to combine.

    For the soy curls:

    • To a medium bowl, add the vegetable broth, lemon juice, miso paste, parika, garlic powder, and salt and whisk well to combine. Add the soy curls and stir to coat. Let the soy curls soak for about 10 minutes until they are softened.

    To make the coconut panko shrimp:

    • Assemble the bowls: You will need three medium bowls. In bowl 1: whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper. In bowl 2: mix the warm water with the chia or flax (this will thicken in about 10 minutes). In bowl 3: mix together the coconut and panko.
    • Coat the soy curls: when you are ready to assemble the vegan shrimp, working with a few soy curls at a time, remove them from the marinade (do not squeeze them out, you want the soy curl to hold some of the marinade). Dredge the soy curls in the flour bowl and shake off excess. Next drop them in the chia mixture and toss to coat. Finally, toss them in the coconut panko mixture, then set them aside on a plate. Repeat with all of the soy curls until you have used up all of your ingredients.
      Note 1: The chia or flax mixture can get thick as you work, so feel free to mix in more water to the mixture as needed so that it is easy to work with.
      Note 2: the coating will stick to your fingers so I find it easiest to dedicate a pair of chopsticks to each bowl to make coating the soy curls easier and preventing it from sticking to your fingers.
    • To fry the soy curls: in a large skillet or non-stick frying pan, pour enjoy oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat, and when hot, carefully add the coconut-coated soy curls in a single layer, giving space around each soy curl. You will likely need to work in batches. Fry the soy curls on one side until golden brown, then carefully flip over and fry the other side until the soy curls are browned all over (2 - 4 minutes per side). Drain the fried soy curls on a paper towel and repeat with the remaining batches. Serve the vegan shrimp hot with the cocktail sauce.

    Notes

    Soy curl tips: for this recipe, to get the most shrimp-like shapes, I like to handpick the dry soy curls from the package. I select soy curls that are longer and curlier in shape to mimic shrimp shapes. Use the remaining soy curls to make recipes such as my soy curl tacos, lemon garlic soy curls, or Jerk BBQ soy curls. In these recipes, it doesn't matter if the soy curl bits are smaller or broken.
    Air fryer/ oil-free version: to make the soy curls in an air fryer, follow all of the steps to prep the vegan shrimp. Instead of frying in oil in a pan, preheat your air fryer to 370F (190C). Use spray oil to lightly grease the bottom of the air fryer basket (omit if oil-free). Place the coconut-coated soy curls in the basket in a single layer keeping them spaced out so there is air around each soy curl. You will need to work in batches. Air fry the soy curls for about 6 minutes until they are crunchy and lightly browned around the edges. Note that they will not get as deep golden brown as when frying in oil, but they will still be gorgeously crispy! Repeat with the remaining soy curls and serve with the cocktail sauce. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving (recipe makes 4 servings, estimating 1 tablespoon of oil per serving)) | Calories: 497kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1244mg | Potassium: 338mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 532IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 4mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Janis Wright says

      December 17, 2022 at 8:33 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks, Sam!! As always, your recipe was excellent. Until today, I had never used soy curls, and had never heard of them until reading your coconut shrimp recipe. The recipe turned out better than I expected, and I will definitely make it again, and again. The recipe was also given a two thumbs up from my husband.

      Reply
    2. Jone says

      April 01, 2022 at 11:36 am

      This may be a stupid question but legit. I'm a 69 year old lifelong vegetarian. I can't bear to walk too close to a seafood restaurant - it kick-starts my gag reflex. My partner eats fish (prepares it on the grill outside) but when he brings it in the house I want to hold my nose. (he's actually my husband but it sounds cooler to say partner) The odor of even vegetarian sushi repels me enough that I can't eat it. I know there are commercially made vegan fish products out there, but they seem to work hard to duplicate that "beloved" scent and I just can't open my mouth.

      I'm intrigued by your "seafood" substitutes, but do they smell fishy?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 01, 2022 at 4:42 pm

        Hi Jone, if you do not like seafood, then you won't likely like my vegan seafood recipes as they are designed to smell and taste like seafood. 🙂

        Reply
        • Jone says

          April 01, 2022 at 6:09 pm

          5 stars
          Thank you for your swift reply. Much appreciated!

    3. Sabrina says

      March 28, 2022 at 4:23 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for in my sushi rolls as "tempura shrimp" and all my non vegan friends loved it! Also in the rolls were cucumber and avocado. YUM! Sam kills another recipe yet again! There were leftovers as well and they were gone by the end of the evening.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 01, 2022 at 4:32 pm

        Oh I love the idea of adding it to sushi! Yum!!

        Reply
    4. Dorothy Robins says

      March 27, 2022 at 2:23 pm

      5 stars
      Loved these, made them in the air fryer. I am in love. Thanks Sam.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 01, 2022 at 4:30 pm

        You're most welcome 🙂

        Reply
    5. Cat says

      January 31, 2022 at 9:41 am

      I can only find soy chunks near me in Mississauga, ON - not curls and I don't support Amazon. Where can I find soy curls!??

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 02, 2022 at 8:43 pm

        Health food stores or vegan grocery stores should carry them. There are a few vegan grocery stores in the Ontario area that deliver 🙂

        Reply
    6. Kristine says

      January 24, 2022 at 12:17 pm

      5 stars
      Oh My Word! I think this might be the best vegan recipe I have ever made. People often ask me what I miss since going vegan and it's shellfish. I made this for lunch today it was so easy. I let my meat eating, fish eating has been try it and he said it tasted just like fried shrimp. The texture is absolutely perfect the flavor is amazing. I didn't have horseradish but we did have store-bought cocktail sauce in the house so I used to that. I can't wait to try it again with your cocktail sauce recipe. This one is an absolute home run and I'm definitely going to serve this at parties!

      Reply
      • Kristine says

        January 24, 2022 at 12:52 pm

        5 stars
        that was supposed to say my husband not my has been hahahaha- stupid auto correct!

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          January 25, 2022 at 4:54 pm

          Haha!! I was wondering!! Haha

      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 25, 2022 at 4:54 pm

        Aww that's wonderful Kristine!! So thrilled you loved it so much 🙂

        Reply
    7. Kumari says

      November 26, 2021 at 9:00 pm

      5 stars
      A HIT!!! Sooo sooo delicious. I’ve made soy curls many times but this was supreme. The crunch. The flavor. The dipping sauce. I think this was the fave thanksgiving 2021 appetizer (accompanied by the vegan baked Brie and vegan pate which were both amazing)… mind blown with how delicious this recipe was.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 06, 2021 at 3:27 pm

        Awesome!! Thrilled you loved it so much Kumari!!

        Reply
    8. Evie Gregory says

      September 17, 2021 at 10:54 pm

      5 stars
      This is THE most over-the-top delicious vegan recipe I have ever made! Shrimp was the one thing I have been missing.
      Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, from me and all the shrimps in the sea.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 01, 2021 at 8:54 am

        Aww that's amazing! Thrilled you love it so much, Evie 🙂

        Reply
    9. Ginny says

      September 17, 2021 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      I've been trying to make soy curls work and I've had trouble giving them enough flavor...until now! I knew they would need a delicious batter and, of course, a little frying would help. The crunch on these was perfect as was the taste! So here's my thinking now, what do you think about popcorn chicken soy curls? Maybe use your veggie broth powder in bowl #1 and keep the rest the same. Would love to hear your thoughts.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 01, 2021 at 8:52 am

        Popcorn chicken soy curls! Love that. Idea has been added to my list 🙂

        Reply
    10. Sam C says

      September 15, 2021 at 5:23 pm

      These were such an amazing treat! Soy curls where have you been all my life.

      Thank you for sharing your recipes

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 16, 2021 at 9:41 am

        Haha! So happy you enjoyed!

        Reply
    11. Bev says

      September 15, 2021 at 12:37 pm

      5 stars
      These are fantastic! I made a few additions to the marinade, which I always do for that fishy flavor in vegan seafood. Kelp powder is readily available at healthy food stores. Or make your own by grinding up just about any dried seaweed. Add about 2 tsp. to the marinade. I also found a fabulous mushroom/seaweed broth base. The rest of the recipe is pure genius and I'll be making this recipe again and again!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 16, 2021 at 9:37 am

        So happy you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    12. Linda says

      September 08, 2021 at 3:27 pm

      Oh my goodness. Cant stop eating them !

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 14, 2021 at 11:33 am

        Haha! Amazing!!

        Reply
    13. Marie says

      September 08, 2021 at 10:32 am

      What ingredient gives the inside “a slight taste of the sea?” Should we add dulse flakes or nori crumbled up to the marinade? I’m so looking forward to trying the oil free version- thank you.

      Reply
      • Beata says

        September 08, 2021 at 9:18 pm

        5 stars
        When I make Sam's vegan tofu fillets, for the most taste of the sea, I use a generous portion of Old Bay seasoning (at least twice the amount than Sam's recipe calls for), a torn up sheet of nori plus a generous sprinkle of dulse flakes. I suppose that if one has been vegan for a while, this may be an overkill, but for this non-vegan, this combo really gives the tofu a nice seafood taste, and the vegan fish recipe has been on repeat for a long time!!! If it were me, I would try to add these ingredients in this marinade for soy curls. I also think that the key here is to NOT marinate the curls for too long, as shrimp should have some snappy (but not crunchy) bite and should not be mushy at all. The curls will definitely get mushy if soaked for too long, so I would definitely keep checking and as soon as the curls are not crunchy, proceed with the breading and frying.

        I have so much soy curls, I really have to try Sam's shrimp soon! Thank you, Sam!!!

        Reply
        • Marie says

          September 09, 2021 at 11:10 am

          Thanks Beata. Yours tip for Old Bay and rehydrating the soy curls are great, I appreciate that!! I was wondering from Sam what is in her ingredient list in this specific recipe that gives a slight taste of the sea, or did she just miss it? I will definitely add dulse flakes to the marinade, looking forward to trying other "seafood" vegan recipes. Have a great day!!

        • Sam Turnbull says

          September 14, 2021 at 11:35 am

          The miso paste and lemon juice combined make it taste kinda fishy 🙂

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