Easy Creamy Coconut Shrimp Recipe (Chinese Buffet Style!)

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

Meet my new favorite…

This easy creamy coconut shrimp recipe 💖.

One of the best appetizers on the PLANET!

I have to put in actual effort to NOT make it every day. It just tastes so good.

That’s because I need to make other new recipes to share with you but I can only do that once I stop making this which I just can’t do. I LOVE this creamy coconut shrimp dish.

I think Zee and I are just going to keep making this delicious recipe for a long time, yes.

So, what exactly is this creamy Chinese coconut shrimp recipe?

It’s a pretty famous fusion dish (one of the best fusion Chinese recipes ever, Chinese food is so good!) that I don’t think is Chinese exactly but is pretty popular in Chinese buffet restaurants in the United States. Most Chinese restaurants serve it in their buffets.

Imagine crispy batter fried shrimp tossed in a thick creamy sweet coconut sauce…

Those flavors of crispy succulent super flavorful prawns mixing with the sweet coconut flavor from the sauce are out of this world. Ooh plus those crispy + creamy consistencies working together…

Insane.

It’s one of those easy shrimp recipes you’ll want to make every.single.day.

Wanna know a few more reasons why you’ll absolutely love this recipe? Here we go:

• It’s a pretty quick recipe and is ready in about half an hour 💃🏻. You get some crispy and creamy shrimp so fast, it’s the best thing on a busy weeknight! Pair it up with some cauliflower rice, rice noodles, coconut rice, zucchini noodles, sticky rice or a simple white rice such as basmati rice for a whole meal!
• Oh and this easy creamy coconut shrimp recipe uses such simple basic ingredients, it’s crazy! You probably have them at home already and if you don’t, you can find them at your local grocery store without a problem.
• This delicious recipe is such a pleaser too. It comes out right every single time, you can’t go wrong with it. An absolute no stress meal whether you’re making it for a special occasion or as an easy weeknight dinner. Such an easy recipe and tastes absolutely divine every single time.
• Oh and if you love all things crispy (like me), you’ll love this delicious recipe. There’s just something so satisfying about crispy food. And paired up with a creamy coconut sauce like this one? Get ready to find your new favorite dish!
• And it’s just something so new, such different flavors! Crispy shrimp with a creamy sweet sauce. You need to try this delicious shrimp recipe right now. You may be used to Thai recipes where the shrimp is cooked in a coconut milk curry but this is a different twist on shrimp with coconut milk. So good.

Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Quick & Easy Recipes, Stovetop Recipes and Gluten-Free recipes.

INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS FOR THIS CREAMY COCONUT SHRIMP RECIPE

For exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

To fry the shrimp:

• Shrimp– Fat succulent shrimp really are something special in this coconut sauce shrimp recipe (one of the best fusion Chinese recipes ever!). You can go ahead and use medium-sized shrimp or even large or jumbo shrimp here. You can use fresh shrimp or frozen shrimp. If you’re using frozen shrimp though, make sure you thaw your shrimp well.
• Egg white– One of my most favorite ingredients when frying something crispy. Egg white makes the shrimp in our creamy coconut shrimp recipe oh so crispy, airy and delicious. Love it!
• Fish sauce– I’m adding just a little fish sauce to our shrimp here. When you add fish sauce to your shrimp, you get this perfect umami flavor once it’s all crispy and fried. I love that flavor so much and feel it goes so well here. If you want to skip out on fish sauce or don’t have any, add a little salt and black pepper instead.
• Cornstarch– One of my favorites when it comes to frying something up. Corn starch gives our fresh shrimp the most perfect crispy crunchy crust. Yum! You can substitute with all purpose flour or potato starch or even a combination of these here.
• Cooking oil– The best oil here in my opinion would be a neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point. Some options are canola oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, refined coconut oil… many options.

To make the creamy sauce:

• Coconut milk– Coconut milk adds the most delicious creamy texture and coconut flavor to our sweet sauce. Go ahead and used canned coconut milk here. You can use coconut cream or maybe even reduced-fat coconut milk but the sauce may be thinner and may lack that rich flavor. You can also use heavy cream here but you won’t get that lush coconut flavor. I would always suggest thick full-fat coconut milk.
• Sweetened condensed milk– We add some thick sweet condensed milk to our rich coconut sauce to give it that characteristic sweetness ❤. Condensed milk also adds to the thickness here. You can use whatever sweetener you prefer such as regular sugar, honey, brown sugar or even coconut sugar but the results may not be the same.
• A pinch of salt– A little salt is always essential to bring out all those flavors.
• Mayonnaise– Mayonnaise once again adds to the richness here plus thickens up our sauce really well too. You won’t taste the mayo much, it works beautifully well with the coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk to give us a deliciously thick sweet coconut sauce.
• Vanilla extract– To add a hint of vanilla flavor to our creamy coconut milk sauce. I don’t know how or why it works but trust me on this, it just does. You can skip on this if you prefer though.

To garnish:

• Green onions– Some freshly chopped green onions on top give our creamy coconut shrimp dish the best flavor ever!

Once again, for exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

HOW TO MAKE CHINESE BUFFET STYLE CREAMY COCONUT SHRIMP RECIPE [Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos]

Please keep in mind that I go into lots of detail in all my recipes so you get to know all the super important tips and tricks when it comes to making a particular recipe. I always want you to make the BEST of whatever you’re cooking ❤.

STEP 1: GET THE SHRIMP READY

If you’re not using fresh shrimp and are using frozen shrimp instead, make sure you thaw them well!

Add your shrimp to a large bowl. Devein shrimp and wash and drain if needed.

Now add the egg white and fish sauce to your raw shrimp and mix well.

Now, add the corn starch to a separate wide bowl.

Dust the surface you’ll be placing your dredged shrimp on with some corn starch.

Time to dredge the raw shrimp! Add the shrimp with all that liquid into the cornstarch bowl.

Go in with your hands and dredge the shrimp well. The cornstarch mixture will harden a little and that’s okay. Break the cornstarch mixture with your fingers and stick it on well to your shrimp. We want those small clumped bits of cornstarch! It’ll add to the crispiness.

Alternatively, you can dip each shrimp into the cornstarch and dredge it individually.

Place your dredged shrimp on the cornstarch dusted surface.

STEP 2: FRY THE SHRIMP!

Take a wok, Dutch oven, large skillet or pretty much any equipment you prefer deep frying things in.

Pour in the cooking oil over medium heat (no medium-high heat here!) and wait for it to get hot.

You can check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a tiny piece of batter in. If it sinks to the bottom, the oil isn’t ready yet and if it bubbles up and rises to the top, your oil is hot enough for fry time!

Now, slowly add your dredged shrimp to the oil. Please fry in batches!

Don’t touch the shrimp for about 2 minutes.

Once 2 minutes are up, with the help of tongs, move the shrimp around gently and break apart any that are stuck to each other.

Cook the shrimp until they’re golden brown. This will take another 2 to 3 minutes.

Now get your shrimp out. I use a slotted spoon to drain all that oil out before placing the shrimp in a single layer on a wire rack over a sheet pan.

Don’t place your shrimp over a paper towel. The paper towel will absorb that oil making your shrimp soggy.

Fry the rest of your shrimp the same way and move to the next step!

I can’t stop myself from eating the shrimp here. They taste so good just fried too!

STEP 3: MAKE YOUR CREAMY COCONUT SAUCE

Time to make our creamy coconut milk sauce!

To make the coconut cream sauce for shrimp, take a skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat (no medium-high heat here!).

Add the coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk and salt.

Cook for about 3-4 minutes over medium-low heat, gently stirring until everything is mixed well together. We want to get all those flavors out!

Once 3-4 minutes are up, switch off the heat and add in the vanilla extract and mayonnaise.

Mix well for about 1-2 minutes or until your sauce is all nice and thick. Yum!

STEP 4: MIX EVERYTHING TOGETHER!

There are two things you can do here-

• Add your shrimp to the creamy coconut sauce in the large skillet and toss well (like me!),
• Or, brush the sweet coconut sauce over your crispy large shrimp.

You don’t have to worry about the shrimp getting soggy. I’ve made just enough sauce to cover the shrimp without making it soft and soggy.

Go ahead and garnish your creamy coconut shrimp dish with green onions and serve!

And now try a shrimp! How incredible does it taste hmm? And you made it all by yourself! Be proud ❤. I hope this turns out to be one of those easy shrimp recipes you make all the time!

Hey you, I really hope you love this Creamy Coconut Shrimp Recipe as much as I do!

If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this Easy Coconut Milk Shrimp recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).

Once again, for exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

Also, if you have any questions about this recipe, make sure to check out our FAQs section below to maybe find your answer there, or leave a comment and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible, I promise 😊.

You can share your stories with this recipe in the comments below too whether this is the first time you’re trying this recipe or if you’ve already had it multiple times before, I would love to hear all about it!

How comforting are some recipes, right? Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Seafood, Appetizers and fun Party/Special Day recipes.

FUN SERVING SUGGESTIONS

There are so many delish ways to serve this easy creamy coconut shrimp recipe making it a perfect filling easy weeknight dinner. That crispy large shrimp in creamy sauce just goes so well with so many things, I love it ❤!

Here are a few delicious ideas you can try:

• I love garnishing my crispy shrimp in creamy coconut sauce with green onions, it’s the best flavor ever and works so well with that rich flavor! But hey, you can garnish with other fresh herbs you prefer too such as fresh parsley, cilantro or even fresh basil.
• The flavors of this creamy coconut shrimp buffet style work really well with tangy flavors too. Grate some fresh lime zest and add some fresh lime juice to your creamy coconut shrimp before serving. Fresh limes are the best here and work with the flavors of coconut and sweet condensed milk really well!
• You can also add some spice to this crispy shrimp in creamy coconut milk sauce. Go ahead and add some red chili pepper flakes, paprika, cayenne pepper or a chili sauce you prefer (maybe even a little curry powder for some added flavor!) to the silky smooth sauce for a touch of spice.
• You can also double the sauce and serve this delicious recipe over a simple steamed white rice such as Basmati rice or fried rice, sticky rice, coconut rice, cauliflower rice (mmm cauliflower rice!), rice noodles, zucchini noodles or maybe even along with some sautéed or roasted veggies… So many ideas. That rich coconut sauce goes so well with literally everything.
• Go ahead and make a salad out of it. Add yummy veggies such as red bell pepper, lettuce, sliced onions and whatever greens you prefer. Drizzle with just a little olive oil to enjoy a fresh crunch along with that thick creamy sauce.

TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST CREAMY COCONUT SHRIMP RECIPE EVERY SINGLE TIME

This sweet coconut shrimp recipe is such an easy recipe. One of the best recipes to make on a busy weeknight ❤.

But hey, here are a few tips to make things even easier every time you make this creamy Chinese coconut shrimp recipe-

• I suggest you use medium, large or jumbo shrimp here. Shrimp tends to get smaller once you fry it so if you use smaller shrimp and fry it, it’ll get even smaller. Plus, jumbo, large shrimp and even medium shrimp is still so succulent once you fry it and doesn’t tend to dry out either. You can totally use smaller shrimp if you prefer though.
• Always thaw your shrimp if you’re using frozen shrimp and not fresh shrimp. If you’re gonna make this Chinese creamy coconut shrimp recipe the next day, you can go ahead and keep the frozen shrimp in your refrigerator the previous night so it gently thaws overnight and doesn’t take too much time the next day.
• Make sure the oil in your wok, Dutch oven or large skillet is hot enough before adding your shrimp in. A great way to find out is by dropping a tiny piece of batter in. If it bubbles up and rises to the top, you oil is ready for fry time. If it sinks immediately, the oil isn’t hot enough yet.
• Always fry your shrimp in batches. Please don’t overcrowd the pan. This will lead to the temperature in the pan falling leading to greasy unevenly cooked shrimp.
• Always remove your shrimp with a slotted spoon or regular tongs and strain them in a strainer held over your wok when taking them out. Remember to do this whenever you deep fry anything out there. That excess oil will just make your fried stuff soggy. An added plus is placing your fried shrimp over a wire rack. No tissues here!
• This sauce gets pretty thick once you add the mayonnaise in but if you want to thicken it up even more, you can add some cornstarch slurry in.
• Serve your Asian coconut shrimp immediately. I’ve made sure the batter is such that our shrimp stay crisp for a long time but it’s just natural that once the sauce touches the shrimp, it’ll start to lose its crisp after some time. I’ve had these shrimp about two hours later too and they were still a little crispy but its always best to have this dish fresh ❤.

RECIPE & DIET VARIATIONS YOU CAN TRY

This is going to be one of your most favorite recipes ever and not just because it’s so delicious and easy to make.

But also because of all the different things you can do with it, playing with all those yum flavors!

It’s one of those delicious and easy shrimp recipes ❤.

Here are a few fun ideas:

• This creamy coconut shrimp dish tastes absolutely incredible with some good succulent fresh shrimp but it also tastes wonderful with other seafood such as calamari, fish or even scallops. You can make a mix of different seafood too next time, so good! You can use boneless chicken cubes as well.
• No corn starch? You can substitute with all purpose flour, potato starch or even a combination of these here.
• And if you’re in a hurry on a busy weeknight, you can use frozen breaded shrimp as well.
• You don’t need to deep fry your fresh shrimp. You can always pan fry, shallow fry (in a frying pan or large skillet) or even bake it if you prefer.
• To make this recipe vegetarian, you can use tofu, potato, cauliflower or even broccoli (check out our Homemade Batter Fried Broccoli with Creamy Sauce).
• You can use heavy cream, evaporated milk, coconut cream or even cashew cream instead of coconut milk if you prefer. Remember though that if you skip out on using coconut milk or even coconut cream, this delicious shrimp recipe will lack that coconut flavor. It’ll still be yum though. If you’re using a cream, your sauce may get too thick. Go ahead and add a milk of your preference to thin it out.
• Want a sweeter sauce? Add more sweetened condensed milk! And to cut down on the sweetness, add less condensed milk.
• I wouldn’t suggest skipping out on condensed milk because it adds to the sweetness and creaminess in the best way possible but if you want to, you can use any sweetener you prefer such as regular sugar, honey, brown sugar or even coconut sugar .
• I love garnishing my crispy shrimp in creamy coconut milk sauce with green onions but you can garnish with other fresh herbs you prefer too such as fresh parsley, cilantro or even fresh basil.
• Go ahead and add some spice to this creamy coconut shrimp. You can add some red chili pepper flakes, paprika, cayenne pepper or a chili sauce you prefer (maybe even a little curry powder for some added flavor!) to the creamy sauce for a touch of spice.
• You can also add some veggies such as red bell pepper, broccoli or whatever you prefer to the sauce for an added fresh crunch!
• Go ahead and add in some chopped roasted cashews, peanuts, walnuts or almonds for an added crunch! You can make some candied walnuts too and add them to your crispy creamy shrimp like in honey walnut shrimp.
• Add a lush touch of fresh garlic. When making your sauce, go ahead and add some butter, olive oil or even coconut oil to your pan first. Add some smashed fresh garlic, sauté just a little then add the sweetened condensed milk and coconut milk and make your creamy coconut milk sauce as usual. You can also add some minced fresh ginger root to your sauce. The flavors of ginger work pretty well here. You can go crazy with flavors and try adding a little soy sauce too maybe!
• And of course, the flavors of sweet and creamy work pretty well with tangy too. Go ahead and grate some fresh lime zest, and add some fresh lime juice to your creamy coconut shrimp. Fresh limes are the best here and work with the flavors of coconut and sweet condensed milk!
• Make more sauce if you like. I’ve made just enough to coat the shrimp for best results so the shrimp doesn’t get soggy too soon but if you prefer, you can make more of this creamy sauce.

Note- If you think you have an ingredient that you feel is suitable as a substitute for a certain ingredient in this recipe, according to your dietary preference, you can use it and let us know how it works as a substitute in the comments below. I’ll then add it in as an adaptation suggestion here. This will help so many others with the same diet preference as yours.

❤❤❤

Hey you, I really hope you love this Creamy Coconut Shrimp Recipe as much as I do!

If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).

We would love to get to know you better, say hello in the comments below ❤

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