Oven-baked Panko and Coconut Shrimp

Crispy, crunchy, with a touch of the tropics, we just love coconut shrimp. But unlike the deep-fried shrimp we've had at restaurants, we wanted to enjoy a fairly guiltless version.  Made with Panko and baked in the oven, this version of Coconut Shrimp uses almost no oil but maintains its addictive quality.

Oven-Baked Panko and Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients:

1 lb jumbo raw shrimp (peeled, deveined with tails left on)

1/3 cup whole wheat flour (cornstarch can be substituted)

1 tsp salt

3 egg whites

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 cup Panko crumbs

nonstick cooking spray (we used olive oil spray)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500F

2. Spray the baking sheet.

3. Mix flour and salt in small bowl. 

4. Dredge shrimp in flour mixture and shake off excess.

5. Dip floured shrimp in egg whites.

6. Mix panko and coconut flakes in a large plastic storage bag.

7. Add shrimp to panko/coconut mixture and shake bag. 

8. Place on baking sheet.

9. Repeat with the rest of the shrimp.

10. Once all the shrimp is placed on the sheet, spray more oil on top.

11. Bake in the oven for about 7 minutes on each side (total cooking time about 14 minutes).

Served with hot chili sauce or a tropical yogurt, this was a simple recipe that could serve 4 as an appetizer.  Between the two of us, though, we ate the whole batch with a large salad as our dinner.