Coconut shrimp is a fantastic creation. It is made by coating chunky, juicy shrimp in a batter of breadcrumbs and coconut flakes. They are then deep-fried until they turn a beautiful golden brown.
While they are truly delicious, they aren’t a substantial meal on their own, Therefore, this article is going to provide you with a list of 11 delicious side dishes you can serve with coconut shrimp!
1. Sautéed Garlic Spinach
If you’d like to stick to something healthy, then adding a load of greens to your plate will do the trick! This is also a great meal if you’d like to keep your calories low.
Simply sauté some garlic over a medium heat for around 1 minute, and then add your spinach to the pan and mix it in with the garlic and oil.
Cover and cook for around 2 minutes, and then turn the heat right up and stir continuously until the spinach wilts.
Serve next to your coconut shrimp and enjoy!
2. Pineapple Salsa
This next side idea is another healthy option, great for keeping your calorie count low if that is a goal of yours.
Coconut shrimp is already a relatively tropical dish, so pairing it with this pineapple salsa will really give your entire plate a tropical feel – not to mention it’ll make it beautiful and colorful!
This dish contains pineapple, red bell pepper, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and limes. All of these flavors work together fabulously.
You’ll enjoy it so much, you may need to make a large batch of it, so you can add it to all kinds of other recipes.
3. Ginger Rice
If you’re a fan of Asian-inspired food, then this ginger rice is the one for you. This dish adds an Asian twist to anything you pair it with, including coconut shrimp.
It’s very easy to make. All you need is butter, ginger, garlic, stock, basmati rice, salt, and green onions.
Simply melt the butter in a pot and cook the garlic and ginger in it for around 30 seconds. Then, add the stock, rice, and salt and bring it all to a boil.
Let it cook for around 12 minutes, and serve it next to your delicious coconut shrimp!
4. Thai Red Curry With Vegetables
Thai red curry is warm, comforting, and perfect for cold days. This recipe is rich and filled with vegetables, giving you an all-around healthy meal without sacrificing any of the comforting goodness.
This Thai red curry pairs wonderfully well with coconut shrimp, as the shrimp works well as a protein source for the curry, and it’s able to soak up all the delicious flavors.
An extra tip is to make sure you use full-fat coconut milk. This makes the curry even richer.
5. Creamy Garlic Pasta
This creamy garlic pasta is the perfect base for your coconut shrimp. You’ll need some olive oil, garlic, butter, chicken broth, black pepper, salt, spaghetti, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and parsley.
Begin by heating up your olive oil and cooking your garlic until fragrant. Then, add your butter and stir until it melts before pouring in 3 cups of chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add your spaghetti and let it cook for around 12 minutes. Once cooked, add your cheese, cream, and parsley and mix until creamy.
Once the above has been done, add in your coconut shrimp, so it becomes coated in the creamy sauce.
6. Vietnamese Summer Rolls
Vietnamese summer rolls are delicious, healthy, and perfect for the warmer months.
They’re made by layering ingredients such as rice vermicelli noodles, shredded vegetables, and herbs (mint, basil, and cilantro are the best) and shrimp or pork over sheets of rice paper.
This rice paper is not fried, like other types of spring rolls are, which is what makes them such a healthy option.
You can either place your coconut shrimp inside each summer roll, or simply have them on the side. Whichever option you choose, you’re bound to love this dish, as all the flavors together work wonderfully well.
This is the perfect light lunch, dinner, or simple snack!
7. French Fries
If it’s comfort food you’re after, then you can’t go wrong with pairing your coconut shrimp with some French fries.
Fries go well next to any kind of food, so you definitely won’t be disappointed with having some next to your coconut shrimp.
The trick to making them super crispy is to cut them with a serrated knife, rinse them in water, blanch them in vinegar water, and then double shallow fry them.
The result is some seriously delicious French fries that will stay crispy even when they’ve gone cold! Sprinkle a little salt over them, and some of your favorite herbs and spices, and you’re done!
8. Roasted Vegetables
If you’re looking to add more health and nutrition to your diet, then simply pairing your coconut shrimp with some roasted vegetables is the way to go.
Roasting your veggies adds sweetness, depth, and flavor to each vegetable – even the fussiest of children will eat them!
Simply grab some of your favorite vegetables, chop them up, drizzle some olive oil over them, and add some salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you have on hand.
You can serve these alone with your coconut shrimp, or you can add some cous cous or quinoa if you’d like a more substantial meal.
9. Coleslaw
Coleslaw is an ideal dish to take with you to barbecues and other gatherings, but it’s also a great side dish to accompany coconut shrimp.
This is a great option if you’d like to keep your meal light and refreshing, as coleslaw is served cold.
For this recipe you’ll need some green and red cabbage, shredded carrots, and a dressing made with mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and celery seed.
Making your dressing yourself enables you to know exactly what is being put inside, so you can avoid any harmful additives that store-bought dressings contain.
This coleslaw is refreshing, and crunchy, and makes for the perfect side dish.
10. Sweet Chili Dip
There may be times when all you feel like eating is your coconut shrimp without sides, but you’ll definitely need a delicious sauce to dip your shrimp into.
This sweet chili dip contains the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. In less than an hour of your time, you’ll be able to create this delicious sauce that tastes incredible with your coconut shrimp.
11. Cilantro Lime Sauce
For something even quicker, this cilantro lime sauce can be put together in just 5 minutes! It is a wonderfully refreshing sauce that pairs perfectly with coconut shrimp.
You definitely won’t be disappointed with this condiment!
Final Thoughts
To conclude, coconut shrimp is a delicious and versatile dish that can be paired with all kinds of sides.
Whether it’s something light and healthy, or warm and hearty, this article has included all kinds of sides to suit the needs of everyone.
All of these dishes are very easy to make, taking barely any of your time away from you.
We hope this article has given you some inspiration to get into your kitchen and make some delicious coconut shrimp, and a few of these sides to go along with it. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Coconut shrimp is a battered shrimp dish. It is very delicious, easy to make, and perfect for when you’ve got guests over.
To make it, you should start by brining the shrimp for around 10 minutes. Aside from giving it flavor, this also firms it up. You can do this by using salty water.
Then, to make the batter, simply whisk some egg and water in a bowl, and add some flour. Continue to whisk until there are no lumps.
Add around an inch of oil to a pot and heat it up. Then, rinse the shrimp before dipping it into the batter and then dipping it into some coconut flakes.
Then, fry each shrimp in the oil on each side. Fry until golden brown, and then drain them of the oil.
Be sure to hold the shrimp by the tail when placing them in the batter to ensure that the entire fish is coated.
Then, when frying them in the oil, be careful not to burn yourself, as some of the oil may spit.
Cooking is great for your mental, physical, and emotional health. What’s the worst that could happen? Find a recipe that you like the sound of and cook it along with me. You might even unlock a new passion!
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