Grilled Coconut Shrimp is an easy, flavorful dish featuring jumbo shrimp glazed in a honey-garlic sauce, quickly grilled and finished with toasted coconut. Serve it over pasta or rice for a satisfying family meal.
Garlic Butter Shrimp and Sesame Shrimp are also quick, crowd-pleasing options if you want more variety.
Ingredients for Grilled Coconut Shrimp:
- Jumbo shrimp – peeled and deveined
- Honey
- Lemon juice
- Granulated garlic
- Smoked paprika
- Dried thyme
- Ground red pepper (or chile flakes)
- Toasted coconut (sweetened or unsweetened, as preferred)
How to Grill Coconut Shrimp:
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and place them in a bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lemon juice, granulated garlic, smoked paprika, dried thyme and ground red pepper until well combined.
- Pour half of the sauce over the shrimp and toss to coat. Reserve the remaining sauce to finish the shrimp after grilling.
- Toast coconut flakes in a dry skillet over low heat, stirring constantly until golden and fragrant. Transfer to a plate to cool so they don’t continue to brown.
- Prepare your grill for indirect heat at about 325°F and add pecan or another mild wood for smoke if desired.
- Grill the shrimp over indirect heat with the lid closed about 4 minutes, then turn and cook until the shrimp reach an internal temperature of 145°F (about another 2–3 minutes, depending on size).
- Remove shrimp from the grill, toss with the reserved honey-garlic sauce, then sprinkle with toasted coconut and toss again to coat evenly.
- Serve immediately over buttered noodles, rice, or alongside grilled vegetables.
We served the grilled coconut shrimp over linguine tossed with browned butter for a quick weeknight dinner. This shrimp is also excellent with rice pilaf or grilled asparagus and makes a great main or an appetizer for gatherings.
How to Store and Reheat:
- Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently in a skillet with 1–2 teaspoons of olive oil or butter over medium-low heat, stirring until warmed through to avoid overcooking.
More Shrimp Recipes to Try:
- Pineapple Shrimp
- Shrimp Boil Packets
- Stuffed Shrimp
Grilled Coconut Shrimp is a quick, tasty change from routine dinners. The sweet-savory glaze and crunchy toasted coconut create a delightful contrast that’s appealing to both adults and kids.
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Print Recipe
Grilled Coconut Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper or chile flakes
- ½ cup toasted coconut
Instructions
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Prepare a grill fire to 325° using pecan for smoke flavor.
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Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl.
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In a small bowl, whisk together honey, lemon juice, garlic, paprika and thyme.
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Pour half of the sauce over the shrimp, reserving the other half. Toss the shrimp with the sauce.
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Grill the shrimp over indirect fire with the grill closed about 4 minutes. Turn the shrimp and continue to cook until internal temperature reaches 145° using a digital meat thermometer.
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Remove from grill.
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Toss with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.
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Serve immediately.
Notes
How to Store and Reheat: Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet with 1–2 teaspoons olive oil or butter over low heat, stirring until heated through.