Number one craving this pregnancy? You’d never guess it. Well, you might, considering the title of this post. You just might… OK, fine, it’s Whole30 coconut shrimp with orange sauce. And sure, maybe it wasn’t Whole30 coconut shrimp with orange sauce during the roughest part of the first trimester but just any damn coconut shrimp within a 5-mile radius, but man, I would’ve done anything for a plate of crispy coconut shrimp and a sweet sauce for dipping. Anything. Except drive 6 miles to the closest Outback to get my orange sauce fix. You know. That first trimester is tiring! So I essentially staved my craving off for weeks until I was feeling better, feeling enough energy to cook, not offended by the mere presence of the garbage can next to me in the kitchen. And I made the best damn Whole30 coconut shrimp in the world. And yeah, I haven’t probably tasted every single Whole30 coconut shrimp recipe out there, but I can say with confidence that this is the one, y’all. I was worried, in fact, that the coconut wouldn’t stick right or coat everything in a crispy, coconutty shell. That the sauce would be too orangey, not grounded and a bit spicy, kinda like the stuff at Outback. What I should’ve been worrked about, really, was that my neighbors would wonder just what in the world was going on when we were eating these. Groans and moans the entire time, that ohmygahhhhh this is amazing. Ohhhhhhh honey this is so good. Holy moooooly I am amazing. These Whole30 coconut shrimp with orange sauce? Yeah, they’re that damn good. The coconut shell is crispy and somehow takes on the form of a batter with just a couple ingredients. They’re easy to fry up and the coconut sticks well. The sauce is, again, just a few ingredients and shockingly good. The shrimp cook quickly and are so tender yet so, so full of flavor. I might even make the claim that this Whole30 coconut shrimp recipe is one of my best ever. Aside from my Whole30 In N Out burgers (double double animal style, duh), my paleo chocolate mousse dip, and uh… like 19 others. But you know. All the love for my recipes, I have it. I have it all. I wouldn’t share less than whoa recipes with you all! So here’s the deal.
Can I Use Regular Orange Marmalade?
Not if you want these Whole30 coconut shrimp to be, uh, Whole30. If you’re just paleo, roll with whatever. But if you’re on a Whole30, you’ll have to use St. Dalfour Orange Marmalade: it’s sweetened solely with fruit juice, making it Whole30 compliant. I learned of the stuff when I made NomNomPaleo’s curry turkey bites with apricot-ginger sauce years back, and it works perfectly in this sauce. The sauce will be a little more bitter than a standard orange marmalade sauce, because there’s no white sugar in there blitzing your tastebuds, but I actually prefer the taste! It’s more complex and works beautifully with the mustard and horseradish.
Can I Bake These?
I wouldn’t. You risk overcooking the shrimp and the “breading” won’t get that beautiful golden crisp it needs. If your reason for wanting to bake the shrimp is to avoid oil, I would still pan-fry them. You really don’t need too much coconut oil to crisp up the coconut shell beautifully.
Can I Cook These in the Air Fryer?
I’m not sure – I haven’t tried it myself. But it seems like it would work! Try cooking the shrimp in batches at 390ºF for 5 minutes, making sure to not overcrowd the basket. Use an air-fryer-safe spray oil on the basket, and give the tops of the shrimp a spritz, too. That’ll help the coconut crisp right up.
A Few of Our Most Popular Whole30 Recipes
Balsamic Whole30 Salad DressingWhole30 Marry Me Chicken (Paleo, Dairy Free)Easy Whole30 Dump Ranch DressingDates Wrapped in BaconWhole30 Meatballs with Marinara SauceSlow Cooker FajitasWhole30 Fish Taco Bowl with Mango Salsa and Chipotle Aioli (Paleo, Low Carb)Instant Pot Paleo Chicken SoupWhole30 Chicken Tenders (Paleo, Low Carb, Gluten Free)Whole30 Loaded Sweet Potato Fries (Paleo, Dairy Free, Gluten Free)
