Air-Fried Coconut Shrimp and Pineapple

I love my new toy! After hearing about them repeatedly, I decided that I needed my own air fryer for Hanukkah. As a health-conscious person, I keep my fried foods to a pretty low count. I mean, some days you just need some fries (or samosa! I love samosa...) but most fried foods are reserved for special occasions. The idea of filling that craving without the artery-busting cholesterol that comes with it was too much to pass up. Research was done, air fryer was purchased, and the experimenting began.

However, before you dive in, it's important to note that air fryers do NOT completely mimic the taste of truly fried food. I knew this going in and have been very happy with the results, but if you expect to not be able to tell the difference, you'll be disappointed. They create crispy food, delicate and moist yet crispy, which is absolutely delicious and DOES fill some of the same cravings, but it's not identical. Still, I highly recommend them and look forward to trying many more recipes.

Time: 55 min (prep is hands on ~10 min and then moving in/out of air fryer regularly throughout rest of time)




Ingredients:
1/3 c flour
1.5 tsp black pepper
1/2 c egg beaters
2/3 c unsweetened flaked coconut
1/3 c panko
16 oz peeled, deveined, raw shrimp (I used tail removed but it's fine if it's there)
olive oil cooking spray
1/2 pineapple, cubed

Combine the flour and pepper in a shallow dish. Pour the egg beaters in another dish. Mix the coconut and panko in a third. Leave them in a row, assembly line-style, to prepare the shrimp.

Pat dry your shrimp and put out a piece of parchment paper at the end of your assembly line. One shrimp at a time (or two with two hands!) dredge both sides in flour, shaking off the excess, dip both sides into the egg beaters, again shaking off the excess, and finally dredge in the coconut mixture on both sides. Place on the parchment paper. Continue until all shrimp are done.

Place as many shrimp as fit in one layer (about a third for me, but depends on your air fryer) without overlapping too much into your air fryer basket. You need the air to circulate freely to get crispy. Spray with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Halfway through, pause the air fryer, carefully flip the shrimp, and spray on the other side (the one now facing up) before continuing. They should be golden when done.

Note: You'll likely want to wait a few minutes between batches or consider decreasing the time slightly since the air fryer will be hotter after the first batch than when you start.

When the shrimp are done, add half the pineapple to the air fryer basket (or more if it fits well - again depends on size!) and air fry for 10 min at 400, shaking halfway through. Repeat with the rest of the pineapple and serve it with the shrimp. The air frying process slightly caramelizes the pineapple, giving it brown edges without making it crispy, but intensifying the sweetness so it almost tastes candied.

Enjoy!