Baked Coconut Shrimp with Tangelo Salsa

A sweet-and-sour tangelo salsa complements the toasty coconut crust on these sassy little coconut shrimp. Serve these healthy baked coconut shrimp as a plated first course with the tangelo salsa or as a passed hors d’oeuvre. Be sure to use unsweetened shredded coconut or this baked coconut shrimp recipe will be too sweet—look for it near other baking supplies or in bulk at natural-foods stores or well-stocked supermarkets.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped peeled tangelos, such as Minneola, or tangerines
2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 scallion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño pepper, or more to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 pound raw shrimp (21-25 per pound; see Tip)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Combine tangelos (or tangerines), bell pepper, cilantro, scallion, jalapeño and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender. Pulse to form a chunky salsa. Set aside.
Beat eggs in a small dish. Whisk flour, paprika and garlic powder in another small dish. Combine coconut and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt in a third dish.
Peel shrimp, leaving the tails on. Butterfly the shrimp by cutting halfway through the back, stopping at the tail, so they will stand tail up. Dredge the shrimp in the flour mixture. Dip in the egg and then coat with coconut, leaving the tail uncoated. Stand the shrimp tail-up on the prepared baking sheet. Discard any unused dipping mixtures.
Bake the shrimp until cooked through and the coating is starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the shrimp with the salsa.

Tips & Notes

Tip: Shrimp is usually sold by the number needed to make one pound. For example, “21-25 count” means there will be 21 to 25 shrimp in a pound. Size names, such as “large” or “extra large,” are not standardized, so to get the size you want, order by the count per pound. Both wild-caught and farm-raised shrimp can damage the surrounding ecosystems when not managed properly. Fortunately, it is possible to buy shrimp that have been raised or caught with sound environmental practices. Look for fresh or frozen shrimp certified by an independent agency, such as the Marine Stewardship Council. If you can’t find certified shrimp, choose wild-caught shrimp from North America—it’s more likely to be sustainably caught.

Nutrition

Per serving: 203 calories; 10 g fat ( 7 g sat , 1 g mono ); 157 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 14 g protein; 4 g fiber; 329 mg sodium; 324 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (64% daily value), Vitamin A (27% dv)
Carbohydrate Servings: 1
Exchanges: 1/2 fruit, 1 1/2 lean meat, 1/2 medium-fat meat, 1 1/2 fat