Go Back
+ servings
An image of three shrimp tacos with pineapple salsa shot from overhead.

Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Get ready for a flavor explosion with our coconut shrimp tacos! Crispy air fryer shrimp peppered with sweet pineapple salsa and drizzled in a creamy sriracha lime mayo.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Total Time 36 minutes
Course dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 10 tacos

Ingredients
  

Pineapple Salsa

  • 2 cups Fresh pineapple medium dice
  • cup Red onion finely diced
  • cup Chopped cilantro
  • ½ Jalapeno or to taste, depending how spicy you like it
  • ¼ cup Fresh lime juice
  • 1-2 teaspoons Thai sweet chili sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt or to taste

Creamy Sweet Chili Sauce

  • ½ cup Mayonnaise
  • 1-2 tablespoon Sriracha
  • 1 tablespoon Thai sweet chili sauce
  • 4 tablespoons Fresh lime juice

Batter

  • ½ cup All-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Granulated garlic
  • Optional Up to 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 Eggs whisked
  • ¼ cup Water
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt and pepper, each

Coconut Shrimp

  • 1 lb Raw shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 ½ cups Sweetened coconut flakes
  • ¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 10 corn tortillas swap for flour tortillas if desired

Instructions
 

Pineapple Salsa (Pico de Gallo)

  • Mix diced pineapple, finely diced red onion, chopped cilantro, jalapeno, and lime juice. Add ⅛ teaspoon of salt. Then, add in Thai sweet chili sauce 1 teaspoon at a time, tasting as you go to determine whether you want to add another teaspoon or not. This will largely depend on the sweetness of the pineapple and your own tastebuds. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Increase salt in ⅛ teaspoon increments. Add more jalapeno if the chile is not very spicy (or if you like spicy things).

Creamy Sriracha Lime Sauce

  • Whisk all of the ingredients for the sriracha lime sauce until combined: mayo, sriracha, lime juice, and Thai sweet chili sauce. Then taste and add salt in ⅛ teaspoon increments until salted to your preference. (I needed a small sprinkle.) Set aside.

Batter + Shrimp

  • Take your thawed, peeled and deveined shrimp and set them into a medium bowl.
  • Mix the dry ingredients together for the batter in a separate bowl. Then, whisk in eggs and slowly pour water in, whisking to create a smooth batter.
  • In a third bowl, combine the coconut and the panko.
  • Then line up the bowls in this order: shrimp, batter, coconut panko. At the end of your production line, set down a clean, dry, unlined baking sheet.
  • Dip each shrimp into the batter and then the coconut panko mixture to coat. (Tip: use 2 forks for mess-free dipping.)
  • Air fry shrimp in an air fryer at 390F for 8 minutes or until cooked through.
  • Assemble your tacos. A bit of pineapple salsa. 2 shrimp (I like to cut mine in half so I get shrimp in every bite.) A drizzle of sriracha lime sauce. A few slices of raw red onion and a spritz of lime.
  • If you don’t have an air fryer, you can always spritz these in a bit of olive oil and bake these on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in an oven preheated to 425F for 10 minutes.

Notes

Love shrimp? How about Mexican food? Try this Mexican Shrimp Cocktail. It's a staple at our summer gatherings and holidays.
Want something a little more 'traditional?' Try these Entomatadas. They're like enchiladas, but no need to turn on the oven.
I recommend using 20-25 count shrimp. If using a smaller shrimp, adjust cooking size accordingly.
SHRIMP AIR FRYER COOK TIME
  • For 21 to 25 count shrimp – cook at 390°F for 7 to 8 minutes.
  • For 31 to 40 count shrimp – cook at 390°F for 5 to 6 minutes.
MORE NOTES
  • Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. I used my 8 quart Ninja Foodi and was able to cook all the shrimp in two batches. I like to get my toddler’s plate served while I’m waiting on the second batch. 
  • This fed two adults, 1 teenager, and a 3 year old. If you want to feed more, scale this recipe up! 
  • Scroll up for instructions on how to safely thaw shrimp and different methods for warming up corn tortillas.
Keyword 30 minute dinners, shrimp, tacos
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!