Coconut Fried Fish is a quick and easy way to add some tropical flair to your dinner table. Only a few basic ingredients and under 20 minutes!
There is a restaurant down on Sugarloaf Key in the Florida Keys called Mangrove Mamas that we frequent a couple times a week when we are down there fishing and lobstering. Not only do they know us by this point, but they have the dinner order down.
“You catch? Half lightly blackened, half coconut fried?” You got it.
I have always loved coconut. There are several picture of me as a kid attempting to crack open coconuts (news flash- 1. It is hard. 2. Raw coconut does not taste like a pina colada. Consider yourself educated.), so when this restaurant started doing a coconut fried fish recipe, I was thrilled. I love it so much that I even started doing it at home, although I have to say, their’s is still better than mine, partially due to the fact that they have this incredible plantain dipping sauce that I just haven’t figure out how to replicate yet.
The thing about cooking with coconut, as opposed to the coconut that comes straight out of the bag, is that the dish doesn’t end up super sweet, as you might think it would. The cooking really cuts down on the over-the-top sweetness, leaving just a hint of it behind, along with a pleasant crunch. Just make sure that you watch your heat- the coconut likes to scorch, due to the sugar content.
You know its a win when you get this comment:
“I don’t like coconut. But I love this coconut fish.”
I sometimes really don’t understand my husband.
Tools needed to make this coconut breaded fish:
- As with any breaded meat, a set of [easyazon_link identifier=”B00AKBPD5G” locale=”US” tag=”gogogogo03-20″]shallow mixing bowls[/easyazon_link] is helpful for dipping in the egg and coconut mixtures.
- The only other thing you really need is a nice [easyazon_link identifier=”B00008CM6B” locale=”US” tag=”gogogogo03-20″]saute pan[/easyazon_link] for frying!
If you like this Coconut Fried Fish Recipe, take a look at these options:
- Coconut Shrimp Po Boy with Key Lime Tartar Sauce
- Coconut Shrimp with Mango-Bell Pepper Salsa & Cilantro-Lime Rice
- Hummingbird Tropical Coconut French Toast
- Pina Colada Bread
- Skinny Pineapple Coconut Cake
Coconut Fried Fish
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 2 T pineapple juice
- 2/3 c flour
- 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut more as needed
- 5 snapper fillets
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In a wide, shallow bowl, beat together the egg and pineapple juice. Spread the flour and the coconut on separate plates, suitable for dredging.
- Add 2-3 T vegetable oil to a saute pan set over medium heat.
- Dry the fish fillets off as much as possible. Dredge first in the flour, then dip in egg and coat fish in coconut.
- Working with 2-3 fillets at a time, add the fish to the pan. When coconut starts to brown, carefully turn over. When fish is cooked, remove from pan. Add more oil to pan if necessary and repeat with the remaining fish.
- Serve immediately.
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