This easy and light dinner comes together quickly and delivers on flavor. I based it off the family favorite, Coconut Shrimp, except that it’s gluten-free and shellfish-free!
Prepare three wide, shallow bowls - 1. flour, salt and pepper 2. beaten egg 3. shredded coconut, rice crumbs, pinch of salt, cayenne pepper. Break up coconut if needed.
Heat coconut oil in Dutch oven or large skillet on low-medium heat. Make sure there is enough to fully cover the entire bottom of the pan: slightly more is better here to avoid sticking and burning.
When your pan is heated through, begin breading the fish. Make sure the pan/coconut oil aren't too hot, or the coconut will burn immediately.
Dip fish thoroughly in the flour mixture, making sure to cover it completely. Shake off excess flour. Then dip into beaten egg, and again shake off excess. Finally, dip into coconut mixture. Use your fingers to get an even coat on both sides and gently pat coconut onto fish to encourage as much breading to stick as possible.
Begin frying fish. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook for about 4-5 minutes per side, flipping only once. Thicker fillets may need additional time. Dry on paper towel-lined plate as you cook the rest of the fish.
Serve immediately with a squeeze of fresh lemon and fresh chopped cilantro or parsley, over rice, or as a taco.
Coconut tilapia will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge. For best results, reheat in the toaster oven, oven, or frying pan to crisp the breading.
Notes
Heating the pan properly is the most important step, or you will instantly burn the coconut. If you're using a Dutch oven, only heat to medium. High heat will burn the coconut (as I quickly learned!). I don't mind a slightly charred crust, and luckily it didn't taste burnt. But if you care about appearance, be careful with your heat.
The breading makes enough for about four 3-4 oz. fillets. I used two 3.5 oz fillets, plus one 5 oz fillet, and still had leftover topping. If you use four fillets instead, you will likely need more egg to cover the greater surface area.
The gluten free rice crumbs (from Trader Joe's) were a great addition for my breading - I would recommend these even if you aren't gluten free! They have a lovely crisp (reminiscent of deep frying) and stuck very well to the fish since it is a fine mixture.
If the coconut seems too long, break up some of the bigger pieces with your fingers. This will help it stick to the fish better.
If you don't have coconut oil on hand, you could use other oil, but I do highly recommend the coconut oil. For one, the flavor really brings out the coconut in the breading. But it also made a great crispy crust that didn't feel overly greasy once cooled. Instead, try another mild oil like canola or vegetable.