Sheet-Pan Coconut Shrimp and Sweet Potatoes Recipe (2024)

By Melissa Clark

Updated Jan. 30, 2024

Sheet-Pan Coconut Shrimp and Sweet Potatoes Recipe (1)

Total Time
55 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(431)
Notes
Read community notes

Cubes of sweet potatoes and plump pink shrimp — both coated in spicy ginger-spiked coconut milk — share a sheet pan in this easy, deeply flavored one-pan meal. The sweet potato is added to the pan first, and roasted until just tender. Then, shrimp is scattered on top, and the whole pan is run under the broiler. The brief, intense heat allows the shrimp to cook through but stay succulent and the coconut milk-bathed sweet potatoes to caramelize at their edges. Scallions, cilantro and lime juice add a jolt of brightness right at the end.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1cup unsweetened coconut milk, preferably full-fat
  • 1teaspoon Sriracha, plus more for serving
  • 2garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1(1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1bunch scallions, green and white parts thinly sliced and separated
  • ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal, or use ½ teaspoon Morton), plus more for sprinkling
  • ¼cup chopped cilantro
  • 2limes
  • pounds shelled large shrimp
  • 2pounds sweet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes (peeled or not, as you like)
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

539 calories; 20 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 40 grams protein; 961 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Sheet-Pan Coconut Shrimp and Sweet Potatoes Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper or a nonstick liner.

  2. Step

    2

    In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, Sriracha, garlic, ginger, sliced scallion whites, red-pepper flakes, salt and cilantro.

  3. Step

    3

    Finely grate the zest of 1 lime directly into coconut milk mixture, then squeeze in the lime juice (reserve the second lime for later).

  4. Step

    4

    Put shrimp in another medium bowl. Pour half of the coconut mixture over shrimp and stir to combine. Let marinate in the fridge while the sweet potatoes roast.

  5. Step

    5

    Meanwhile, add the sweet potato cubes to the bowl with the remaining coconut mixture and toss to combine. Evenly spread potatoes on the prepared sheet tray, pouring all of the liquid from the bowl over them. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, tossing a couple of times while roasting, until the sweet potatoes are tender.

  6. Step

    6

    Remove pan from oven and heat broiler to high. Spread shrimp evenly on top of the sweet potatoes and pour in any liquid from the bowl. Drizzle shrimp with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Broil on high for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and just beginning to curl, and the sweet potatoes are charred in spots, rotating the pan after 3 minutes.

  7. Step

    7

    To serve, squeeze the juice of the reserved lime on top and sprinkle with sliced scallion greens. Drizzle with more Sriracha sauce.

Ratings

4

out of 5

431

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Charles Michener

I don't share Melissa Clark's fondness for sheet pan cooking. Even when I follow her recipes to the letter, the results often turn out dry and the different ingredients haven't come together. The old-fashioned process of browning, frying, braising - all on top of the stove - can't be beat.

Tess

I made this tonight - pretty much as written. Used aluminum foil instead of parchment paper to avoid a broiler fire. Served with black beans. Easy, tasty, and fairly quick. Consider this recipe added to the rotation.

Kris

Made this for lunch today. I think the trick to not burning the kitchen down is making sure that the shrimp, sweet potatoes and marinade cover the parchment paper completely. Mine was fine for 6 minutes in the broiler except for one edge that got a bit charred. This one is a keeper. My kitchen smells amazine.

Chowchap

Non stick liners such as Silpat are not safe for broiler use!

Adele

Flavor was merely ok, sheet pan method promises ease but did not deliver. Marinade was passable on the shrimp but unsavory on the sweet potatoes. Easier and tastier would be a basic oil-lemon/vinegar-garlic; would not try coconut milk again for this purpose. Time and some mess already to roast vegetables, did not enjoy having to then broil as well. Nothing burned, yay, but my shrimp cooked quickly so I did not achieve a char. Maybe caramelization would have elevated the flavor of this dish?

Fred Garry

Red chili garlic paste instead of sriracha only because I didn't have it; gave a nice kick because I put in two tablespoons. Didn't bother with the broiler (I am afraid of mine), but simply increase the temp to 425 and let the roasting continue. There was nothing left in the bowl which is the five star rating in our house.

Allan NYS

Wonderful recipe! I made it a couple hours early as I had other things to do later and let both the shrimp and sweet potatoes marinate in separate bowls in the sauce in the refrigerator. Don't know whether that had any particular effect, but was excellent.

EWitz

I listened to advice to add more flavor and doubled the garlic, red pepper flakes, ginger , and Sriracha to the coconut milk base. Following cooking instructions the potatoes were nicely charred after 6-7 minutes in broiler and the shrimp were delicious. My spouse who doesn't even like sweet potatoes couldn't stop eating them...!

Elizabeth

Using non-stick foil instead of parchment paper addresses the fire issue.

Merrill McNicholas

I love Melissa Clark and her recipes!

Shannon

Did anyone else have sweet potatoes that turned into mush? Like the flavors but... this wasn't successful for me. It was like shrimp with weird half-mashed sweet potatoes. blah.

cook from seattle

After reading some reviews, wondered if it was a mistake to make this. Now, made it twice. Bumped up the ginger, sriracha, garlic, lime zest, cilantro just a bit. End result was so good! Used parchment paper (not a cheaper brand) w/o causing a house-fire as some mentioned. Learned to get the oil on the potatoes for a good roast. Best if the shrimp marinade bubbles up to thicken at the end w/o overcooking the shrimp. Partially frozen shrimp helped avoid overcooking.

LeChef

Made with the sole changes being used 2lbs of 16-20 count shrimp and used Flatiron Chili Peppers “Asian Red” chili flakes in place of the red chilis called for. Oh, and duck fat in place of the olive oil because I’m fancy (or I had it in a spray can, and didn’t feel like drizzling EVOO). Delicious and the heat from the Asian Red chili flakes was a winner. Not a hard recipe at all, not terribly equipment intense, and really delicious.

MJ

Love it! My husband said it’s his new favorite. Doubled everything in the sauce. Served on a bed of arugula.

Becky

Really good! Made as directed except only had one pound of sweet pots so I made up the difference with cauliflower (wonderful). Also, didn’t have cilantro because I had used it all up making samin noarat’s cilantro date chutney yesterday, so that is what I serve and was very happy.

Chris H.

Agree with doubling ginger, garlic, sriracha.

Miranda

This is one of my favorite recipes for shrimp—flavorful and comforting, as well as a fire hazard as written! Use tin foil instead of parchment paper or a silicone pad, since neither should go under a broiler on high! Also, fit the size of the sheet pan to the quantity you are cooking so that the marinade stays within the sweet potatoes and shrimp. You can also add a green vegetable, like Brussels sprouts or broccoli to the sweet potatoes to make it a one-dish meal.

Mollette

Made per recipe. An easy delicious meal that I definitely will add to the rotation!

MikeB

As Bill Brison likes to remind us, suggested measures for recipe purposes are imperfect. For the sauce, I used a lot more of everything (but with the ratios intact) in anticipation of the loss of moisture and the result was fantastic! (I used the broiler one notch down). Delicious.

Bill W.

Made as is, with the exception of using a whole can of coconut milk, instead of just the cup. I served it with sides of rice (vehicle for the sauce) and I roasted green beans in a separate pan. The lime really brightens it up at the end. I think because I used a whole can of coconut milk, I would up the garlic, ginger and sriracha the next time. Definitely a keeper recipe.

Ditch the parchment paper

I followed recipe as written and found the parchment paper to be an obstacle. I couldn't toss the sweet potatoes during cooking because they were stuck to the paper--later, trying to serve, the paper disintegrated while trying to scoop the yummy sauce. Next time I will lightly oil the sheet pan and hope for a more satisfying process/result.

Jeremiah

Added more of everything with flavour and turned out amazing!

Erica

A win for our household! Made sweet potatoes more appealing for me, and shrimp more appealing for our shrimp skeptics. I did follow others' advice and crank up the garlic and ginger quite a bit. Used more shrimp and sweet potatoes than called for (not double but maybe time and half), and the marinade/sauce was plenty to coat it all well.

gvmartinez

Ehh! It was okay...not great. And I would add 30 minutes to the prep time.

Guy

This was a crowd pleaser… and I’m quite pleased with it! I agree with replacing parchment with aluminum foil (need not be non-stick). I would posit that anyone with bland results were missing something crucial- did you use full fat coconut milk (in a can, with the hard waxy fat on top)? Did you blend the coconut milk up and not just use the liquidy part? Did you drizzle twice with olive oil? I dare say, this recipe had almost too much flavor! Of course, as always, I doubled the amount of garlic!

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Sheet-Pan Coconut Shrimp and Sweet Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should you soak sweet potatoes before cooking? ›

No, there is no need to soak sweet potatoes before roasting. What temperature should I bake my sweet potatoes? Bake sweet potatoes at a high temperature. We find that anything between 400°F and 450°F works well.

Is it better to peel sweet potatoes before baking? ›

Recipe Tips

Personally, I like the flavor and texture of sweet potato skin, but there's no harm in removing it. The only thing you'll lose are some added nutrients and fiber. Flavor them.

How do you keep sweet potatoes from sticking to the pan? ›

Add oil– it prevents the sweet potatoes from sticking to the pan and also helps achieve slight caramelization along the edges. Place cut side down– the part touching the pan gets lightly browned and the rest softens to perfection.

What is coconut shrimp sauce made of? ›

Made with cream of coconut, sour cream, pineapple, lime juice, and even more shredded coconut, it's creamy, rich, fruity, and a little bit tangy… perfect for crispy coconut shrimp!

Why don't sweet potatoes get crispy? ›

The secret to crispy (instead of soggy) sweet potato fries is to spread them out in an even layer with enough room so that they don't touch. This is especially important if you're making a big batch of fries. Instead of just piling more onto one baking pan, spread them out over two baking pans or cook them in batches.

What happens if you don't wash sweet potatoes? ›

But if stored at normal room temperature, they should be used within a week. Don't wash the potatoes until you are ready to use them because moisture will hasten spoilage.

Should sweet potatoes be wrapped in foil before baking? ›

Wrapping sweet potatoes in foil helps in a few ways. It prevents the exterior of the tuber from drying out and overheating too quickly, which would minimize enzymatic activity; it also results in a more evenly cooked texture.

When not to eat sweet potatoes? ›

How to tell if sweet potatoes have gone bad. If your sweet potato is soft in spots, smells rotten, or oozes a mysterious liquid, that potato should be discarded. Another sign that sweet potatoes have taken a turn for the worse is if they start growing stalky purplish sprouts.

Why do you soak sweet potatoes before baking? ›

The cold water bath helps rinse the starch off the sweet potatoes so they're a bit more crispy. That said, if you do not have the time, you can still get crispy baked sweet potato fries by using high heat and a little drizzle of olive oil.

Should you poke holes in sweet potatoes before baking? ›

Do you have to poke holes in sweet potatoes before baking? Typically holes are poked into a sweet potato to prevent a potato exploding in your oven. However, the chance of that happening is low, and according to Lifehacker, sweet potatoes will retain more flavor if you don't poke them.

Why do you wrap sweet potatoes in foil? ›

There are benefits to wrapping sweet potatoes in foil before baking them, but you don't have to. The foil helps them stay warm once they come out of the oven, and helps keep the skin softer by trapping moisture in to steam them.

What is the sticky liquid from sweet potato? ›

The ooze is actually referred to as "sap." It is made up of sugar and starch combined with the moisture found in the vegetable, and it escapes out of the damage made from the knife. The sap really equals the sweetness. If it's pouring out of your potato, that means it's a sweet and delicious vegetable.

Can you eat sweet potato skin? ›

You can eat sweet potato skin. It's a good source of fiber, a nutrient that may help lower the risk of heart disease and keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. The next time you make a sweet potato dish, whether it's a roasted side dish or a hearty, cozy casserole, leave the peel on.

What should I pair shrimp with? ›

Here are some of our favorite side dishes for shrimp to complete your meal.
  1. 01 of 14. Roquefort Pear Salad. ...
  2. 02 of 14. Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan. ...
  3. 03 of 14. Amish Macaroni Salad. ...
  4. 04 of 14. Pesto Zoodles. ...
  5. 05 of 14. Good for You Greek Salad. ...
  6. 06 of 14. Muffin Tin Potatoes Gratin. ...
  7. 07 of 14. Fresh Broccoli Salad. ...
  8. 08 of 14.
May 24, 2021

Why do people like coconut shrimp? ›

Coconut shrimp combines the crispiness of breaded food with the sensation of shrimp tied together with a coconut punch. The coconut isn't mighty, so you can still enjoy the dish even if you don't like coconut. The size gives the dish its jumbo description, making people full within a few pieces.

What flavors go with shrimp? ›

Herbs and blends that go well with shrimp are: basil, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, chili powder, chives, cilantro, curry powder, dill, garlic, lemon balm, marjoram, mint, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme.

Do you eat the tail of coconut shrimp? ›

Yes, shrimp tails are edible. There's nothing dangerous, poisonous or unhealthy about ingesting them.

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