In a shallow bowl, mix the flour, salt and pepper.
In a separate shallow bowl, whisk the egg whites till frothy.
In a food processor or blender pulse the coconut until it is in smaller pieces. Mix the coconut and panko in a third shallow bowl.
Dip the coconut into the flour, then into the egg whites, making sure to cover well.
Place shrimp in the coconut mixture and press down to cover, flip them over and press the other side to cover.
Spray air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray, and then place shrimp in a single layer, careful not to overlap the shrimp. Spray well with nonstick cooking spray.
Set air fryer on 325°F, and cook shrimp for 5 minutes. Flip shrimp over and spray with nonstick cooking spray again. Continue cooking for 4 minutes.
Remove the shrimp and empty the basket. Repeat the coating process and air fry the rest of the shrimp.
Serve immediately with dipping sauce. One serving is 4 to 5 shrimp, depending on size.
Video
Notes
Bake the shrimp in your oven instead of an air fryer. Preheat the oven to 400° and bake in a single layer on a greased pan for 10-12 minutes. For best results, bake the shrimp on a rack, sprayed lightly with cooking spray and placed into a sheet pan, so that the shrimp are crispy on all sides.
Storage: Wrap leftover shrimp well and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: To reheat, air fry the shrimp a couple of minutes or pop them into your toaster oven for 5 minutes or so. They remain delightfully crispy. If the shrimp are frozen, there's no need to thaw them before reheating. Spread them on a baking sheet and put them in a preheated 400°F oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through, or cook them in the air fryer.