Last Updated on January 9, 2024 by Carne Diem
Protein: Shrimp and
Origin: Taste of the Islands
Method: Grill or Smoker
Jump to RecipeThese roasted coconuts are stuffed full of curried vegetables, sweet potatoes, chicken and shrimp. The stuffed coconuts are then roasted on a grill or smoker for a fun tropical inspired meal.
I don't know about you but sometimes you just get a hankering for some tropical, island food. Trying to ignore the 5 inches of snow I decided to fire up the grill and roast some stuffed coconuts. Filled with mild curry seasoned shrimp, chicken and veggies, this meal was an absolute home run. They take a little work to get the coconuts prepped, but they are so worth it in the end.
Table of contents
Making the Roasted Chicken and Shrimp Curry Stuffed Coconuts
Gather and prep your ingredients
To make the stuffed coconuts you will need 4 coconuts, 1 zucchini, ½ hot house tomato or 1 whole Roma tomato, ½ sweet potato, ½ white onion, 1 pound shrimp, 1 large chicken breast, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of minced ginger, a handful of cilantro, salt, and Caribbean or Africa style curry powder. If you have any problems finding Caribbean style curry powder locally, there are a number of cheap options available on Amazon.
Cube the chicken into about ½ inch pieces and add to a bowl with the shrimp. Season with the salt and about 1 tablespoon of the curry powder.
Dice your zucchini, onion, tomato, and sweet potato. Finely dice the garlic, ginger, and cilantro.
Prepare your filling
Add the diced veggies to the bowl with the shrimp and chicken and then season with the remaining curry powder. If you want a little more kick to your stuffed coconuts, consider adding a little cayenne pepper as well.
Mix well to combine and then place in the refrigerator while you prepare your coconuts.
Prep your coconuts
To prep your coconuts we find it easiest to break out some tools. Try to select some coconuts in which you can feel contains coconut water. Give them a shake and find the ones that you can hear/feel are filled with water.
The first step in prepping your coconuts is to drain the coconut water. This is accomplished by poking a hole in the coconut and draining the liquid. The eye of the coconut tend to be the softest part of the coconut so we use an ice pick or clean screwdriver to poke a hole in one of the eyes. Next drain the coconut into a bowl. Use a strainer to catch some of the impurities. You will only need the coconut water from 2 of the coconuts so use the remaining water for other recipes or drinks.
Next it is time to cut your coconuts. We find this easiest to use a clean and sterile hacksaw to accomplish this. This is the one way we have found to get a consistent and clean cut. You want to cut the top of the coconut off where the eyes were. Ideally you want to cut the top 20% or so off the top leaving the bottom 80% for stuffing. After cutting open the coconuts give them a rinse under cold water to rinse off any "sawdust" from the coconut shells.
Stuff the Coconuts
Add the coconut water from 2 of the coconuts to the meat and veggie mixture and stir to combine. Fill the 4 coconut shells with the filling and then replace the tops on the coconuts.
Cooking the Roasted Shrimp and Chicken Curry Stuffed Coconuts
After replacing the tops on the coconuts you will want to wrap the coconuts tightly with foil. We highly recommend monitoring the temperature of at least one of the coconuts so you can monitor how quickly they are roasting. Simply place a temp probe from a meat thermometer into one of the holes you drilled in the coconut to monitor the internal temperature. Monitoring your food temp during cooking is a major step to up your grilled and smoked meat game.
After wrapping up your coconuts it is time to get them onto the grill. We typically cook them over direct heat at about 400 degrees. On average this will take 60-90 minutes for the internal temperature to reach 165 degrees, which is what you want to make sure your chicken is cooked through. If you are not monitoring the internal temperature of the coconut, error on the side of cooking too long. The meat and veggies are steaming inside the coconut so it is unlikely to dry out even if it ends up a little overcooked.
Once the coconuts are done cooking, carefully remove them from the grill and remove the foil. Remove the tops from the coconuts and serve warm.
Serving the Roasted Shrimp and Chicken Curry Stuffed Coconuts
Serve your Roasted Shrimp and Chicken Curry Stuffed Coconuts with a side of Caribbean Rice and Beans or some Pigeon Pea Rice. Enjoy with a cold beer or maybe a Coconut Mai Tai and a slice of Samoas Coconut Cream Pie.
For more island favorites be sure to check out our Keshi Yena: Aruban Meat Stuffed Cheese, Caribbean Roast Pork Sandwich, Pina Colada Shrimp Skewers and Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because they contain raw shrimp, the coconuts need to be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees.
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📖 Recipe
Roasted Shrimp and Chicken Curry Stuffed Coconuts
Ingredients
- 4 Coconuts
- 1 Pound Peeled and Shelled Raw Shrimp
- 1 Chicken Breast cubed
- 1 Zucchini diced
- ½ Sweet Potato diced
- ½ White Onion diced
- ½ Tomato diced
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 Tablespoon Ginger finely chopped
- 1 handful Cilantro finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoon Caribbean Curry Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Combine the shrimp and cubed chicken in a bowl and season with the salt and 1 tablespoon of curry powder. Add in the veggies and the remaining 1 tablespoon of curry powder. Stir to combine and place in the refrigerator while you prep the coconuts.
- Drain the coconut water from the coconuts by poking a hole in one of the eyes of the coconut with an icepick or screw driver. Drain and strain the coconut water into a bowl. Reserve the coconut water from 2 of the coconuts. Use the water from the remaining 2 coconuts for another use.
- Us a clean and sterile saw to carefully cut the tops off of the coconuts (the portion with the eyes). Rinse the coconuts under cold water to remove any debris.
- Fill each coconut with some of the meat and veggie filling and replace the tops on the coconuts. Wrap tightly with foil.
- Roast the coconuts at 400 degrees over direct heat. Cook the coconuts until the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees. This typically takes 60-90 minutes but may take longer depending on your grill.
- Carefully remove the coconuts from the grill and remove from the foil. Remove the tops from the coconuts and serve while hot.
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