Sourdough coconut shrimp is a crispy, delicious way to enjoy this classic appetizer with the benefits of long-fermented flour and sourdough breadcrumbs!
Quick Recipe Overview: Crispy Sourdough Coconut Shrimp
⏱️ Ready In: 1 hour 5 minutes
🍤 Serves: 6
🔥 Calories: 512
🥥 Main Ingredients: jumbo shrimp, sourdough discard, shredded coconut, sourdough breadcrumbs, coconut oil
🌿 Dietary Info: pescatarian; dairy-free as written; uses sourdough discard
❤️ Why You’ll Love It: crispy coating + tangy discard batter + quick fry time (weeknight doable!)
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“You would never know this recipe was made with sourdough! So delicious and easy to make!” – Steph
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crispy, golden coconut crunch — the toasted coconut + breadcrumb coating fries up crunchy and delicious.
- A no-waste way to use discard — sourdough discard becomes the batter, so it’s practical and delicious.
- Perfect for light dinners (or Lent!) — a light, fun meal full of flavor and nutrition!
Using a sourdough starter to batter and bread coconut shrimp is easier on the gut thanks to improved digestibility of sourdough, and it’s just a great way to use up some of that extra sourdough in your countertop starter jar. Even the breading for this recipe is made with long fermented sourdough breadcrumbs!
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Key Ingredients
- Jumbo shrimp (tail on) — peeled + deveined for easiest eating and quickest frying.
- Sourdough discard — stirred down so it’s thin and coats well.
- Unsweetened shredded coconut — classic coconut shrimp flavor without extra sweetness.
- Sourdough breadcrumbs — adds crunch + that extra “toasty” coating. Learn how to make sourdough breadcrumbs.
- Coconut oil for frying — reinforces the coconut flavor and fries beautifully. I use coconut oil for so many things in my kitchen, so I buy the good stuff – organic, expeller-pressed, virgin coconut oil by the gallon from Azure Standard.
Step-By-Step Instructions for Making Sourdough Coconut Shrimp
Step 1 – Prep the shrimp and coating stations: Peel and devein the shrimp, pat them completely dry with paper towels, and set aside; line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; stir down the sourdough discard until thin, then whisk the batter ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside; combine the breading ingredients in a separate bag or bowl.
Step 2 – Bread the Shrimp: Dredge a handful of shrimp in the breadcrumb mixture, then dip them in the batter, shake off any excess batter, then dredge in the breading once more. Place the battered and breaded coconut shrimp on the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and flash freeze for 30 minutes before frying.
Step 3 – Fry the Shrimp: Add the frying oil to a Dutch oven or deep fryer and heat to 350°F. Fry the coconut shrimp for 1-2 minutes on each side if pan frying, or for 2-3 minutes total if deep frying. Remove the fried shrimp and place them on a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack. Serve hot with spicy aioli sauce.
If you need help with sourdough vocabulary, check out my Complete Guide to Sourdough Terms!
Sourdough Coconut Shrimp FAQs
Yes. To air fry sourdough coconut shrimp, preheat the air fryer to 400°F, arrange the shrimp in a single layer, lightly spray with oil, and cook for 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp.
If you don’t have sourdough discard, whisk together 1/2 cup flour with about 1/3 cup water to create a thin batter. The flavor will be milder, but the coating will still adhere well.
Yes, panko breadcrumbs are the best substitute for sourdough breadcrumbs. They provide a similar crisp texture and help the coconut coating fry up golden and crunchy.
Freezing the coated shrimp for about 30 minutes helps the batter and breading adhere better and prevents the coating from falling off during frying.
Coconut oil is ideal because it complements the coconut coating, but avocado oil or another neutral high-heat oil also works well.
Spicy aioli, sweet chili sauce, or a simple mayo mixed with sriracha pairs perfectly with sourdough coconut shrimp and balances the crispy, slightly sweet coating.
Expert Tips
- Pat shrimp very dry — moisture makes batter slide off and prevents crisping.
- Don’t skip the 30-minute freeze — it helps prevent soggy coating and keeps the batter from falling off.
- Use panko in a pinch — if you’re out of sourdough breadcrumbs, panko works great.
- Hold 350°F oil temp — too cool = greasy; too hot = burnt coconut before shrimp is done.
Storage
- Refrigerate cooked shrimp in an airtight container (parchment between layers) and eat within 2–3 days.
- Freeze raw, breaded shrimp (flash freeze first), then bag and freeze 2–3 months.
- Reheat at 350°F to crisp back up (frozen cooked shrimp can lose crunch).
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Crispy Sourdough Coconut Shrimp
Ingredients
Method
- Prep the Shrimp: Peel and devein shrimp. Pat the deveined shrimp dry with paper towels and set aside. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the Batter and Breading: Make sure the sourdough starter is stirred down and thin, then mix the batter ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. Mix the breading ingredients in a bag or bowl to coat the battered shrimp.
- Bread the Shrimp: Dredge a handful of shrimp in the breadcrumb mixture, then dip them in the batter, shake off any excess batter, then dredge in the breading once more.
- Flash Freeze: Place the battered and breaded coconut shrimp on the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and flash freeze for 30 minutes before frying.
- Make the Aioli: While the shrimp is freezing, make the aioli sauce by whisking all the ingredients together. Set the sauce aside.
- Fry the Shrimp: Add the frying oil to a Dutch oven or deep fryer and heat to 350°F. Fry the coconut shrimp for 1-2 minutes on each side if pan frying, or for 2-3 minutes total if deep frying.
- Serve: Remove the fried shrimp and place them on a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack. Serve hot with spicy aioli sauce.
Nutrition
Notes
- This recipe uses a sourdough batter + coconut/breadcrumb coating for fully fermented flour content.
- If you only have plain mayo, you can still make the sauce—just bump up the sriracha to taste.
- If you’re missing coconut oil, you can use a neutral oil (avocado/vegetable).
- Air-fryer option works, but frying yields the crispiest version.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!About the Author
Welcome to Hopewell Heights, I’m Steph – seasoned sourdough baker, homesteader, homemaker, homeschooling mom of 5, and creator behind this Heritage American food blog. I hope you enjoy my family’s favorite, from-scratch recipes!
You would never know this recipe was made with sourdough! So delicious and easy to make!