Crispy Sourdough Discard Coconut Shrimp Recipe

Sourdough Coconut Shrimp made with discard and fried in coconut oil for a crispy, easy, gut-friendly dinner everyone will love.

Most of my recipes fall in the category of old-fashioned, heritage American recipes that would look familiar to my midwestern, German settler ancestors.  However, it is 2025 and grocery stores exist, meaning we have the ability to source foods that wouldn’t have been available to our ancestors.

Coconut and shrimp both fall in that category for Midwesterners, and I’m so glad that we can easily source them both because they’re two of my favorite things!  This recipe combines coconut and shrimp with a more traditional Midwestern element – sourdough starter.

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. See the recipe for this easy coconut shrimp below. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A mix of heritage and modern cooking: This crispy coconut shrimp recipe takes breadcrumbs made from classic sourdough bread to make something fun and delicious the whole family will love.
• No-waste recipe: Using extra sourdough starter for the shrimp batter reduces waste and drastically reduces the gluten content in this recipe since it includes zero unfermented flour.
• Perfect for a Lenten meal or something light on hot summer days. Whether you’re avoiding heavy meals for purposes of fasting or staying cool in summer – this is the perfect dish!

What You’ll Need

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled & deveined with tail on

Batter Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• ½ cup sourdough discard (100% hydration, stirred down – see notes)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Breading Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 1 cup sourdough breadcrumbs (cube sourdough bread, pulse in a blender into crumbs, and toast on a cookie sheet in the oven until crumbs are dry and golden)
• 4 cups of coconut oil for frying

Spicy Aioli sauce ingredients

• ½ cup spicy mayo
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

TOOLS:

• Paper towels: to pat the shrimp dry after peeling and deveining them
• Cookie sheet & parchment paper: for flash freezing the battered and breaded shrimp
• Medium bowl: For mixing the batter ingredients
• Another bowl: For combining the breading ingredients and coating the shrimp
• Whisk: for blending the spicy aioli sauce ingredients smoothly
• Dutch oven or deep fryer: For frying the shrimp
• Tongs or slotted spoon: For safely flipping and removing shrimp from hot oil
• Wire rack, or a plate lined with paper towel: for draining excess oil from fried shrimp

Step by Step Instructions

1. Peel and devein shrimp.
2. Pat the deveined shrimp dry with paper towels and set aside.

3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  
4. Make sure the sourdough starter is stirred down and runny, then mix the batter ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
5. Mix the breading ingredients in a bag or bowl to coat the battered shrimp.

6. 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. 

7. Place the battered and breaded coconut shrimp on the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes before frying.

8. While the shrimp is freezing, make the aioli sauce by whisking all the ingredients together.  Set the sauce aside. 
9. Add the frying oil to a Dutch oven or deep fryer and heat to 350°F. 
10. Fry the coconut shrimp for 1-2 minutes on each side if pan frying, or for 2-3 minutes total if deep frying.  
11. Remove the fried shrimp and place them on a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack.  Serve hot with spicy aioli sauce.

Tips:

• If you don’t have sourdough breadcrumbs, just use Panko breadcrumbs. 
• You don’t *have to* freeze the battered and breaded coconut shrimp before frying, but doing so will prevent them from being soggy or losing batter.
• You can use plain mayo if you don’t have spicy mayo.

Storage:

Allow cooked sourdough coconut shrimp to cool to room temperature, then pop them in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers. Store in the fridge at 40°F or below and eat within 2-3 days. 

For longer storage, freeze the raw, breaded shrimp on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag and squeeze out the air. Store in the freezer for 2-3 months for a quick meal. While cooked shrimp can be frozen for 3 months, it may lose some crunch. Reheat in an oven at 350°F, and toss any that don’t smell or look okay.