What to Eat with Coconut Shrimp – Dips, Rice and Sides

How it works

What to eat with coconut shrimp starts with the dip, and the dip is typically a sweet, fruity sauce. The 39 ideas go on to rice, slaws and salads, vegetables and fruit, and four cold drinks.

Read the full guide

Two dishes, one name

Coconut shrimp can mean two things. The crunchy kind is coated in flaked coconut and breadcrumbs, then fried or baked. The dipping sauces served with it are typically sweet and fruit-based, such as sweet and sour, peach, apricot, sweet chili or marmalade, sometimes with mayonnaise stirred in. Lime wedges sometimes come too. The other kind is sautéed with coconut milk and often served on rice.

Sweet needs sharp

The crust is sweet and rich, and so are most of the dips. Put one sharp or crunchy thing next to them: a lime slaw, a sour salad or raw vegetables.

Set out two dips, one sweet and one creamy, so no one is stuck with a sauce they do not like.
Fry or bake the shrimp last. The crust goes soft while it waits, and the sides do not mind sitting.

Questions and answers

What sauce goes with coconut shrimp?

A sweet, fruity one. Sweet chili sauce, marmalade, sweet and sour sauce, apricot sauce and peach sauce are all served with it. For something less sweet, try honey mustard or lime mayonnaise.

What to eat coconut shrimp with?

Start with a sweet dip. For dinner add rice and something crisp: coconut rice, jasmine rice or pineapple fried rice fills the plate, and a lime and cilantro slaw or a green papaya salad keeps it from being too sweet.

Is coconut shrimp an appetizer or a main course?

Either. With dips alone it is a starter; with rice, a slaw and a vegetable it is a meal.

What vegetable goes with coconut shrimp?

Quick, crisp ones: sautéed bok choy, stir-fried vegetables, sugar snap peas, edamame with sea salt or grilled corn with lime. Grilled pineapple rings do the job of a fruit side.

All 39 ideas

Dipping sauces 11

Apricot sauce Apricot jam loosened with a little mustard or vinegar.
Honey mustard For the eater who finds fruit sauces too sweet.
Lime mayonnaise Creamy and sharp. Stir in a spoonful of any fruit sauce, if you like.
Lime wedges A squeeze just before eating cuts the sweetness of the coconut.
Mango chutney Chunky, sweet and spiced. Spoon it on, since it is too thick to dip.
Orange marmalade Warm it until it runs, then dip.
Peach sauce Sweet and soft, good with a pinch of chili flakes stirred in.
Pineapple salsa Diced small with red onion, cilantro and lime.
Plum sauce Dark, sweet and a little sour.
Sweet and sour sauce Thick, glossy and tangy. Give it a small bowl of its own.
Sweet chili sauce Sweet first, then a little heat. The one most people reach for.

Rice and filling sides 10

Black beans Simmered soft with garlic, next to plain rice.
Cilantro lime rice Green, sharp and light beside something fried.
Coconut rice Rice cooked in coconut milk echoes the crust.
Fried plantains Ripe ones fry up sweet, with soft middles and dark edges.
Jasmine rice Plain and fragrant, so the sauces do the talking.
Macaroni salad Cold and creamy next to hot, crisp shrimp.
Pineapple fried rice Sweet and salty, and a whole meal with the shrimp set on top.
Rice and peas Soft enough to soak up a sauce, and a change from plain rice.
Soft sweet rolls Split one and tuck in two shrimp and a spoonful of slaw.
Sweet potato fries Sweet with sweet, so salt them well.

Slaws and salads 8

Black bean and corn salad Make it ahead. It gets better as it sits.
Cucumber salad with rice vinegar Thin slices, lightly sweet and sour, served cold.
Green papaya salad Sour and crunchy, with as much chili as the table likes.
Green salad with citrus dressing Leaves, orange segments and a sharp dressing.
Jicama sticks with lime Crisp, juicy and cold, with a pinch of chili.
Lime and cilantro slaw Shredded cabbage with lime juice and no mayonnaise, for crunch.
Mango and avocado salad Soft, ripe and cool, dressed with lime.
Tropical fruit salad Pineapple, mango and melon, cold, in a big bowl.

Vegetables and fruit 6

Edamame with sea salt Something to pop from the pod between shrimp.
Grilled corn with lime Charred, buttered and squeezed with lime.
Grilled pineapple rings The heat turns the edges to caramel.
Sautéed bok choy Cooked fast with garlic, so the stalks keep their snap.
Stir-fried vegetables Peppers, carrots and snow peas, kept crisp.
Sugar snap peas Raw or barely cooked, for a sweet green crunch.

Drinks 4

Coconut water Served very cold, with a wedge of lime.
Limeade Tart and cold next to a sweet, fried plate.
Passion fruit juice Bright and sour. Pour it over plenty of ice.
Pineapple juice over ice Top it up with sparkling water if it is too sweet.