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This Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe features crispy deep fried shrimp drenched in a creamy sweet chili sauce – aka bang bang sauce. It has the perfect balance of both flavor and texture—ideal for a party starter or even as a main dish!
You should also try my other bang bang sauce recipes – Bang Bang Chicken Skewers and Bang Bang Salmon Bites!
This easy shrimp recipe is one that you’ll want to keep on rotation at all times. It’s the perfect finger food for parties but is also a delicious quick weeknight meal when you want some crispy fried succulent shrimp!
With football season upon us, I can’t wait to make this fried shrimp with bang bang sauce and watch how quickly my friends gobble it up. The fact that it’s easy and delicious AND quick makes this recipe completely addictive!
Now, the secret to making the best bang bang shrimp is making sure the shrimp is crispy so it holds up well when coated in the bang bang sauce. Nobody wants soggy shrimp!
Not to be confused with my boom boom shrimp recipe or buffalo shrimp, this copycat Bonefish Grill recipe has many versions. And because it’s such a simple dish, I love how I can recreate it in my own kitchen whenever I want to. No need to eat out or order delivery!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Explosion of flavors. Just like its name, bang bang shrimp packs a lot of flavor because of its creamy, spicy-sweet, and tangy sauce that pairs well with crispy shrimp.
- No hassle. Making this dish will not take more than 30 minutes. Make sure to get all your ingredients ready before you start cooking!
- Versatile. Enjoy it with other appetizers or as part of a meal. You can even eat it on its own!
Key Ingredients
- Large Shrimp – make sure to use shrimp that’s been deveined and peeled. You can use tail on or off, whatever your personal preference. You can also use these to make my beer battered shrimp if you have leftovers.
- Buttermilk – Soaking the shrimp in buttermilk removes any fishy smell and tenderizes the meat. It also serves as a binder for the coating.
- Egg – It will help stick the coating better to the shrimp to achieve that crispy texture once fried.
- All Purpose Flour – This is the base of the shrimp coating needed to achieve that irresistible golden brown and crispy crust that goes really well with the sauce.
- Cornstarch and Baking Soda – Add a bit of these to the coating mixture to help make the shrimp crispier and fluffier. They work together to give the tender shrimp that nice and crispy coating.
- Seasonings – No one wants a bland crust! Use seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and Kosher salt to flavor the shrimp.
- Lemon juice – Finish the dish with a squeeze of lemon juice to balance out all the flavors.
- Vegetable Oil – for frying. Any high smoke point neutral oil will do. This includes peanut oil, grapeseed oil etc.
- Sesame seeds and green onions – Optional garnishes to add more color and flavor to the dish.
Bang Bang Sauce Ingredients
- Mayonnaise – I used kewpie mayo which is a Japanese mayo (highly recommend this!), but you can use any real mayo like Duke’s or Hellman’s.
- Sweet Thai chili sauce – Don’t skip this! This is where the sauce gets its sweet and zesty flavor. It can be found in the international section of most grocery stores.
- Sriracha – Any hot sauce will do, but I like the sweetness sriracha has! You can adjust the amount of sriracha depending on how spicy you want the sauce.
- Soy sauce – For a lot of umami flavor!
- Honey – just a hint of sweetness pulls all of the zesty flavors together.
- Garlic – garlic seals the deal on the sauce adds a ton of flavor. What’s a recipe without garlic?! It’s a must.
Variations
- For added texture and crunch, you can add panko breadcrumbs to the shrimp coating.
- Pan Seared Shrimp – if you prefer not to bread and deep fry the shrimp, simply season the shrimp and sear it in a pan for 2-3 minutes per side and serve with the bang bang sauce.
- Gluten Free option – use your favorite 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour instead of all purpose flour. For the sauce, use tamari as opposed to soy sauce.
How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp
Step 1: Make the sauce – Combine mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, soy sauce, honey, garlic cloves, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk together until combined.
Step 2: Soak the shrimp – Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce and place in a separate bowl. Set aside. Add 2 eggs and buttermilk to the remaining sauce. Submerge the shrimp and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Prepare the coating. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, garlic powder, and salt. Remove shrimp from the sauce, gently shaking off any excess.
Step 4: Place shrimp into the flour cornstarch mixture, submerging and coating the shrimp entirely. Press the flour into the shrimp ensuring that it’s fully coated and shaggy looking.
- Preheat the vegetable oil. Add oil to a large pot over medium heat, preheating the oil to 360-380 degrees F.
- Deep fry the shrimp. Place shrimp in the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes, until brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs. Fry 3-4 at a time to make sure that you’re not overcrowding the pot.
- Serve. Place fried shrimp onto a wire rack or paper towel to drain any excess grease. Allow the shrimp to cool for at least 10 minutes. Drizzle with ½ cup of boom boom sauce and use the remaining ¼ cup as a dip. Squeeze lemon juice on top. Garnish with fresh parsley.
What to Serve with Bang Bang Sauce
Bang bang shrimp can be eaten as an appetizer, a snack, or a part of a meal. I like pairing it with a salsa like Mango Habanero Salsa for a refreshing element or a light salad like Greek Cucumber Salad to get my daily dose of veggies. Serve with some white rice or fries for a complete meal. You can also serve this on top of steamed rice, pasta, or as taco filling!
This dish is usually served as an appetizer, but I love to pair it with rice or pasta and vegetables like Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts and Fried Cabbage with Onions and Bacon for a complete and tasty meal!
Pro Tips
Follow these tips to make the best bang bang shrimp at home:
- Make sure the oil is hot enough before putting the shrimp in the pan. This prevents the coating from falling off or becoming soggy. To check, stick the end of a wooden spoon or chopsticks into the oil. If several bubbles form around it, that means it’s ready for frying. You can also use a candy thermometer, you want the oil to be about 360-380 degrees F.
- Cook shrimp in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan and lowering the oil temperature. Otherwise, you’ll end up with oily, soggy shrimp.
- Drain the excess oil from the shrimp after frying by placing them on a paper towel-lined plate before tossing them into the sauce. Highly recommend this to prevent any greasiness!
Storage and Reheating
Storing: This dish is best consumed immediately but if you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Put the sauce in a separate container.
Reheating: Air fry the shrimp for 4-6 minutes at 375°F. If you don’t have an air fryer, reheat it in the oven at the same temperature or pan fry on the stovetop.
Note: Refrigerating or freezing will make the shrimp coating slightly soggy once you reheat it.
Recipe FAQs
Bang bang shrimp is a popular dish that comes from the Bonefish Grill. This signature appetizer is known for its crispy, deep-fried shrimp coated in a creamy, sweet, and spicy sauce – aka bang bang sauce (spicy mayo sauce but with a bit more zest and tang). So delicious!
I recommend using fresh, large or medium-sized shrimp that are peeled and deveined to make it easier to eat as an appetizer and snack.
Sriracha brings a spicy kick to the bang bang sauce. You can replace it with any hot sauce or chili paste. But I find that it’s still best to use sriracha as much as possible because it brings so much more complexity to the dish.
No, it’s more zesty and slightly sweet. You can add some heat by adding in cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
More Shrimp Recipes
Seafood Recipes
Salt and Pepper Shrimp Recipe
Seafood Recipes
Boom Boom Shrimp
Main Course
Pan Seared Shrimp
Appetizers
Shrimp Remoulade
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Bang Bang Shrimp
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
Bang Bang Sauce
- 3/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Honey
- 1 clove Garlic, (minced)
Bang Bang Shrimp
- 1 lb Large Shrimp
- 2 large Eggs
- 1/2 cup Buttermilk
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour
- 4 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt, (more or less as desired)
Instructions
- Make the sauce by combining mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, soy sauce, honey, and garlic cloves, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk together until combined.
- Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce and place in a separate bowl. Set aside. Add 2 eggs and buttermilk to the remaining sauce. Submerge shrimp and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
- Add oil to a large pot and begin preheating the oil to 360-380 degrees F. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
- Remove shrimp from sauce, gently shaking off any excess sauce. Place shrimp into the flour mixture, fully submerging the shrimp and coating the shrimp entirely.
- Place shrimp in the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes, until brown and crispy. Fry 3-4 at a time, be sure not to overcrowd the pot. Place fried shrimp onto a wire rack or paper towel to drain any excess grease.
- Allow the shrimp to cool for at least 5 minutes. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of bang bang sauce and use remaining ¼ cup as dip. Squeeze lemon juice on top.
Notes
- Make sure the oil is hot enough before putting the shrimp in the pan. This prevents the coating from falling off or becoming soggy. To check, stick the end of a wooden spoon or chopsticks into the oil. If several bubbles form around it, that means it’s ready for frying. You can also use a candy thermometer, you want the oil to be about 360-380 degrees F.
- Cook shrimp in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan and lowering the oil temperature. Otherwise, you’ll end up with oily, soggy shrimp.
- Drain the excess oil from the shrimp after frying by placing them on a paper towel-lined plate before tossing them into the sauce. Highly recommend this to prevent any greasiness!
- For added texture and crunch, you can add panko breadcrumbs to the shrimp coating.
- Pan Seared Shrimp – if you prefer not to bread and deep fry the shrimp, simply season the shrimp and sear it in a pan for 2-3 minutes per side and serve with the bang bang sauce.
- Gluten Free option – use your favorite 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour instead of all purpose flour. For the sauce, use tamari as opposed to soy sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks delicious! Is the shrimp to be used already cooked or raw shrimp? The pictures show pink/cooked shrimp, whereas the directions note “fresh” shrimp.
Thank you!
Hi! Thank you! No, the shrimp is definitely raw. The color of the shrimp in the pictures is of pink gulf shrimp, hence the color. Here’s the link for reference: https://wildforkfoods.com/products/key-west-pink-extra-large-shrimp-shell-on/
Enjoy!