This Bang Bang shrimp recipe with light, crispy fried shrimp tossed in the easiest homemade Bang Bang sauce makes us so happy. Crispy, creamy, a little sweet, and just the right amount of heat.
We first fell for Bang Bang shrimp at Bonefish Grill, and it was love at first bite. Ever since, I’ve wanted to make our own version at home, and I’m so excited to finally share it with you!
We start by marinating the shrimp, then coat them in a light batter and fry until perfectly crisp. After that, we toss them in our homemade Bang Bang sauce. Ever since we got this recipe just right, Adam asks for it all the time! I think it’s officially one of his favorites.
Key Ingredients
- Shrimp: Use fresh, high-quality large or extra-large shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, then pat them dry with paper towels before marinating (or use my tips below for quick thawing).
- Buttermilk: Before dredging and frying the shrimp, we marinate them in a mixture of buttermilk and salt (only 15 minutes). This adds flavor and plumps them up, making them juicy when cooked.
- Cornstarch and Flour: The best Bang Bang shrimp has a delicate batter (nothing heavy or made with breadcrumbs). After marinating the shrimp, you’ll dredge them in a mix of cornstarch and flour. The cornstarch in our recipe keeps the batter super light.
- Spices: These are mixed with the cornstarch and flour. You’ll need garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.
- Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce: I’ve shared our recipe below. It combines mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, sriracha, lime juice (our secret for the best sauce), and honey.
- Oil: The shrimp are fried in this recipe, so you will need a good-quality frying oil. We like peanut oil or vegetable oil. I know some of you will wonder if you can skip frying and bake these shrimp instead. You can, but not with the batter we provide in our recipe below. Check our tips below the recipe.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp
Tip 1: Marinate the shrimp. The marinade is simple but so effective. Buttermilk and salt make the shrimp extra flavorful and plump, so they’re juicy and snappy when cooked.
Tip 2: Homemade sauce is better. Our easy sauce comes together in just a few minutes. Just stir everything together in a bowl. It keeps for a week in the fridge, so don’t forget to save any leftovers! (We have more ideas for using it in our recipe for Bang Bang sauce.)
Tip 3: Frying the shrimp. I use a Fry Daddy, which is inexpensive and makes frying at home a little easier (we don’t fry that much, but I still find it a worthwhile buy for the times when we do). That said, a deep pot works really well, too. Keep the following in mind when frying these shrimp:
- Use enough oil! You want the oil deep enough so the shrimp float and don’t touch the bottom, but not so much that it gets close to the rim of your pot. A deep pot is your friend here.
- Get your oil temperature right! I aim for 350°F (the Fry Daddy runs a little hotter, but that’s fine). A thermometer is super helpful here.
- Drain your shrimp well! You don’t want them too wet before they hit the oil. After draining, quickly dredge them in the flour, cornstarch, and spice mix. I like to dredge in batches (just enough for what I’m frying right away).
- Once the shrimp are fried, move them to paper towels to drain. Serve them while they’re still hot and crispy!
Tip 4: Adding the sauce. We want to keep the shrimp nice and crispy, so add your sauce only when you are ready to serve. I add just enough to coat the shrimp without weighing it down. You can always add some dipping sauce on the side, too!
Serving Suggestions
Very often, in restaurants, these are served as an appetizer, but at home, we turn them into dinner. You can make Bang Bang shrimp tacos (coming soon), or serve these shrimp with something cool and crisp. I love this cilantro-lime slaw, or the lime slaw used for our shrimp burgers. Rice (try saffron rice or cilantro lime rice), roasted cabbage, or roasted potatoes are great options, too.
More Shrimp Recipes
Perfect Bang Bang Shrimp
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These Bang Bang shrimp are hard to stop eating. Perfectly crispy, with a delicious homemade sweet-and-spicy sauce. These are fried, but we have provided tips for baking the shrimp below the recipe.
4 Servings
You Will Need
For the Shrimp
1 pound shrimp, large or extra-large, peeled, deveined, with tails removed
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk (227 g)
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup cornstarch (60 g)
½ cup all-purpose flour (65 g)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Peanut oil or vegetable oil for frying
2 green onions, thinly sliced, for serving
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, for serving
For the Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise (113 g)
¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce, like Mae Ploy (95 g)
1 ½ tablespoons Sriracha
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
Directions
1Marinate the shrimp: Combine the shrimp with the buttermilk and salt in a large bowl, then let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes.
2Make the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, lime juice, and honey. Set aside (or refrigerate for up to one week).
3Make breading: In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.
4Prepare the oil: Use a medium, deep saucepan or Fry Daddy (see tips below). Fill it with enough oil so the shrimp are submerged without resting on the bottom. Also, make sure that there is ample space to fry them without the oil rising too close to the top. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) as registered on an instant-read thermometer.
5Cook the shrimp: Drain the shrimp, then, working in batches, toss them into the dredge and toss until lightly coated. Carefully place the shrimp into the hot oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Transfer the fried shrimp to a paper-towel-lined plate.
6To finish: When ready to serve, toss the shrimp with just enough of the sauce to coat, then serve with green onions and sesame seeds scattered over the top.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Storing: Keep the sauce in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to a week. Stir well before using. The fried shrimp will not stay crisp, but lasts up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Healthier sauce: Substitute the mayonnaise for plain thick yogurt like Icelandic or Greek yogurt. I prefer less tangy options.
- Quickly thaw shrimp: Add your frozen shrimp to a bowl without a bag, then cover them with cold water (cold is important, don’t use warm or hot). They should take 15 to 20 minutes to thaw. Make sure you change the water a few times (keep it cold) and move the shrimp around occasionally to help them thaw. Note: Don’t leave your shrimp in water for much longer than 30 minutes, as their texture may start to degrade.
- Frying: We have a Fry Daddy, which makes frying at home a little easier. It’s not very expensive and sold online (we purchased ours on Amazon).
- Baked shrimp: You can’t bake these shrimp with the batter above, but you can still get great flavor. Just mix 1/4 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Toss the shrimp with a little oil and the spice mix, spread them on a baking sheet, and bake until plump and opaque. Toss with the Bang Bang sauce. You can also cook them in a skillet.
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates. We assumed 4 tablespoons of sauce. We left the oil out as it is difficult for us to determine the nutrition facts of fried foods.
Nutrition Per Serving
Calories
341
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Fat
10g
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Saturated Fat
2.4g
/
Cholesterol
193.2mg
/
Sodium
820.5mg
/
Carbohydrate
35.3g
/
Fiber
0.9g
/
Total Sugars
7.2g
/
Protein
26.8g
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