Bang Bang Shrimp. Crispy fried tender shrimp coated in a creamy, tangy, sweet chili mayo sauce with a hint of spice. This delicious dish is so addictive! Ready in 30 minutes.
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What is Bang Bang Shrimp made of?
The popular dish is made of juicy shrimp tenderized in buttermilk, coated in a cornstarch mixture and fried in oil. The crispy shrimp is mixed with a simple sweet, tangy spicy mayo sauce made of just 3 ingredients!
I love this shrimp recipe so much because it's simple, easy and made with minimal ingredients! The sauce is so delicious paired with that fried shrimp making it a favorite in this household! I literally could not stop at one as it was just so good! You can serve this shrimp dish with steamed rice and veggies to make it a complete meal or serve it on its own as an appetizer.
Ingredients
Please scroll down to the below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Jumbo Shrimp: get the easy peel deveined kind to make life easier!
- Buttermilk: or substitute with 1 cup dairy whole milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice letting it sit for 5 minutes before adding the shrimp to it. You may also substitute this with Greek yogurt or sour cream.
- Cornstarch, or potato starch or tapioca starch. Rice flour could work too.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil, coconut oil or any heavy scented oils.
- Salt & Black Pepper
- Garlic powder: or substitute with onion powder
- Green onion: finely chopped for garnish
Bang Bang Sauce:
- Japanese Mayo aka Kewpie Mayo: or substitute with normal mayonnaise. This ingredient can be found at most Asian grocery stores. Look for the clear plastic bottle with a red cap.
- Thai Sweet Chili Sauce: This ingredient can be found at Asian grocers or in Western grocers. It's a sweet reddish translucent sauce with finely diced chili.
- Sriracha sauce: or substitute with any hot sauce of your choice if you can't find sriracha.
How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp
Tenderize Shrimp & Create Sauce
First in a medium bowl with peeled and deveined shrimp, add buttermilk. Let this sit for 10 minutes for shrimp to tenderize.
Next in a small bowl, combine Bang Bang Sauce ingredients as listed. Set aside.
Dredge Shrimp
Then in a shallow bowl or baking sheet, whisk together cornstarch, salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Coat shrimp in cornstarch mixture by dredging it on both sides. Ensuring no bald spots.
Fry Shrimp & Mix with Sauce
In a large skillet (10-inch) or heavy bottom pan, add oil. Heat oil on medium heat. Once oil is hot, fry shrimp in batches. Fry shrimp on each side until golden and crispy, about 1.5 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd the hot oil or the shrimp won't be crispy. Also do not overcook the shrimp. Remove and set aside the cooked shrimp on a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil. Excess oil makes crispy shrimp soggy.
Finally, transfer golden brown shrimp to a large bowl. Pour bang bang shrimp sauce over top. Gently toss to mix.
Enjoy hot while the shrimp is still crispy!
Storage & Reheating
This dish is best consumed immediately but if you have leftovers, store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last up to 3 days however, the coating will become soggy overtime. To reheat, you can microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheat over the stovetop in a non-stick pan on medium heat. You could also air fry it for 4-6 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Expert Tips
- Tenderize the shrimp. The buttermilk does a wonderful job at making the shrimp more tender in texture so don't skip this step!
- Fry shrimp in small batches. To ensure crispy shrimp, fry your shrimp in small batches. If you overcrowd the pan, this will lead to shrimp that isn't very crispy.
FAQ
What does the buttermilk do to the shrimp?
The buttermilk acts as a tenderizing agent for the shrimp making the meat more tender.
Can I air fry the shrimp?
Yes, please follow the instructions in my recipe card below.
Other Shrimp Recipes You May Like
- Ebi Mayo
- Shrimp Tempura
- Easy Shrimp Wontons
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Gochujang Honey Shrimp
- Thai Garlic Shrimp
- Shrimp & Broccoli Stir Fry
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Bang Bang Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb Jumbo Shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 cup buttermilk or sub with 1 cup whole milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes first
- ¾ cup cornstarch or substitute with potato starch/tapioca starch
- 1 cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 green onion finely chopped for garnish
Bang Bang Sauce:
- ½ cup Japanese mayonnaise or substitute with normal mayo
- ¼ cup Thai Sweet Chili sauce
- 2 tablespoon sriracha sauce add more if you like it spicier
Instructions
- In a medium bowl with peeled and deveined shrimp, add buttermilk. Let this sit for 10 minutes for shrimp to tenderize.
- In a small bowl, combine Bang Bang Sauce ingredients as listed. Set aside.
- In a shallow bowl or baking sheet, whisk together cornstarch, salt, garlic powder and black pepper.
- Coat shrimp in cornstarch mixture by dredging it on both sides.
- In a large skillet (10-inch) or heavy bottom pan, add oil. Heat oil on medium heat. Once oil is hot, fry shrimp in batches. Fry shrimp on each side until golden and crispy, about 1.5 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd the hot oil or the shrimp won't be crispy. Also do not overcook the shrimp.
- Remove and set aside the cooked shrimp on a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.
- Transfer crispy shrimp to a large bowl. Pour bang bang shrimp sauce over top. Gently toss to mix.
- Garnish with green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
Can I air fry the shrimp?
Yes, follow these instructions to air fry the shrimp:- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with neutral oil.
- After dredging the shrimp in cornstarch, place coated shrimp in a single layer giving each piece enough space. Do not overlap. You may need to air fry in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Lightly spray each piece neutral oil.
- Air fry at 400 F for 7-8 minutes, flipping the shrimp over halfway.
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Sandy Stiner
Oh my gosh could this have been any easier? It tasted amazing! I’ll make this one again! I’d never had thought I could make this amazing dish at home on my own!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making it, Sandy! Happy you enjoyed it so much!
Kim
Delish and so very easy! Added that extra sriracha you recommended, and it was perfect. Thanks so much!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe Kim! Glad you enjoyed my dish and I appreciate your kind review 🙂
Beth
This recipe was quite easy and the shrimp were amazing!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for sharing your review, Beth! Happy you enjoyed it!
Samantha
The recipe was delicious but I do feel like tossing the shirmp in the end just eliminated the crispyness. Next time I will probably just put a little on top or on the side for dipping. But overall loved it and keeping it for future use!
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe, Samantha! That's a great tip to keep the shrimp crispy.