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!
A simple recipe that is easy to make at home in less than 30 minutes! If you're a fan of shrimp, this is a shrimp recipe you must try! The sweet spicy mayo takes the crispy shrimp to the next level! The best part is that this delicious recipe is easy to make!
Great as a weeknight meal
A fantastic recipe that is perfect for the whole family as it can serve as a main dish, or appetizer. In addition, it's great as a busy weeknight meal as it comes together with minimal ingredients and the cooking process only takes about 6 minutes and the prep time takes about 10 minutes. You can serve this main course with white rice or brown rice and your favorite veggies!
Bang Bang shrimp is a delicious way to enjoy this tasty seafood. In fact, it's become one of my favorite recipes on the blog! Here's my copycat recipe of it.
What is Bang Bang Shrimp made of?
The popular dish is made of juicy shrimp tenderized in buttermilk then coated in a cornstarch mixture and fried in oil to be crispy on the outside. The shrimp is then mixed with a sweet, tangy spicy mayo sauce. The creamy sauce is made of Japanese mayonnaise (you can use normal mayonnaise as well), Thai sweet chili sauce and sriracha for a hint of spice.
What country did Bang Bang Shrimp come from?
Although the name “Bang Bang Shrimp” is Thai by origin, thanks to the sweet Thai chili sauce. This spicy shrimp was developed in St. Petersburg Florida by two chefs. Chris Park and Tim Curci created this popular appetizer for their restaurant called Bonefish Grill restaurant.
This popular seafood dish is now served at many other restaurants! Different brands have created their own version of it, some with panko breadcrumbs. Others have incorporated this idea into a main meal, such as shrimp tacos, a pasta dish like Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta or created new recipes from it, like Bang Bang Chicken!
Ingredients
You’ll need the below ingredients for Bang Bang Shrimp. Please scroll down to the below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Shrimp: I like using easy peel pre-deveined shrimp. As for which size, I recommend jumbo shrimp, or some brands call them "gigantic shrimp" or "extra jumbo". The shrimps I used are about 2 inches in diameter.
- 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
- Garlic powder: or substitute with onion powder
- Black pepper
- 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.
- Thai Sweet Chili Sauce aka hot chili sauce. This ingredient can be found at Asian grocers or in Western grocers.
- Sriracha sauce: this is another hot sauce that is used to give it a hint of spice. You can find this ingredient at most Asian grocers or select Western grocery stores. If you can't find this ingredient, feel free to use with any spicy sauce of your choice, red pepper flakes or chili flakes but please add to taste.
How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp
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), Dutch oven 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 golden brown shrimp to a large bowl. Pour bang bang shrimp sauce over top. Gently toss to mix.
Garnish with a little bit of green onions. Enjoy!
Storage
This dish is best consumed immediately so you can enjoy that shrimp while it’s still crispy. Since the sauce is heavy and creamy, it’ll naturally make the crispy coating soggy as time progresses. However, 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.
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 substitute the cornstarch with another starch?
Yes, feel free to substitute with potato starch, tapioca starch or rice flour.
Is there a substitute for buttermilk?
Yes, you can make buttermilk by mixing 1 cup of milk with 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Allow this to sit and become thick (about 5 minutes) before adding the shrimp.
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.
Other Shrimp Recipes You May Like
If you enjoyed this bang bang shrimp recipe, you may like these other recipes:
- Ebi Mayo
- Shrimp Tempura
- Easy Shrimp Wontons
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Gochujang Honey Shrimp
- Thai Garlic Shrimp
- Shrimp & Broccoli Stir Fry
Easy Bang Bang Shrimp
Ingredients
- 400 grams 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!
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!