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Perfectly crispy and tossed in a delicious sweet and spicy sauce, this bang bang shrimp is easy to make and certain to impress even the pickiest of eaters.
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What is Bang Bang Shrimp
Made up of crispy fried tender shrimp and tossed in a thick and creamy sauce, Bang Bang shrimp was created at Bonefish Grill in Florida. A staple of American seafood restaurants, the crispy texture of this breaded and fried shrimp and the creamy sauce have made it a popular appetizer.
Ingredients
- Shrimp: Cleaned and deveined. Before cooking, shrimp will be a gray color and you can use different sizes depending on your preference. You can use frozen shrimp, but allow them to defrost completely and pat dry before using so no excess moisture gets into the breading.
- Buttermilk: You can use store-bought or make your own – this is used to tenderize the shrimp.
- Flour: All-purpose or plain.
- Spices: Garlic powder, salt and black pepper
- Vegetable Oil: Or any neutral cooking oil with a high smoking point for better frying (avocado, rapeseed, canola, etc.)
- For the Sauce:
- Mayonnaise: Use store-bought or homemade, but I recommend full-fat mayo for the creamiest results.
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Sriracha Sauce
- Rice Vinegar.
How to make Bang Bang Shrimp
Tenderize the Shrimp: In a large bowl, add the cleaned and deveined shrimp. Then, pour over the buttermilk. Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the shrimp to fully tenderize.
Prepare the Dry Coating and the Sauce: In a separate shallow bowl, add the flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and mix well. Set aside. Make the Bang Bang Sauce in another bowl by adding the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and rice vinegar. Mix well using a fork or small whisk, then set the mixture aside.
Coat and Fry the Shrimp: In a large pan or wok, add the vegetable oil and preheat until warm – this will make for better frying. Then, using tongs or a fork, remove the shrimp from its bowl and coat it with the flour mix. Next, add to the hot oil and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, removing any excess oil.
Don’t overcrowd the pan – it’ll lower the temperature of the oil. Fry the shrimp in batches for the best crispy bang bang shrimp.
Toss with the Sauce and Serve: Place your fried shrimp in a serving bowl, then pour the Bang Bang sauce over the top. Toss to completely coat. Garnish with fresh green onions and enjoy while the shrimp is still hot and perfectly crispy.
How to store
In The Fridge: Allow the shrimp to cool completely before transferring the leftovers to an airtight container. It’ll keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To Reheat: You can reheat the shrimp in the microwave in 30-40 second bursts until the shellfish are completely warmed through. Alternatively, to bring back some of the original crispiness, transfer into the air fryer (or an oven) and cook for 3-5 minutes at 400ºF/200°C until warmed through.
I don’t recommend freezing this recipe as it can affect the texture of the dish.
What goes with Bang Bang Shrimp
Bang Bang Shrimp is great for appetizers or as a main course, and it gets even better with extra dipping sauce.
It pairs perfectly with a simple side dish like Instant pot jasmine rice or kimchi fried rice. Or add it to a vegetable stir fry or chili garlic noodles. Alternatively, top your favorite Asian-inspired salad with it – try it with this crunchy fresh salad.
Other delicious shrimp recipes
- Super Quick Air Fryer Shrimp
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Coconut Shrimp
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Shrimp Stir Fry
If you try this bang bang shrimp recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Bang Bang Shrimp
Equipment
- Large wok or a large frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
Ingredients for bang bang sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp Sriracha sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the cleaned and deveined shrimp and pour over the buttermilk. Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the shrimp to fully tenderize.
- Add the flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- In another bowl, make the Bang Bang sauce. Add the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and rice vinegar. Mix well using a fork or small whisk, then set aside.
- In a large pan or wok, add the vegetable oil and preheat until warm – this will make for better frying.
- Using tongs or a fork, remove the shrimp from its bowl and coat it with the flour mix.
- Add to the hot oil and fry for a couple of minutes on either side, removing any excess oil. Don't overcrowd the pan – it'll lower the temperature of the oil. Fry the shrimp in batches if needed.
- Place the fried shrimp in a serving bowl, then pour the Bang Bang sauce over the top. Toss to completely coat. Garnish with fresh green onions and enjoy while the shrimp is still hot and perfectly crispy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
