Bang bang shrimp - crispy fried shrimps tossed in a creamy, savory sauce that's spicy with a mild tang and slightly sweet. It's served with some bibb lettuce to keep each bite refreshing. Perfect to put on a menu rotation with honey walnut shrimp!
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What is bang bang shrimp?
Bang bang shrimp is a dish made with crispy fried shrimps tossed in a creamy, savory sauce that's is mildly spicy, slightly tangy, and is just sweet enough to keep everything balanced.
This popular fried shrimp dish was made popular by the chain restaurant, Bonefish Grill. Now you can easily make it at home!
What to serve with bang bang shrimp
Bang bang shrimps are often served with a bed of bibb lettuce and garnished with chives. Some other things to serve with it are:
- Steamed rice - white rice or Korean purple rice
- Fried rice - shrimp fried rice or egg fried rice
- Cucumber salads - quick cucumber kimchi or smashed cucumber salad
- Noodles - yaki udon or shrimp lo mein
Ingredient Notes
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!
- Shrimp - We recommend using shrimps that are at least medium size for best texture. For our recipe, we used jumbo shrimps. Also, note that the size of the shrimps can affect the fry time.
- Fine corn flour - This will be the outer most dredge of the fried shrimps. You could use regular corn meal instead, but the texture will be coarser and resembles fried catfish.
- Egg - The second step for dredging the shrimps in the 3-stage dredging process. this allows the corn flour to adhere well to the shrimps.
- All-purpose flour and cornstarch - These two are combined for the first step of the dredging process. This protects the shrimps and keeps them juicy. The cornstarch adds a little extra crunch to the first layer. So if you prefer, you could use only all-purpose flour.
- Garlic powder, salt, and pepper - These are for seasoning the flour mixture because adding flavor to every layer makes a difference!
- Mayo, Sriracha, honey - These three are what bang bang sauce is made of. Although, you could swap out sriracha for sambal oelek if you prefer.
- Bibb lettuce - Also known as butter lettuce. You can find it at most grocery stores.
- Chives (optional for garnish)
How to make bang bang shrimp
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and instructions!
1. Season the shrimps. In a bowl, add the peeled and deveined shrimps and season with salt and black pepper. Mix well.
2. Make the bang bang sauce. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce (mayo, sriracha, and honey).
Mix well and set aside.
3. Prepare the dreading station. Make the seasoned flour by combining all-purpose flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Then, arrange the dredging ingredients this order: seasoned shrimps, seasoned flour, egg, and corn flour.
4. Dredge the shrimps. Coat the shrimps in the seasoned flour and dust off the excess.
Next, dip the shrimps into the eggs and allow any excess egg to drip off.
Finish the dredging by coating the shrimps in corn flour. Gently tap off the excess.
🌟 Pro tip: Gently pack the corn flour onto the shrimps so that an adequate amount of corn flour actually adheres to the shrimp. Once the shrimps are fried, the outside actually puffs up.
5. Fry. Heat up the oil to 350°F and maintain that temperature. Fry the battered shrimps for about 4 to 5 minutes or until the shrimps are cooked and the outside is golden and crispy.
🌟 Pro tip: DO NOT overcrowd the oil! That will dramatically drop the oil temperature and cause uneven cooking, and it will mostly likely result in greasy shrimps and soggy crust. So fry in small batches if needed.
6. Toss with sauce. Place the fried shrimps into a large bowl along with the bang bang sauce. Toss well until the shrimps are evenly coated.
7. Serve. Transfer the bang bang shrimps onto a plate lined with bibb lettuce and garnish with chives if desired.
Recipe tips
- Pack the corn flour onto the shrimps. This ensures that the shrimps are well coated and doesn't have empty gaps.
- Season the all-purpose flour mixture. This ensures that every layer is seasoned and flavorful.
- Coat the shrimps with your desired amount of sauce. If you prefer your bang bang shrimps saucy, use the full amount of sauce. However, if you like your shrimps lightly coated, use a couple tablespoons less sauce.
What to do with leftover oil
Leftover oil can be reused for cooking or more frying. Transfer the leftover oil into a heatproof bowl, jar, or container. Let the oil cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap or a lid. If you're uncomfortable with handling hot oil, set the oil aside to cool first!
If you plan on reusing the oil again, make sure to strain it through a fine mesh strainer or a couple layers or cheesecloth to remove any debris. Keep the oil in a cool, dark place and use within a couple of weeks.
If you're disposing oil, pour it into a jar or a container that can be sealed. Dispose of it in your trashcan. DO NOT pour it down your drain! It may damage your pipes and also cause damage to the environment!
Storage
Bang bang shrimp is best enjoyed fresh. But if you have leftovers, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure to allow the shrimps to cool completely before refrigerating.
Reheating
If you plan on reheating the bang bang shrimps, we recommend not tossing the shrimps in the sauce.
For bang bang shrimps without sauce: reheat the fried shrimps in the air fryer at 400°F for about 5 minutes or until heated through, or in the oven at 425°F. Once the shrimps are hot, toss in the bang bang sauce.
If the shrimps are already coated in sauce, you can simply reheat in the microwave until heated through. The shrimps won't be crispy anymore, but will still taste yummy!
FAQ
Bang bang sauce is made of 3 main ingredients: mayonnaise, sriracha, and a small amount of sweetener, like honey. Also, the sriracha can be swapped for sambal oelek.
If you're looking for a cornstarch substitute, potato starch is a good replacement. And if you prefer to not use any starch at all, you can simply use only all-purpose flour for the flour mixture. Do note that the texture will be slightly different.
📖 Recipe
Bang Bang Shrimp
Ingredients
For the shrimps:
- 1 pound jumbo shrimps peeled and deveined (large shrimps are fine too)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Few cracks of black pepper or to your preference
For the fry dredge:
- ¾ cup fine corn flour
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt (fine salt is best)
- Few cracks of black pepper or to your preference
For the bang bang sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons Sriracha use more or less to your spice level preference
- 2 teaspon honey
To serve:
- Butter lettuce rinsed
- Chive thinly sliced
Instructions
- Season the shrimps:In a mixing bowl, add the shrimps and season with salt and black pepper. Mix well and set aside until needed.
- Make the bang bang sauce:In a bowl, mix together mayo, Sriracha, and honey until well combined. Set aside until needed. Also, feel free to use more or less Sriracha to your spice level preference.
- Prepare the dredge station:In a medium mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour with cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and some black pepper. Mix well.
- Place the fine corn flour and the beaten egg each in a bowl of its own. Arrange the dredging station in this order: seasoned shrimps, seasoned flour mixture, egg, and fine corn flour.
- Dredge the shrimps with the seasoned flour first. Tap off excess flour and coat well with egg. Allow the excess egg to drip off the shrimps then finish the dredge by coating in the fine corn flour. Make sure to also gently pack the corn flour onto the shrimps so that the shrimps are well coated. Gently tap to remove excess corn flour. Repeat this process in small batches if needed.
- Fry the shrimps:In a pot or wok add about 2 inches of oil. Heat the oil to 350°F. You can do the same in a fryer. Also prepare a paper towel lined plate or a sheet pan with a rack.
- Once the oil is hot, maintain it at 350°F. Add the battered shrimps and fry for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until the shrimps are cooked through and are golden and crispy on the outside. Remove the shrimps and allow them to drain on the prepared plate or sheet pan. Fry in small batches if needed.
- Coat with bang bang sauce:Place the fried shrimps into a large bowl and add the bang bang sauce. Feel free to use all of it if you like it saucy or hold back a couple of tablespoons if you want less sauce. Toss well until the shrimps are evenly coated.
- Serve:Serve the bang bang shrimps on a plate lined with butter lettuce and garnish with some thinly sliced chives. Enjoy while hot.
Notes
- Recipe yield - This recipe serves 2 as a meal or 3 to 4 as a side/appetizer.
- Corn flour - Bang bang shrimp is normally battered on the outside with fine corn flour. If you can't find fine corn flour, you can use corn meal. But note that the texture will be a bit grittier and crunchier, like fried catfish.
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