Bang Bang Shrimp at Home — Crispy, Saucy, and Packed with Flavor
If you’ve ever had Bang Bang Shrimp at a restaurant, you know just how irresistable those crispy, golden bites of shrimp tossed in creamy, tangy and slightly spicy sauce be. The good news? You can easily recreate that same flavor at home — and dare I say, make it even better.
The homemade version uses large to extra-large raw shrimp coated in a seasoned cornstarch mixture for ultimate crunch. They’re fried until perfectly golden, then tossed in a quick homemade bang bang sauce that equal parts sweet and tangy. If you want more heat, feel free to add more sriracha than the recipe calls for. Serve the shrimp over a bed of fluffy rice and finish with a sprinkle of fresh green onions for a dinner that feels restaurant-worthy but comes together in your own kitchen.
An amazing side dish to go alon with this Bang Bang shrimp would be my sweet and spicy cucumbers.
Tips for the best Bang Bang Shrimp
- Start with marinating your shrimp in buttermilk.
- Allow the oil to slowly heat to 350 degrees at the setting you will cook the shrimp (medium). Don’t rush this step and heat the oil on high. It will get too hot and burn the coating. This process takes at least 15 minutes. Start this right after the shrimp go into the buttermilk.
- Cook about 8 shrimp at a time. Don’t overcrowd the pot. Be sure to drop each shrimp in one at a time to avoid clumping together.
- When a batch of shrimp is removed, let the oil heat back up to 350 degrees. It’s imperative to have a candy thermometer to ensure accurate temperature.
- Once all the shrimp is cooked, toss in the hot sauce in a skillet. This will help reheat the shrimp that was cooked first.
- Serve over a bed of white rice, garnish with green onion and a good dash of soy sauce. The soy sauce helps balance the sweet bang bang sauce beautifully.
Bang Bang Shrimp
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 1 lb large to extra large raw shelled deveined shrimp thawed
- 2 c buttermilk
- 1 c corn starch
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- green onions garnish
Bang Bang Sauce
- 3/4 c mayo
- 10 tbsp sweet Thai chili sauce (1/2 c + 2 tbsp)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sriracha
Instructions
- Add shrimp to a large bowl and cover in the buttermilk. Marinate for 20-30 minutes while you prep the oil, coating and sauce.
- Heat peanut or vegetable oil in a large pot set over medium heat to 350 degrees. You will need a thermometer. It will take at least 15 mintues for the oil to come to temperature. Once it does, lower the heat to just under medium to maintain 350 degrees.
- To another mixing bowl add cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder and kosher salt. Whisk until combined and set aside.
- To a skillet add the mayo, sweet Thai chili sauce, honey, rice vinegar and sriracha. Whisk until combined. Leave the heat off for now.
- Remove shrimp, shaking off excess buttermilk and toss in the cornstarch mixture. Coat all over, remove from the bowl and lay on a foil or parchment lined sheet pan. Try and keep the shrimp from touching each other.
- Begin frying your shrimp in batches of 8 shrimp at a time. Lower each shrimp in one at a time but work quickly. Set a timer for 4 minutes.
- Remove shrimp from the oil with a slotted spoon and place in a paper towel lined mixing bowl. Continue cooking the shrimp in batches allowing the oil to get back up to 350 degrees between each batch.
- On the last batch of shrimp, turn the heat on to the sauce. Heat the sauce until it's bubbling. Stir and add all the cooked shrimp. Toss in the sauce.
- Garnish with green onions on top and serve over white rice with a side of soy sauce. Eat hot and fresh!