Bang Bang Shrimp

So, You Want to Make Bang Bang Shrimp?

Alright, friend, here’s the thing—every time I fry up a batch of Bang Bang Shrimp I remember the first time I tried it at a noisy little chain restaurant. (You know the one.) I sat there thinking, how is something this crunchy and saucy at the same time? Anyway, I got, let’s say, a little obsessed. After a few crispy-counted fails in my kitchen—shrimp can go rubbery so quick!—I cracked the code. Now, it’s my go-to when I want to impress or when there’s nothing but leftover rice in the fridge and dinner still needs to be fun. So, grab some napkins and let’s get into it.

Why I Keep Coming Back to This Recipe

I usually whip this up when I’m craving takeout but my wallet gives me that don’t-even-think-about-it look. My family (and honestly, whoever’s around) goes nuts for Bang Bang Shrimp—something about that sweet-heat sauce over those righteously crispy shrimp just hits the spot. Not gonna lie, sometimes I double the sauce and dunk fries in it, too. The only tricky part is not eating half the shrimp straight from the pan before they ever see a plate. I’d be lying if I said I always succeed there!

Here’s the (Mostly) Essential Ingredient List

• 1 lb Jumbo Shrimp, peeled and deveined (I’ll sometimes use the smaller ones, but the big ones really show off the crunch)
• 1 cup buttermilk (when I’m out, I make a fake version—just use whole milk and stir in a tablespoon of lemon juice, let it sit for like five minutes, and ta-da!)
• ¾ cup cornstarch (sometimes I tinker and use potato starch or tapioca starch—my grandma swore by potato starch, but honestly any of the three gets the job done)
• 1 cup vegetable oil (I typically grab whatever neutral oil is on hand—canola, sunflower, etc)
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 green onion, finely chopped (technically optional, but it looks so fancy at the end!)
• For the Bang Bang Sauce:
• ½ cup Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie if I can find it, but regular mayo totally works, don’t sweat it)
• ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons sriracha (add more if you want it mouth-tingling—I like it just shy of face-melting, but you do you)

Let’s Get Cooking: My Play-by-Play

1. Let the shrimp hang out. Toss your peeled and deveined shrimp in a bowl with the buttermilk. Give ’em about 10 minutes to soak—this keeps them juicy and a bit more tender. Sometimes I get impatient and take them out after 7 minutes, and it’s never been a disaster.
2. Mix the world’s best sauce. In a separate, smaller bowl, blend your mayo, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha. I always taste it here and add a dab more chili if it’s feeling shy. Set it aside (and try not to eat it with a spoon yet).
3. The dredge station. Mix together your cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper—either in a shallow bowl or directly on a clean baking sheet. I use a fork, but hands work in a pinch. Don’t worry, it always clumps a bit.
4. Dredge time. Grab the shrimp out of their buttermilk bath (drip off any extra liquid unless you want gummy bits stuck to your fingers forever), then roll each shrimp generously in the cornstarch mixture until they’re all ghostly white and dusty.
5. Ready, set, fry! Pour the oil in a big skillet or heavy-bottomed pan—it should be about a quarter inch deep or so. Heat it on medium (or until it hits around 350ºF if you’re fancy and have a thermometer—but look, flick a drop of water and if it sizzles, you’re good). Fry the shrimp in smaller batches so they crisp up right. They need maybe a minute and a half per side? Flip once, keep an eye out for that deep golden brown, then yank them out before they get rubbery. Overcrowding is the enemy of crunch.
6. Rest those beauties. Fish out the shrimp and lay them on a wire rack or even a paper towel-lined plate to soak up the extra grease. This is where I usually sneak a tester (quality control, obviously).
7. Get saucy. Dump your hot, fried shrimp into a roomy bowl, pour all that Bang Bang sauce right over the top, and then toss everything together so each bit gets a bath in creamy, spicy goodness.
8. Fancy finale. Top with as much green onion as you like, then serve. Warning: these won’t last long. The first time I made these for a group, they vanished in about three minutes flat!

Notes (Learned the Hard Way)

• If the dredge looks clumpy, that’s normal—just give it a quick stir between shrimp.
• I once left the shrimp in buttermilk over an hour (forgot about them). Don’t. They get weirdly mushy.
• It’s totally worth making extra sauce—good on everything, even cold pizza. (Long story.)

Fun Variations from My Kitchen Experiments

• Tried with chicken chunks once—tasty, but not nearly as quick to cook as shrimp. So it got a little dry. Lesson learned!
• Sometimes toss in extra sriracha or sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, depending on my mood.
• For a lighter take, I once baked the shrimp instead of frying. Let’s just say the pan never got that beloved crispy finish.

Gear You’ll Need (or Wing It)

• Big sturdy skillet. But honestly, any nonstick or even a deep saucepan will do in a pinch.
• Wire rack (or just some paper towels on a plate, I’m not judging).
• A bowl or two. Three if your kitchen is chaos, like mine gets after 7 p.m.
• Digital thermometer is nice but not must-have—used my pinky a couple times, not recommended.

How to Store—and a Real Truth

Bang Bang Shrimp is best eaten fresh, no doubt about it. If you have leftovers (unlikely at my place!), tuck them in an airtight container in the fridge; they’re honestly still good cold, but if you want them warm just toss them in the oven for a few minutes at 350°F. The crispness won’t be quite the same, though. I swear they taste even better on day two (if there are any left by then… which is rare).

How I Like to Serve It (But You Do You)

I’m partial to piling the shrimp over some sticky jasmine rice with extra sauce. Or hey, add them to tortillas for a wild shrimp taco night. My cousin prefers them as a party snack: serve with toothpicks, a squeeze of lime, and a big stack of napkins.

Wisdom Earned Through Mishaps (Pro Tips)

• Don’t rush the dredging step—if you skip shaking off the buttermilk properly, your shrimp get goopy, and not in a good way (learned that the sticky way!).
• Keep a close eye on oil temperature; too hot and you’ll have burnt outsides with raw insides, too cool and it’s all soggy. I think 350ºF is ideal.
• I once tried to fry all the shrimp at once (hunger, impatience!). Result? Slippery, sad shrimp. Patience: worth it.

Friendly FAQ—Real Answers

• Can I make Bang Bang Shrimp ahead? Sure, but they’re best fresh. You can prep the sauce and dredge early though!
• What if I can’t find Japanese mayo? Just use regular mayo—maybe mix in a pinch of sugar and a splash of rice vinegar for extra zing.
• Gluten-free friendly? Yup, all these ingredients are gluten-free, just double-check the labels (some chili sauces sneak in wheat, sneaky devils).
• Can I use frozen shrimp? Absolutely. Just thaw them first and dry well with paper towels—I’ve learned the hard way that wet shrimp spatter everywhere.
• Too spicy? Pull back on the sriracha, or swap for ketchup if you’re making it kid-friendly. I did this for my niece once and she devoured them.

Alright, time to make your kitchen smell like a glorious shrimp shack. Let me know how yours turn out, or send me your sauce innovations so I can, you know, “accidentally” eat a batch for dinner again.

★★★★★ 4.80 from 15 ratings

Bang Bang Shrimp

yield: 4 servings

prep: 20 mins

cook: 15 mins

total: 35 mins

Crispy fried shrimp tossed in a creamy, spicy Bang Bang sauce. This crowd-pleasing appetizer or dinner dish features tender shrimp soaked in buttermilk, coated with a crunchy cornstarch batter, fried until golden, and smothered in a tangy, sweet, and spicy mayo-chili sauce.

🖨️ Print Pin Recipe

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 sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoon sriracha add more if you like it spicier

Instructions

1. 1
   Let the shrimp hang out. Toss your peeled and deveined shrimp in a bowl with the buttermilk. Give ’em about 10 minutes to soak—this keeps them juicy and a bit more tender. Sometimes I get impatient and take them out after 7 minutes, and it’s never been a disaster.
2. 2
   Mix the world’s best sauce. In a separate, smaller bowl, blend your mayo, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha. I always taste it here and add a dab more chili if it’s feeling shy. Set it aside (and try not to eat it with a spoon yet).
3. 3
   The dredge station. Mix together your cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper—either in a shallow bowl or directly on a clean baking sheet. I use a fork, but hands work in a pinch. Don’t worry, it always clumps a bit.
4. 4
   Dredge time. Grab the shrimp out of their buttermilk bath (drip off any extra liquid unless you want gummy bits stuck to your fingers forever), then roll each shrimp generously in the cornstarch mixture until they’re all ghostly white and dusty.
5. 5
   Ready, set, fry! Pour the oil in a big skillet or heavy-bottomed pan—it should be about a quarter inch deep or so. Heat it on medium (or until it hits around 350ºF if you’re fancy and have a thermometer—but look, flick a drop of water and if it sizzles, you’re good). Fry the shrimp in smaller batches so they crisp up right. They need maybe a minute and a half per side? Flip once, keep an eye out for that deep golden brown, then yank them out before they get rubbery. Overcrowding is the enemy of crunch.
6. 6
   Rest those beauties. Fish out the shrimp and lay them on a wire rack or even a paper towel-lined plate to soak up the extra grease. This is where I usually sneak a tester (quality control, obviously).
7. 7
   Get saucy. Dump your hot, fried shrimp into a roomy bowl, pour all that Bang Bang sauce right over the top, and then toss everything together so each bit gets a bath in creamy, spicy goodness.
8. 8
   Fancy finale. Top with as much green onion as you like, then serve. Warning: these won’t last long. The first time I made these for a group, they vanished in about three minutes flat!

CLICK FOR NUTRITION INFO ↑

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1 serving

Calories: 420 caloriescal

Protein: 22gg

Fat: 28gg

Saturated Fat: 0g

Trans Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 0mg

Potassium: 0mg

Total Carbs: 23gg

Fiber: 0g

Sugar: 0g

Net Carbs: 0g

Vitamin A: 0

Vitamin C: 0mg

Calcium: 0mg

Iron: 0mg

Nutrition Disclaimers

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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