Bang Bang Shrimp (Bonefish Grill Copycat)
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This bang bang shrimp comes together in 20 minutes with one bowl, a hot pan, and a sauce made from ingredients you probably already have. Instead of deep-frying or a messy buttermilk dredge, the shrimp are tossed in cornstarch and pan-fried until seriously crispy, then coated in a creamy, sweet, and spicy sauce that’s every bit as good as the Bonefish Grill original.
I’ve been making this for years, and it’s one of those recipes that earns a reputation. The shrimp come out of the pan shatteringly crisp, and the sauce is rich and creamy with just the right amount of heat. Every time I serve these, someone asks for the recipe before the bowl is empty.
The sauce is where this recipe quietly does something different from most. Instead of Thai sweet chili sauce, which is what almost every other bang bang shrimp recipe calls for, I use honey, rice vinegar, and sriracha. It gives you the same balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy, but the flavor is a little brighter and fresher, and you’re working with ingredients that are already in your kitchen. Mix it together in a bowl while the shrimp cook, and it’s ready to go.
For the shrimp, I skip the buttermilk dredge that many recipes call for and go straight to cornstarch. One bowl, no mess, no fuss. A quick pan-fry in a good amount of oil gets them golden and crispy on the outside while keeping them tender inside, and the whole thing is done in about ten minutes. It’s exactly the kind of recipe I want when I’m making shrimp for dinner, but still want something that feels a little fun.
Be sure to try my bang bang salmon next!
Why this sauce works better than sweet chili sauce
Most bang bang shrimp recipes call for Thai sweet chili sauce, which gives you the right flavor profile but is essentially just sweet, tangy, and mildly spicy. I get the same result by making my own bang bang sauce by whisking together honey, rice vinegar, and sriracha, and I think the flavor is actually better. The honey adds a more rounded sweetness, the rice vinegar brings a clean brightness, and you can adjust the sriracha to exactly the heat level you want. It also comes together faster than a trip to the store if you’re out of sweet chili sauce.
It’s the same sauce I use for bang bang cauliflower, another of my family’s favorite dinner recipes!
Tips for making the best bang bang shrimp
- If you’re using frozen shrimp, make sure they’re fully thawed and patted dry before coating them in the starch.
- Shrimp cook quickly and can become rubbery if overdone. Cook them for about 2 minutes per side, just until they’re opaque and cooked through.
- For the best texture, serve them immediately while they’re hot and crispy.
- I love finishing them with toasted walnuts and a sprinkle of chives or green onions for a little extra crunch and flavor.
How to make bang bang shrimp for a party
Bang bang shrimp are best eaten right after you toss them in the sauce. If they sit for a while, the crispiness turns to sogginess, and nobody wants that.
Here’s a simple fix for serving a crowd: pan-fry the shrimp and set them out on a paper-towel-lined plate with the sauce on the side for dipping. The shrimp stay crispy much longer that way, and the sauce can be made up to two days ahead, which makes the whole thing very low-stress when you’re hosting.
Bang Bang Shrimp (Bonefish Grill Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb shrimp (about 30)
- ½ cup cornstarch starch
- 1 teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- ⅔ cup oil (see notes)
- Optional: chopped toasted walnuts and minced chives (to serve)
Bang Bang Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise (Can sub light mayo)
- ¼ cup liquid honey
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar (can sub white vinegar)
Instructions
- Whisk the bang bang sauce ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup liquid honey, 2 teaspoons sriracha, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- Remove the shell and tails (if needed) from the shrimp. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the tapioca starch with the salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the bowl and toss so that they are all well coated.1 ½ lb shrimp, ½ cup cornstarch starch, 1 teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- Heat the oil in a large, high-sided pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add half the shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes then turn the shrimp over and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. Remove the shrimp from the pan and put them on paper towel. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.⅔ cup oil
- Toss the cooked shrimp in the sauce and serve immediately with some chopped walnuts and chives over the top.Optional: chopped toasted walnuts and minced chives
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Favorite appetizer recipes
If you love shrimp as much as we do, make sure to check out all of my shrimp recipes!
Can I use chicken instead of shrimp? Recipe looks amazing but I’m not a fan of shrimp
Absolutely you can! Just cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and use it in place of the shrimp. It will take a few extra minutes to cook but other than that no other changes to the recipe are needed. Enjoy!
Love the recipe! Curious how long the sauce will be good for in the fridge if you happen to know? We made a little extra!
I would think that it should last for at least a week. 🙂
Hi Kristen…..does this recipe serve 4 or 6 people. The nutrition area says 6 and at the beginning it says 4. I’m assuming it is based on 6.
Love your recipes – keep them coming.
That’s right! The calories are based on 6 servings. Although (to be honest) it would be really easy to eat more than a serving. They’re so good!
my daughter-in-law gave me a copycat recipe a couple of years ago that she had cut out of the orlando (florida) sentinel, and i have been making my own bang bang shrimp ever since. as a matter of fact, i haven’t been to bonefish in a couple of years now. everybody in my family wants me to make them when they visit. my recipe calls for a similar sauce, using asian chili paste instead of sriracha, no mustard. but the biggest difference is the prep — i mix flour and cornstarch, beat a couple of eggs, then do a triple dredge – flour, egg, flour, and then deep fry. my method is much messier and takes longer. i did it your way yesterday, and i will not longer be doing that 3-step flouring. i will be adding just a splash of oil to a frying pan. these were great, and a lot simpler than what i had been doing. thanks, kristen!
This was excellent….loved the walnuts in it. It is my new fav, thanks.
The name Bang Bang comes from Hong Kong, and Sushi Sam’s Fish and Shrimp Bar. He would make dishes quickly and say Bang, Bang like that! after every ingredient he threw in. Ah happy days, hope he’s still there.
Good eating.
I made this for my family tonight and they absolutely loved it. I even substituted a bit of the mayo (I ran out) with some mexican crema and it was lovely!
Thanks for sharing, I will be making this again!
I love the nutty crunchiness of the walnuts. Makes the dish, I think 🙂
I am always looking for new ways to spice up my shrimp dishes. I can’t wait to try this out.
I would love to hear what you think of it!
This looks great! I think the name “Bang Bang Shrimp” comes from the dish that’s served at Bonefish Grill restaurants. The caloric content of that dish makes it an occasional indulgence only but this recipe looks like it could work into a monthly (or weekly) menu rotation. YUM!!! Excited to try your version! 🙂
That’s awesome to learn about where the name comes from! I’ve never heard of Bonefish Grill Restaurants before but will have to check them out so I can try the original version of Bang Bang Shrimp next time I head south of the border