Bang Bang shrimp is a crispy shrimp recipe that is smothered in a deliciously sweet and creamy sauce. It's a copycat recipe of Bonefish Grill bang bang shrimp. It's an easy appetizer that is always a hit!

A close up of bang bang shrimp in a bowl.

Want an appetizer recipe that will disappear in seconds, leave you wishing you had made triples, and bring heaps of compliments your way? I thought you might. 

Let's talk bang bang shrimp

Bang bang shrimp are super easy to make and will disappear off your plate FAST. The prawns are tossed in some tapioca starch (or cornstarch) and pan-fried until crispy crispy crispy. Then they're coated in a sweet and creamy sauce that has just the right amount of spicy. They are a recipe we've been making for YEARS and that I originally shared with you here back in 2013. Every time we make them, people rave about them.

Crispy/creamy/sweet/spicy. These shrimp have it all.

Our hack to make this a healthier recipe:

Most bang bang shrimp recipes use Thai sweet chili sauce, which is often loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and unpronounceable ingredients. But sweet chili sauce is really just a sweet sauce with a bit of vinegar and a little spice. So we “make our own” by using honey, vinegar, and sriracha. It's so easy and the results are (pardon the pun) bang on.

Also, they're usually breaded and deep-fried. Instead, we use a little starch to make them crispy and pan-fry them in avocado oil.

READ MORE: Honey Walnut Shrimp – Panda Express Copycat

Crispy shrimp on a plate.

Tips for making the best bang bang shrimp

  • If using frozen shrimp, make sure they are completely thawed before coating them in starch.
  • Shrimp overcook very easily. Note the time that they go into the pan and cook them for no more than 2 minutes per side.
  • Pan fry them immediately before serving. They are best eaten hot and crispy.
  • We LOVE them served with some toasted walnuts and chives or green onions over the top.

Make bang bang shrimp for a party

Bang bang shrimp are best eaten right after you toss them in the sauce. If you let them sit awhile, the crispiness will turn to sogginess and there will be unhappy faces all around. Here's a little hack for making these more party-friendly:

Pan fry the shrimp then serve them on a paper towel-lined plate with the bang bang sauce on the side. The shrimp will stay crispy much longer and the sauce (which can be made 2 days in advance) makes a great dip.

Bang bang sauce being poured over crispy shrimp.

What to serve with bang bang shrimp

We love making an appetizer dinner by serving these with some easy guacamole and some sesame pineapple sausage bites or some honey garlic chicken wings.

But they are also amazing turned into bang bang shrimp tacos or even made into bang bang lettuce wraps.

Or keep things a little lighter and serve these with a big green salad.

Chopsticks holding a bang bang shrimp.

Favorite appetizer recipes

A glass bowl filled with bang bang shrimp.

Bang Bang Shrimp

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
Bang Bang shrimp is a crispy shrimp recipe that is smothered in a deliciously sweet and creamy sauce. It's a copycat recipe of Bonefish Grill bang bang shrimp. It's an easy appetizer that is always a hit!

If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!

4.67 stars (9 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lbs. shrimp, about 30
  • ½ cup tapioca starch, can sub cornstarch
  • 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. Use paleo mayo, if needed
  • 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 lbs. shrimp, ½ cup tapioca 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

After coating the shrimp in tapioca starch, you'll find that about half of it remains in the bowl. Using a little more than is needed makes sure that all of the shrimp are well coated for maximum crispiness.
We like to use avocado oil in this recipe as it has a neutral flavor and high smoke point. After cooking the shrimp, aproximetly ⅓ cup of oil will remain in the pan. The extra is needed to ensure the shrimp “deep fry” and become super crispy.
The nutritional information is calculated with the actual amount of tapioca starch and oil consumed.
Serving: 1 serving = ⅙ of the recipe, Calories: 310kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 186mg, Sodium: 697mg, Potassium: 316mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 15IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 75mg, Iron: 1mg
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