This is the crispy, saucy bang bang shrimp you order as an appetizer at restaurants — crunchy on the outside, juicy inside, and coated in a creamy, sweet-spicy sauce that clings without weighing the shrimp down.
This recipe sticks to what matters: crisp shrimp, a well-balanced bang bang sauce, and a method that works every time. No shortcuts, no unnecessary tweaks — just restaurant-style bang bang shrimp you can make confidently at home.
Ingredients Needed
For The Bang Bang Sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
For The Batter:
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
For Frying:
- 1 pound medium uncooked shrimp
- vegetable oil
Bang Bang Sauce (Get This Right)
Bang bang sauce should be bold but balanced — creamy with sweetness up front and a gentle heat that lingers. It needs to be thick enough to coat the shrimp, not thin like a dressing.
Mix the sauce ahead of time and set it aside. The sauce waits for the shrimp, not the other way around.
How to Get Properly Crispy Shrimp
This is where bang bang shrimp either succeeds or fails.
- Dry the shrimp well. Any surface moisture will steam the coating instead of crisping it.
- Use a light coating. You want crunch, not a thick batter.
- Make sure the oil is hot. Shrimp cook quickly — if the oil isn’t hot enough, they absorb grease instead of crisping.
- Cook in batches. Overcrowding drops the oil temperature and leads to soggy shrimp.
When they come out, the shrimp should be golden, crisp, and smell like something you want to eat immediately.
The Tossing Step (Do This Last)
Once the shrimp are cooked:
- Transfer them straight into a bowl.
- Spoon over just enough sauce to coat.
- Toss gently and serve right away.
Letting the shrimp sit in sauce is how crunch disappears. This step comes last for a reason.
What You’ll Get
- Crisp, crunchy shrimp with a light coating
- Juicy shrimp inside
- Creamy sauce that clings instead of pooling
- Big bang bang flavour
This is a dish that’s meant to be eaten hot and fresh — and it’s worth it.
How to Serve & Store
Bang bang shrimp is best served straight away while the coating is crisp and the shrimp are hot. It works well as an appetizer, party food, or piled over lettuce or rice if you want to turn it into a meal. Keep the sides simple — the shrimp do all the heavy lifting.
This is not a dish that improves with sitting. Reheating will soften the coating, which is unavoidable. The sauce, however, can be made ahead and kept refrigerated. For leftovers, store the shrimp and sauce separately and toss together just before serving to keep as much crunch as possible.
Saucy Restaurant-Style Appetizers
Bang bang shrimp is often served alongside other shareable, sauced dishes including:
Bang Bang Shrimp
Ingredients
Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
Egg Mixture
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
Breading Mixture
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Frying
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, add mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, and chili garlic sauce. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, add egg and buttermilk. Whisk to combine.
- In another separate mixing bowl combine flour, panko bread crumbs, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Whisk to combine.
- Dip each shrimp in the flour mixture, then dip the shrimp in the egg mixture, last you’ll dip the shrimp back in the flour mixture. Repeat for all shrimp.
- Place the coated shrimp on a plate and place them in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes. This will help the breading stick to the shrimp as they are frying.
- In a skillet with deep sides add vegetable oil so it is 2 inches deep. Heat over medium heat until the oil is 350°F.
- When the oil is ready, carefully place shrimp in the hot oil and fry for about 3 minutes total, turning halfway through the cooking process. Remove golden brown shrimp from the hot oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
- When all of the shrimp is done cooking, place them in a large mixing bowl. Spoon ¼ cup of sauce over the shrimp, and toss to coat. Serve the remaining sauce with the shrimp.
Video
Notes
- You can use frozen shrimp as it is easy to have on hand in your freezer. To thaw the shrimp quickly, place them in a bowl of cold water for about 20 minutes.
- Using a new jar of room temperature, unopened mayonnaise may make a noticeable positive difference in the flavor.
- You can make your own buttermilk using whole or 2% milk and lemon juice or distilled vinegar. For every 1 cup of milk, stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.
Nutrition
Comments
Gloria says
I love this! Way better than take out even. Very good recipe!
Tricia says
Can these be done in a air fryer?
Layne Kangas says
Possibly! I haven’t tried them like that, so I can’t speak for how best to adjust the recipe. Please let me know if you try it!
Laurie says
I made this for the first time with jumbo shrimp.
I had to make more of the flour bread crumbs and the sauce but it came out perfect!
So my first try was not as pretty as the picture however it was fabulous in flavor. I’ll work on presentation!
Ps I didn’t have any buttermilk so I substituted sour cream and thin it out as suggested on the internet.
I would make it again in a heartbeat!
Roni Sue says
Amazing recipe! Definitely tasted like a restaurant quality meal. I ate it over brown sticky rice.
Max says
Delicious! Easy to make at home with these instructions.
Sharon says
This recipe is awesome. The only thing I changed was air frying the shrimp. It worked perfectly!
North A says
Could these be baked instead of fried?
Layne Kangas says
Hi, North – I’m not sure, we haven’t tested that with this recipe! If you try it, please let me know! Enjoy!
Roxie says
Easy recipe and a new favorite for my family!!!!
Delicious !!!
Melissa says
I’ve made this before, and I want to make it tonight for my bf for Valentines Day, but I’m trying to decide how to add it to pasta- should I make double the sauce? Thanks!
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Melissa – we’ve got you covered! Here’s our bang bang shrimp pasta, enjoy!!!
Shawn says
I had to adjust this recipe due to a time crunch and I ended up just using the spice mixture on peeled and deveined shrimp. Then I sautéed it in a cast iron pan with a bit of olive oil and butter. I served it with a baked potato and crusty Italian bread so my Italian husband could soak up all that yummy sauce. It was delicious and requested as a regular meal!