Bang Bang Shrimp

The Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe That Will Ruin Restaurant Versions for You Forever

If you have ever ordered Bang Bang Shrimp at a restaurant and immediately started wondering how to recreate it at home, you are in exactly the right place. This homemade bang bang shrimp recipe delivers everything you love about the original: shatteringly crispy fried shrimp, coated in a sauce that is creamy, sweet, tangy, and just spicy enough to keep you reaching for one more. It is the kind of appetizer that disappears before you even sit down.

This recipe is built for real home cooks. No deep fryer required, no hard-to-find ingredients, and no complicated techniques. What you do need is a solid understanding of a few key frying tips, and that is exactly what we are going to cover.

What Makes This Bang Bang Shrimp So Good

The magic here is in two places: the coating and the sauce.

For the coating, we use a blend of cornstarch and flour. Cornstarch is the secret weapon in so many fried shrimp cooking tips because it creates a lighter, crispier crust than flour alone, while the flour adds structure and that gorgeous golden color. A quick soak in buttermilk before dredging helps the coating cling perfectly to every curve of the shrimp.

For the sauce, the base is a classic bang bang combination of mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce, brightened with sriracha, a touch of honey, and a splash of rice vinegar. The optional cream cheese addition, which takes inspiration from the whole sha bang shrimp recipe style, adds an extra layer of richness and makes the sauce cling to the shrimp even more beautifully. It sounds unconventional, but trust the process.

Chef's Tip: Pat your shrimp completely dry before they go into the buttermilk. Any excess moisture trapped under the coating turns to steam while frying and makes the crust soggy. This single step makes the biggest difference in achieving that satisfying crunch.

Choosing the Right Shrimp

For the best homemade fried shrimp meal, you want large or extra-large shrimp (21/25 or 16/20 count per pound). They have enough body to stay juicy inside while the exterior gets fully crispy. Smaller shrimp cook too fast and can turn rubbery before the crust develops.

Fresh or frozen both work well here. If using frozen, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or under cold running water, then dry them thoroughly. Always go for peeled and deveined to save yourself prep time, and remove the tails before coating so every bite is sauce-covered and easy to eat.

Tips for Perfect Crispy Shrimp Every Time

These fried shrimp cooking tips apply whether this is your first time or your fifteenth:

• Temperature is everything. Keep your oil at 375 degrees F. Too low and the shrimp absorb oil and turn greasy. Too high and the outside burns before the inside cooks. A thermometer is your best friend.
• Fry in small batches. Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature sharply, leading to uneven cooking and soft crusts. Four to five shrimp at a time is plenty.
• Toss the shrimp in sauce right before serving. The coating is most crispy the moment it comes out of the oil. Once sauced, it begins to soften, so timing matters.

Before we get into the full recipe, a quick note on tools and ingredients. Having the right setup genuinely changes the outcome when frying at home. A reliable thermometer and a proper spider strainer are the two items that make the biggest difference in this kind of recipe:

How to Make the Bang Bang Sauce

The sauce is where this recipe lives and dies, and the good news is that it comes together in about two minutes. You simply whisk together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, and rice vinegar. The balance you are going for is creamy and rich, sweet and tangy, with a warm build of heat that does not overwhelm.

For the cream cheese variation that gives this recipe its bang bang shrimp recipe with cream cheese edge, make sure the cream cheese is fully softened before mixing. A cold block of cream cheese will leave lumps in the sauce no matter how hard you whisk. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or soften it briefly in the microwave in 10-second intervals.

Chef's Tip: Make the sauce up to three days ahead and store it in the fridge. The flavors meld beautifully overnight and it saves you one step on the day you are serving it.

Why This Works as a Shrimp Stir-Fry Variation Too

If deep frying is not your thing, this recipe adapts beautifully into a lighter shrimp stir-fry style preparation. Skip the dredging step entirely. Toss the shrimp in just a light coating of cornstarch, sear them in a very hot skillet with a tablespoon of oil until pink and slightly charred, then pour the bang bang sauce directly into the pan and toss to coat over low heat. The shrimp stir-fry recipe idea delivers a similar flavor profile with significantly less oil and cleanup, making it a fantastic weeknight alternative when you want a homemade shrimp stir-fry recipe on the table in under 20 minutes.

Ready to make the real thing? Here is everything you need, laid out step by step:

Bang Bang Shrimp

Crispy fried shrimp tossed in a creamy, sweet-and-spicy bang bang sauce that is impossible to put down. This easy homemade bang bang shrimp recipe delivers restaurant-quality flavor in under 30 minutes.

Prep:15 mins

Cook:15 mins

Total:30 mins

Yield:4 servings

Cuisine:American

Yield: 4 servingsCalories: 420Protein: 22g

Carbs: 28gFat: 24gSat. Fat: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gSodium: 780mg

Ingredients

Units

USM

Scale

1x2x3x

• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed, patted dry
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise, full-fat for best results
• 3 tbsp sweet chili sauce
• 2 tsp sriracha, adjust to taste
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 oz cream cheese, softened, optional for extra creaminess
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
• 1 tsp sesame seeds, for garnish, optional

Instruction

1

Make the bang bang sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, and rice vinegar until smooth. If using cream cheese, beat it in with a hand mixer or whisk vigorously until fully incorporated and the sauce is silky. Taste and adjust heat with more sriracha if desired. Set aside.

2

Prepare the shrimp: Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels. This step is critical for crispiness. Place them in a bowl and pour the buttermilk over them. Toss to coat and let sit for 5 minutes.

3

Make the coating: In a shallow dish, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.

4

Heat the oil: Pour the vegetable oil into a deep skillet or heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Use a thermometer for accuracy. A drop of batter should sizzle immediately on contact.

5

Coat the shrimp: Working in batches, lift the shrimp from the buttermilk letting the excess drip off, then dredge them in the seasoned flour-cornstarch mixture, pressing lightly to adhere. Shake off any excess.

6

Fry the shrimp: Carefully lower the shrimp into the hot oil in a single layer. Do not crowd the pan. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, flipping once, until they are golden and crispy. Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.

7

Toss and serve: Working quickly while the shrimp are still hot, add them to the bowl of bang bang sauce and gently toss until every piece is evenly coated. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, and serve immediately.

Equipment

• Deep skillet or heavy-bottomed pot
• Instant-read or candy thermometer
• Spider strainer or slotted spoon
• Two shallow dishes or bowls
• Paper towel-lined plate
• Whisk
• Hand mixer (optional, for cream cheese sauce)

Notes

For maximum crispiness, make sure the shrimp are completely dry before they hit the buttermilk. Fry in small batches so the oil temperature does not drop. The bang bang sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For a lighter version, you can air-fry the coated shrimp at 400 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway, though the texture will be slightly less crunchy. Leftovers do not store particularly well once sauced, so try to toss only what you plan to eat right away.

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Serving Ideas and What to Pair It With

Bang bang shrimp is versatile in the best possible way. Here is how to serve it depending on the occasion:

• As an appetizer: Pile them on a platter with extra sauce on the side for dipping and watch them vanish in minutes.
• As a main course: Spoon them over steamed jasmine rice or inside warm flour tortillas with shredded cabbage and sliced avocado for bang bang shrimp tacos.
• On a salad: Let them cool slightly, then lay them over a bed of romaine with cucumber, shredded carrots, and a drizzle of extra sauce as dressing.
• In a bowl: Serve over rice noodles or cauliflower rice for a lighter, low-carb option.

However you serve it, this easy homemade bang bang shrimp is the kind of recipe that becomes a regular request. Once people taste it, they will ask for it by name.