Des

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Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.

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Bang Bang Shrimp

Bang Bang Shrimp is crispy shrimp coated in a creamy sweet n’ spicy sauce. It’s perfect for an appetizer or main dish!

You guys! If you’ve never eaten or even heard of bang bang shrimp, I am going to rock your world today. These crispy little bites are amazing. Whether you want to serve them as an appetizer or main dish, you’re going to want to add these to your meal rotation ASAP.

Bang Bang Shrimp was made popular by the Bonefish Grill. It has since found it’s way on to various restaurant appetizer menus. For good reason, these light and crispy shrimp tossed in a creamy spicy sauce are perfection.

And guess what, they are pretty easy to make and I’m going to show you exactly how today. Let’s start with the ingredients that you’ll need.

What ingredients do you need?

This recipe is broken up into two parts: the crispy shrimp and the bang bang sauce.

  • SHRIMP: Shrimp are measured in how many shrimp there will be in a pound. For this recipe, I use 21/25 count shrimp which means that there are 21 – 25 shrimp per pound. This size is considered jumbo.
  • BUTTERMILK: This helps the cornstarch stick to the shrimp.
  • CORNSTARCH: This is what helps give the shrimp it’s crispy texture.
  • GRANULATED GARLIC/SALT/PEPPER: Use this to season the cornstarch.
  • OIL FOR FRYING: Use an oil that has a high smoke point like avocado, peanut, canola or vegetable. Save the extra virgin olive oil for salad dressing.
  • GREEN ONIONS

To make the Bang Bang Sauce you just need 4 ingredients:

  • MAYONNAISE: Where the sauce gets it creaminess.
  • SWEET CHILI SAUCE: You can find this sauce in the Asian food section of your grocery store.
  • SRIRACHA SAUCE: Where the sauce gets its heat.
  • HONEY: Adds a little more sweetness.

How to make bang bang shrimp:

These are pretty easy to make! Just follow along with these step by step photos and instructions:

  • STEP #1: Make the sauce first. It tastes better the longer it has to sit. Whisk together all the ingredients together. And set it aside until you’re ready to use.
  • STEP #2: Pour the buttermilk over the shrimp and stir to coat the shrimp in the milk.
  • STEP #3: In a shallow dish combine cornstarch, granulated garlic, salt and pepper. Shake the excess buttermilk from the shrimp and then dredge in seasoned cornstarch.
  • STEP #4 Heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry shrimp, in batches if necessary, until the crust has turned golden and shrimp is cooked through about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a clean plate while you finish frying all of the shrimp.
  • STEP #5: Pour half of the sauce over the shrimp and toss to coat. Add more sauce if you want it a bit saucier. Sprinkle with diced green onions and serve immediately.

What to serve with bang bang shrimp:

If you’re looking to turn these bang bang shrimp into a meal, I suggest serving them with garlic rice and air fryer broccoli.

Looking for more shrimp recipes? Try these!

Bang Bang Shrimp

Bang Bang Shrimp is crispy shrimp coated in a creamy sweet and spicy sauce. Easy to make and perfect as an appetizer or a main dish.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Easy Appetizer Recipes, Main Dishes
Cuisine American
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 607 kcal

Ingredients
  

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound jumbo shrimp 21-25 count, peeled deveined and tail removed
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup oil for frying

Bang Bang Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
  • 2 - 3 teaspoons sriracha
  • 1 teaspoon honey

Instructions
 

  • Whisk together all the ingredients together. And set it aside until you're ready to use.
  • Pour the buttermilk over the shrimp and stir to coat the shrimp in the milk.
  • In a shallow dish combine cornstarch, granulated garlic, salt and pepper. Shake the excess buttermilk from the shrimp and then dredge in seasoned cornstarch.
  • Heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry shrimp, in batches if necessary, until the crust has turned golden and shrimp is cooked through about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a clean plate while you finish frying all of the shrimp.
  • Pour half of the sauce over the shrimp and toss to coat. Add more sauce if you want it a bit saucier. Sprinkle with diced green onions and serve immediately.

Notes

You can make the sauce ahead of time, if you like. Just refrigerate until ready to use. It's also great on other things or as a dip for french fries.
I start by drizzling half of the sauce over the shrimp and then add more depending on how saucy everyone wants. I serve any leftover sauce alongside.
As with any fried food, you don't want to over crowd the pan or the shrimp will steam rather than fry and they won't be crispy. To avoid this, I recommend cooking the shrimp in batches. I use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a plate and store it in the warm oven until I've fried all the shrimp.
Nutrition information for estimation purposes only.

Nutrition

Calories: 607kcalCarbohydrates: 45.4gProtein: 22.8gFat: 37.4gSaturated Fat: 5.1gCholesterol: 171mgSodium: 754mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 8g
Tried this recipe?Mention @lifesambrosia or tag #lifesambrosia!
Keywords: copycat recipe, shrimp

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Des

Hey! I'm Des!

Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.

Read more »

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