Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe

Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe

Make Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe: crispy fried shrimp tossed in a creamy, spicy-sweet sauce. Fast, crowd-pleasing, and easy to serve.

Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1: Whisk the bang bang sauce until glossy and smooth

In a medium matte-grey ceramic bowl, whisk together full-fat mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, sriracha (start with 1 tablespoon and adjust to taste), honey, rice vinegar or lime juice, finely minced garlic, and a pinch of salt until the mixture is perfectly smooth, glossy, and homogenous. Scrape the sides so there are no streaks; the sauce should be a pale coral-orange with visible tiny flecks of chili and garlic. Cover and chill so the flavors meld while you prep the shrimp and coatings.


Step 2: Brief buttermilk-and-egg marinate for a satiny wet film on the shrimp

Place the peeled, deveined shrimp in a shallow matte-grey ceramic bowl (same bowl family for utensil continuity) and pour cold low-fat buttermilk over them, then fold in the lightly beaten egg so every shrimp has a thin, satiny white film. The shrimp should look plump, slightly translucent at the tails, floating in the pale milky bath—this is a delicate visual change that primes the coating to cling. Chill for 10–15 minutes, covered.


Step 3: Whisk the dry dredge into a uniformly talc-like powder

In a shallow white ceramic pie plate, whisk the cornstarch, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and optional cayenne until the mixture looks uniform and velvety with no streaks. The texture should read dry and fine, almost powdery, with subtle warm specks from the paprika and black pepper. Keep the dry plate nearby so the workflow is tidy and visually consistent.

Step 4: Dredge the shrimp until each piece wears a matte, even flour cloak

Working in batches, lift shrimp from the buttermilk, let excess drip back into the bowl, then press each piece firmly into the pale, talc-like dredge so the coating adheres evenly. Arrange the freshly coated shrimp in a single layer on a clean white ceramic plate or tray; they should appear chalky and uniformly pale, the cornstarch creating a subtle rough texture on every curve and tail—ready to crisp.


Step 5: Fry batches to a light golden, ultra-crisp shell and rest to drain

After frying in neutral oil off-camera, transfer the small batches of shrimp to a stainless wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. The fried pieces should be a light golden color with a brittle, fine-cracked crust and the shrimp bodies just curled into a tight “C” shape—crisp exterior, opaque interior. Let excess oil drip away for a minute so the surface stays brittle and dry rather than greasy.

Step 6: Toss hot fried shrimp with chilled bang bang sauce until glossy but still crisp

Place the hot, drained shrimp into a large clean matte-grey mixing bowl (same bowl family used earlier for wet work) and drizzle about two-thirds of the chilled sauce over them; gently fold with a wide spatula so each piece is thinly glazed with the coral-orange sauce while the crust retains visible crispness and micro-bubbles. The ideal visual is a contrast between the matte, fractured crust and the glossy, slightly viscous sauce clinging to edges. Add scallions and toasted sesame seeds last for shards of green and pale bronze.


Step 7: Plate on a bed of shredded lettuce or rice, garnish and serve immediately

Arrange shredded crisp lettuce or a scoop of steaming white rice on a shallow oval white ceramic platter, then pile the sauced shrimp on top so the glossy-coated curves catch the light. Finish with thinly sliced green onions, a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, and lime wedges on the side. Serve while still hot and crackly—bright green and citrus accents against the pale Carrara marble surface.


Notes