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Bang Bang Shrimp is the crispy, creamy, sweet-and-spicy appetizer that tastes like the one from your favorite restaurant, but it comes together at home in about 25 minutes. I whipped up a batch last Friday for movie night, set it next to a bowl of hot spinach artichoke dip, and Lizzie declared it the best thing I have ever fried.
A quick cornstarch coating gives the shrimp that signature crunch, and the smoky chipotle bang bang sauce is so good you will want to put it on everything.
Bang Bang Shrimp Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 15 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 25 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 299kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Crispy, creamy, sweet, and a little smoky-spicy
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, ready as fast as our creamy lemon shrimp
Quick Answer
Whisk mayonnaise, honey, lime juice, and chipotle powder into a creamy bang bang sauce. Toss peeled shrimp with seasoning and cornstarch, then fry in a thin layer of hot oil until golden and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the shrimp, toss them with half the sauce, and serve with extra sauce, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges for dipping.
Jump to:
- Bang Bang Shrimp Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Bang Bang Shrimp FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Seafood Appetizer Recipes
- Easy Bang Bang Shrimp (Chipotle)
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cornstarch beats batter for crunch. A light cornstarch coating crisps up fast and stays crunchy even after it meets the sauce, with no heavy, greasy breading.
- Frying in batches keeps it crispy. Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature and steams the shrimp, so frying in small batches is the key to a golden crust.
- Tossing in just half the sauce is intentional. Coating with half and serving the rest on the side keeps the shrimp crisp while giving everyone plenty for dipping.
- The sauce balances four flavors at once. Mayo for creamy, honey for sweet, lime for tang, and chipotle for smoky heat all play off each other in every bite.
- Small shrimp are perfect here. A 40 to 50 count cooks in minutes and gives you that ideal poppable, two-bite appetizer size.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes like a pricey restaurant appetizer but costs a fraction to make at home.
- The whole thing comes together in about 25 minutes for an easy party starter or fun dinner.
- That smoky bang bang sauce is a keeper, just like the glaze on our air fryer salmon.
Key Ingredients
Just a few simple ingredients turn a pound of shrimp into a restaurant-style appetizer.
- Shrimp: Small to medium shrimp (40 to 50 count) fry up fast and give you the perfect bite-sized crunch. Peeled and deveined saves time.
- Mayonnaise, honey, and lime: This trio is the creamy, sweet, tangy base of the bang bang sauce.
- Chipotle powder: A little smoky heat is what makes bang bang sauce so addictive. Add more or less to taste.
- Cornstarch: A light cornstarch coating is the secret to that shatteringly crisp exterior without a heavy batter.
- Cilantro and lime wedges: A fresh finish that brightens up every rich, crispy bite.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make this bang bang shrimp your own with these easy swaps.
- Air fryer: Spray the coated shrimp and air fry at 400 degrees until crisp for a lighter version.
- Spice level: Add sriracha or extra chipotle to the sauce for more heat, or dial it back for the kids.
- Bang bang chicken: Swap the shrimp for bite-sized chicken pieces and fry a little longer.
- Make it a bowl: Serve the shrimp over rice with slaw for a quick bang bang rice bowl.
- Tacos: Tuck the crispy shrimp into tortillas with cabbage, the way we love our New Orleans BBQ shrimp piled high.
How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp
- Make the sauce first by whisking the mayonnaise, honey, lime juice, chipotle powder, and salt in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
- Pat the shrimp dry, then toss with the garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper in a bag. Add the cornstarch and toss again until evenly coated.
- Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of a heavy skillet over medium heat. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Drain on paper towels, then toss the hot shrimp with half of the bang bang sauce. Serve with the extra sauce, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Pat the shrimp very dry before coating so the cornstarch sticks and the shrimp crisp up instead of steam.
- Use a thermometer or test with one shrimp to make sure the oil is hot before adding the rest.
- Fry in small batches so the oil stays hot and every piece turns golden and crunchy.
- Sauce the shrimp right before serving so they stay crisp and do not get soggy.
- Double the sauce if you love extra for dipping or drizzling over rice.
- Keep it warm in a 200 degree oven on a wire rack if frying for a crowd.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Bang bang shrimp is built for sharing, so I pile it on a platter over crisp lettuce with the extra sauce in the middle and lime wedges all around. It vanishes in minutes at any party.
For a seafood appetizer spread, serve it with our New Orleans BBQ shrimp and a batch of loaded tater tot nachos for a fun, finger-food night.
It also makes a fast, fun dinner over rice or noodles. We love it next to a plate of creamy lemon shrimp or our air fryer salmon when we want a seafood feast.
Bang Bang Shrimp FAQs
Bang bang shrimp is a popular appetizer of lightly fried, crispy shrimp tossed in a creamy, sweet, and spicy sauce made from mayonnaise, honey, lime, and chili. It was made famous by Bonefish Grill and is easy to recreate at home.
Classic bang bang sauce is a simple mix of mayonnaise, honey, and a chili element like chipotle powder or sriracha, often brightened with a squeeze of lime. It comes together in one bowl in under five minutes.
Yes. Coat the shrimp as directed, spray them lightly with oil, and air fry at 400 degrees for about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway, until crisp. Toss with the sauce right before serving.
Fry in small batches in hot oil, drain on paper towels, and toss with only half the sauce just before serving. Serving the extra sauce on the side keeps the coating crunchy instead of soggy.
It is great as an appetizer with extra dipping sauce, or as a meal over rice, in tacos, or alongside a crisp slaw. It also rounds out a seafood spread with other shrimp and dip recipes.
Absolutely. Thaw the shrimp completely, then pat them very dry before coating so they crisp up properly. Frozen peeled and deveined shrimp are a great time-saver for this recipe.
Hungry for more easy seafood? Try our creamy lemon shrimp next.
Easy Bang Bang Shrimp (Chipotle)
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon lime juice fresh squeezed
- ½ teaspoon dried chipotle powder or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the shrimp:
- 1 pound small to medium shrimp 40-50 count peeled and deveined
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- vegetable oil for frying
- Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish optional
- Lime wedges for serving optional
Instructions
- Make the sauce beforehand by mixing the mayonnaise, honey, lime juice, chipotle powder, and salt in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside.½ cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon lime juice, ½ teaspoon dried chipotle powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Toss the shrimp with the onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper in a plastic bag until coated. Add in the cornstarch and toss until coated.1 pound small to medium shrimp, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon onion powder, 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- Heat a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat. Add in just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When oil is hot, add the shrimp in batches so they don’t touch. Shrimp cook very fast, two to three minutes per side.vegetable oil for frying
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess oil. Place the cooked shrimp in a bowl with half of the sauce. Toss until coated. Serve with more sauce on the side for dipping. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges if using, serve immediately.Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish, Lime wedges for serving
Notes
- You can use larger shrimp if you’d like, you will just get less.
- We do not recommend freezing this recipe.
- You can serve this any way that you’d like, see my tips above.
- If you do not like spice, you can use less of the chipotle powder or omit it.
- Easily double this recipe to serve a larger crowd.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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YAY, so glad you liked them, thanks for letting us know! 🙂
Dana! I made these for New Year’s! They were a hit! Thanks for the great recipe!
Wow this looks good. Our readers at last week’s Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop thought so too. You will be featured (twice I might add) on this week’s year-end party for 2014.
I love a good knock off recipe! Thanks so much for sharing this on Show Me Saturday!
Pinning and making soon!
~ Ashley
Yum, these look amazing! Love the taste of smoky Chipolte too! Thanks for sharing Stopping by from SITS Share Fest
I have one recipe for the bonefish bang bang shrimp and now I will add this one too. Yum! I would love it if you shared this at the Saturday showcase at Bowdabra.com!
~Crystal
I love shrimp appetizers. I like your use of the Tabasco Chipotle sauce to spice it up. Yum!
This looks amazing. We love Bone Fish Grill’s bang bang shrimp and now I know how to make it at home–thanks!
Stopping by from Thrifty Thursday.
Looks delicious!
These sound amazing!