Perfect Bang Bang Shrimp
- PREP 20min
- COOK 10min
- TOTAL 30min
These Bang Bang shrimp are hard to stop eating. Perfectly crispy, with a delicious homemade sweet-and-spicy sauce. These are fried, but we have provided tips for baking the shrimp below the recipe.
You Will Need
- For the Shrimp
1 pound shrimp, large or extra-large, peeled, deveined, with tails removed
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk (227 g)
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup cornstarch (60 g)
½ cup all-purpose flour (65 g)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Peanut oil or vegetable oil for frying
2 green onions, thinly sliced, for serving
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, for serving
- For the Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise (113 g)
¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce, like Mae Ploy (95 g)
1 ½ tablespoons Sriracha
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
Directions
1Marinate the shrimp: Combine the shrimp with the buttermilk and salt in a large bowl, then let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes.
2Make the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, lime juice, and honey. Set aside (or refrigerate for up to one week).
3Make breading: In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.
4Prepare the oil: Use a medium, deep saucepan or Fry Daddy (see tips below). Fill it with enough oil so the shrimp are submerged without resting on the bottom. Also, make sure that there is ample space to fry them without the oil rising too close to the top. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) as registered on an instant-read thermometer.
5Cook the shrimp: Drain the shrimp, then, working in batches, toss them into the dredge and toss until lightly coated. Carefully place the shrimp into the hot oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Transfer the fried shrimp to a paper-towel-lined plate.
6To finish: When ready to serve, toss the shrimp with just enough of the sauce to coat, then serve with green onions and sesame seeds scattered over the top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Keep the sauce in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to a week. Stir well before using. The fried shrimp will not stay crisp, but lasts up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Healthier sauce: Substitute the mayonnaise for plain thick yogurt like Icelandic or Greek yogurt. I prefer less tangy options.
- Quickly thaw shrimp: Add your frozen shrimp to a bowl without a bag, then cover them with cold water (cold is important, don’t use warm or hot). They should take 15 to 20 minutes to thaw. Make sure you change the water a few times (keep it cold) and move the shrimp around occasionally to help them thaw. Note: Don’t leave your shrimp in water for much longer than 30 minutes, as their texture may start to degrade.
- Frying: We have a Fry Daddy, which makes frying at home a little easier. It’s not very expensive and sold online (we purchased ours on Amazon).
- Baked shrimp: You can’t bake these shrimp with the batter above, but you can still get great flavor. Just mix ¼ teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Toss the shrimp with a little oil and the spice mix, spread them on a baking sheet, and bake until plump and opaque. Toss with the Bang Bang sauce. You can also cook them in a skillet.
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates. We assumed 4 tablespoons of sauce. We left the oil out as it is difficult for us to determine the nutrition facts of fried foods.