This homemade Bang Bang Shrimp is crispy and saucy at the same time. This shrimp can be served so many ways, but it’s especially satisfying as Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos drizzled with the bang bang sauce.

Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is to recreate this restaurant favorite.

Bang bang shrimp tacos drizzled with bang bang sauce

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This recipe will elevate your taco Tuesdays. If you love tacos as much as we do, be sure to add our famous Fish Tacos to your rotation. You can also change things up with Taco Salad or even Taco Soup!

Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos Video

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What is Bang Bang Shrimp?

Bang Bang Shrimp was made popular by Bonefish Grill. They are also called Dynamite Shrimp which was made popular by Cheesecake Factory restaurant.

The shrimp are battered and fried until extra crispy then tossed in a sweet and spicy creamy sauce. It’s just three ingredients for this easy and tasty sauce: mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, and sriracha hot chili sauce. We can’t help but add a little extra hot sauce for more heat.

Bang Bang Shrimp tossed with Bang bang sauce in a bowl

Ingredients

The key to making great bang bang shrimp is in dredging with corn starch. It makes the crispiest exterior that stays crispy even after adding the sauce. It’s pretty fantastic!

  • Shrimp – we use large 21-25 count raw shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed. Prep is much faster and easier if you get pre-peeled shrimp.
  • Marinade – Combine buttermilk, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder to form a flavorful marinade. The buttermilk tenderizes the shrimp, adds flavor, and helps the corn starch stick to the shrimp to form a crust.
  • Corn Starch – creates a golden color and extreme crunchiness.
  • Oil – fry the shrimp in 1 to 1 1/2 inches of high heat oil such as peanut oil or canola oil.
  • Bang Bang Sauce – made of just 3 ingredients: mayo, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha
Ingredients with shrimp, buttermilk, corn starch and seasonings

How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp

  1. Bang Bang Sauce – Combine mayo, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha.
  2. Marinate – combine marinade ingredients and pour over shrimp. Stir and let sit while you heat the oil to 375˚F on a clip-on pot thermometer.
  3. Dredge – Remove shrimp from marinade one at a time, letting excess drip off. Dip in corn starch, tapping off the excess.
  4. Fry – Once all shrimp are breaded, fry in 3 batches for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through. Use a strainer to transfer shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate.
  5. Add Sauce – Transfer warm shrimp to a mixing bowl and drizzle with half of the sauce.
  6. Make Tacos – toast corn tortillas, add toppings, shrimp and drizzle with remaining sauce. Serve with fresh lime wedges to squeeze over the top.
How to make Bang Bang Shrimp

Pro Tip: Use a clip-on pot thermometer to keep the temperature of the oil steady at 375˚F and be sure to bring the oil back to temperature before adding the next batch. If the oil cools too much, the shrimp will absorb more oil, if it gets too hot, the shrimp may burn.

How to Serve Bang Bang Shrimp

People have gotten so creative with Bang Bang Shrimp over the years, serving it as a starter or main course.

  • Appetizer – garnish with chives and serve right out of the bowl with toothpicks.
  • Tacos – we love this option because the shrimp already come with a creamy sauce you can drizzle over the assembled tacos.
  • Pasta – toss the saucy shrimp with your favorite pasta. Try adding a squeeze of lime juice over the dish as we did with tacos.
  • Rice Bowls – Serve shrimp over a bowl of cooked white rice, add the same toppings as for tacos, and drizzle with sauce.
Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos served on a platter

Pro Tip: To make it easy to drizzle sauce over tacos, transfer it to a ziploc bag and seal. Snip off the tip of the bag with scissors then drizzle sauce over tacos.

Up close juicy bang bang shrimp on a taco

The combination of flavors and textures in Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos is ‘dynamite’ and you’ll fall in love with the bang bang sauce.

More Asian Recipes

If you love to recreate your favorite Asian takeout recipes, then you won’t want to miss these recipes:

Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos (Dynamite Shrimp)

4.99 from 242 votes
Bang Bang Shrimp served as tacos
Bang Bang Shrimp are crispy, creamy, sweet, and spicy. They are so satisfying served as Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos drizzled with that famous sauce.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 tacos (or 12 smaller tacos)

Bang Bang Shrimp:

  • 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 3/4 cup corn starch
  • Peanut oil or Canola oil for frying shrimp

Sauce Ingredients

Taco Toppings:

  • 8 to 12 Small White Corn Tortillas, or Hard Taco Shells
  • 3 cups Purple or Green Cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

Instructions

How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp:

  • In a small bowl, stir together Bang Bang Sauce ingredients and set aside.
  • Make the marinade by combining buttermilk, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder. Pour over peeled and deviled shrimp and stir to coat. Set aside while you start preheating your oil.
  • Remove shrimp from the marinade one at a time, letting excess marinade drip off. Dip both sides in cornstarch until fully coated, tap off the excess and arrange breaded shrimp on a platter.
  • Heat 1 1/2” of oil in a dutch oven or pot to 375˚F. Fry shrimp in 3 batches, cooking for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes until golden brown, crispy and cooked through (turn halfway if needed). Use a strainer to transfer shrimp to rest on a paper towel-lined plate for a few minutes.
  • Transfer shrimp to a bowl and drizzle half of the sauce over warm shrimp. Toss gently until shrimp are coated and rest for 10 minutes to absorb the sauce.

How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos:

  • Lightly toast corn tortillas on a griddle, skillet for 30 seconds per side, or over a gas flame if you want some charring.
  • Add desired taco toppings, top with 2-3 shrimp per taco and drizzle with remaining sauce.
  • Serve with a sprinkle of cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Notes

The nutrition label (fat content and overall calories) is only an estimate since it’s difficult to gauge oil absorption for shrimp.

Nutrition Per Serving

362kcal Calories30g Carbs14g Protein21g Fat4g Saturated Fat1g Trans Fat150mg Cholesterol744mg Sodium242mg Potassium3g Fiber6g Sugar571IU Vitamin A25mg Vitamin C140mg Calcium2mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos (Dynamite Shrimp)
Amount per Serving
Calories
362
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
21
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
 
4
g
25
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Cholesterol
 
150
mg
50
%
Sodium
 
744
mg
32
%
Potassium
 
242
mg
7
%
Carbohydrates
 
30
g
10
%
Fiber
 
3
g
13
%
Sugar
 
6
g
7
%
Protein
 
14
g
28
%
Vitamin A
 
571
IU
11
%
Vitamin C
 
25
mg
30
%
Calcium
 
140
mg
14
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: bang bang shrimp, bang bang shrimp tacos, dynamite shrimp
Skill Level: Easy/Medium
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 362
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook
4.99 from 242 votes (150 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Kim
    June 9, 2022

    Not only is this recipe stupid fast to make its DE…LICIOUS!!! Thanks for another good one!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 9, 2022

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Kim!

      Reply

  • Nabi
    May 25, 2022

    Thank you Natasha to share this recipe. Specially,my husband loves this tacos.sauce was amazing too.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 25, 2022

      You’re welcome, glad to hear that he loves it!

      Reply

  • Heather
    May 23, 2022

    How would the shrimp be the next day or 2? Going camping and don’t want to have to deep fry over the fire.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 23, 2022

      Hi Heather, we eat these freshly made so we don’t really have leftovers. I would assume they would reheat ok but the breading will not be as crisp. I would be careful no to over heat the shrimp, it can get chewy when it’s overcooked.

      Reply

      • Heather
        May 23, 2022

        Thanks, think I will just make them fresh out at the camp fire then.

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          May 23, 2022

          You’re welcome! I hope you love this recipe!

          Reply

  • Tabatha
    May 17, 2022

    Omg my family devoured them!! Soooo good and crispy and juicy! Yum yum yum!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 17, 2022

      So glad you enjoyed them, Tabatha!

      Reply

  • Teresa — Winnipeg Canada
    May 17, 2022

    Has anyone ever tried air frying the shrimp? Trying tonight

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 17, 2022

      Hi Teresa, here is what one of our readers said. “I tried to air fry a couple of shrimp but the corn starch didn’t crisp up so I brushed them with some oil which was ok. Then I pan-fried the rest but just used less oil and they were fabulous!”

      Reply

  • Dolores
    April 16, 2022

    Third time making them! We drizzle the sauce over the shrimp and garnish with slivered
    green onions! Such an awesome easy recipe!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      April 16, 2022

      So glad to hear that!

      Reply

  • Hilary
    April 12, 2022

    This recipe is amazing! I didnt have buttermilk and just used half and half but it turned out so good. I still had the favorite taco sauce in the fridge from last weeks taco night and topped it with that and it was soo good. ❤

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 12, 2022

      That was a good idea, Hilary. Good to hear that you loved the result, especially the sauce! Thanks a lot for sharing that with us.

      Reply

  • Cindy
    April 12, 2022

    Hi Natasha,

    I’m making the shrimp for my husband’s birthday dinner but he’ll prefer a rice bowl. Is there a rice that works best with this? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 12, 2022

      Hi Cindy, I haven’t really experimented on that to advise. Feel free to give it a try first!

      Reply

  • Linda
    April 10, 2022

    Hi Natasha! I’m in Melba, ID, not far from you. Made your Bang Bang Shrimp tacos. They were so good! I made a mango avocado salsa to put on them and also put Jack cheese in addition to the sauce, cabbage and tomato. Definitely a keeper!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 10, 2022

      Hello Linda, sounds awesome! So great to hear that you loved these tacos, thank you for sharing that with us.

      Reply

  • Leigh
    April 9, 2022

    This recipe worked perfectly! The shrimp turned out very crispy and tasty. The sauce was amazing too. I added a little extra sriracha and it gave it a nice spice. The whole process was very easy and yields awesome results. Would highly recommend!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 9, 2022

      One of my favorites! I’m so glad you love it also, Leigh!

      Reply

  • Cecilia
    April 1, 2022

    Absolutely delicious 😋
    The shrimp was crispy and the sauce was the “bang”. 😉
    Better than the shrimp tempura at the Mexican resort.
    Hubby loved it 😍
    Thank you for the great recipe

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 1, 2022

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Cecilia! 🙂

      Reply

  • Dee
    March 19, 2022

    What a crowd pleaser this was! I made this tonight & it was excellent & the sauce was to die for❤️

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 19, 2022

      So happy to hear that! Thank you for the review, Dee.

      Reply

  • Avee Parker
    March 18, 2022

    Hey! Siracha is too spicy for me. What can I use instead? Can I just increase the chili sauce or is there something different I should use?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 19, 2022

      Hi Avee, you could leave the Sriracha sauce out completely or use it just to taste. I don’t know of a non-spicy alternative to use. If needed you could increase the chili sauce but that may add some more heat as well.

      Reply

  • Emma Wells
    March 3, 2022

    This was as easy and tasty as everyone said it would be. I would definitely make this again and follow the directions exactly as provided.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 3, 2022

      Hi Emma, I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for the review.

      Reply

  • Shannon
    March 1, 2022

    As easy and delicious as you promised! We had every intention of making tacos but we could not stop eating them! Thank you for this recipe, it is going to be a regular at our home.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 1, 2022

      I’m so happy it was a hit, Shannon! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!

      Reply

  • Nekeisha
    February 26, 2022

    This was a hit. First time ever having corn tortilla and soooo good. That sauce brings it all together so well; I used green cabbage and it’s all so delicious. I think this sauce would be amazing on a burger. I will definitely have no need to order tacos at a restaurant again.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 26, 2022

      Oh, I bet it would be great! Great idea, Nekeisha! I’m so glad to hear this was a hit!

      Reply

  • Ian A
    February 24, 2022

    Tried it yday was very easy. I shallow fried the shrimp with green onions. The feedback from the family was only praise and love. THANKS!!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 24, 2022

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Ian!

      Reply

  • Sylvie G
    February 14, 2022

    Hello from Montreal, Canada!
    I made the taco recipe but with a few modifications:
    – made a mix of tomato, cilantro and green onion, with added fresh lime juice.
    – fried the shrimps in a shallow quantity of oil.

    Great results! Thank you once again.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 14, 2022

      Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Sylvie!

      Reply

  • Nadia
    February 10, 2022

    This looks amazing. What brand of corn tortillas do you like?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      February 11, 2022

      Hi Nadia, I don’t really stick to a single brand, but I do enjoy small white corn tortillas.

      Reply

  • Nancy Faust
    February 10, 2022

    Is it possible to make this recipe without frying the shrimp?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 10, 2022

      Hi Nancy, I haven’t tried making baked bang bang shrimp to avoid frying, so I don’t have specific instructions for it. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!

      Reply

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