Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe
by Whole30 Bang Bang Shrimp from the Bonefish Grill copycat recipe is off the charts DELICIOUS! Crispy jumbo shrimp coated in a creamy and naturally sweet and tangy bang bang sauce. With just a few ingredients, these bang bang shrimp are SO GOOD that I guarantee they’ll disappear in minutes! Get ready for my take on our favorite Bonefish Grill Bang Bang Shrimp with a healthy makeover!
If you prefer an air fryer version, I’ve got you covered! Check out my Air fryer bang bang shrimp! And if you are a salmon lover, use the same sauce for bang bang salmon bites!
This post is sponsored by Mizkan™. I’ve been using their condiments and sauce seasonings for years and am very happy to share the brand I use with you today.
Bang Bang Shrimp – a new favorite!
Before we start talking about what bang bang shrimp is and how to make it, let me just say my take on Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp, with a Whole30-inspired twist, is seriously off the roof DELISH! I can’t stop eating them. It’s that good!
Although I’ve never visited the restaurant, many of you requested this dish and wanted a healthier version. It took me a few trial-and-error and finally I landed a really fantastic version – crispy juicy shrimp, coated in a little spicy, creamy, and tangy bang bang sauce – Thanks to Mizkan’s Natural Rice Vinegar. It’s pure perfection!
What is Bang Bang?
The word Bang is a phonetic spelling to the Mandarin characters bàng (棒 or 榜). 棒 [bàng] means the best or fantastic like the gesture of giving a thumbs-up. The same pronunciation bàng could also mean stick (榜).
棒棒蝦 (Bang Bang Shrimp) is a common appetizer dish in Asia usually served in bars as an appetizer. The shrimp is on a stick, breaded (with flour and thin cellophane noodles), and deep-fried. So the word Bang has duo meaning – it’s on a stick and tastes fantastic! Since the Asian and Western versions are both breaded and fried, the recipe itself is not too different from one another.
棒棒雞 (Bang Bang Chicken) on the other hand is totally different in Asia. Bang bang chicken in China, Taiwan, and Japan is a chilled appetizer, originated in the Sichuan province. The chicken is poached (not deep-fried), shredded, and served over a spicy, salty, and vinegary dipping sauce with sichuan flower peppercorns. My summer chicken salad is a similar version.
Bang Bang also goes by the name bon bon, boom boom, or pon pon.
Today’s rendition of Bang Bang Shrimp recipe is my version of the American Bonefish Grill restaurant with a creamy tangy sauce made with Mizkan’s Natural Rice Vinegar. My take on the recipe is Paleo and Whole30 friendly.
For over two centuries, Mizkan foods have been made to the highest standards of quality, helping chefs and families alike delight in the flavors that make Japanese cooking uniquely delicious. Mizkan makes cooking and enjoying authentic Japanese recipes at home easily accessible.
When choosing a rice vinegar or ponzu sauce to create both a modern take on Japanese-inspired cuisine, as well as delicious, traditional meals, try Japan’s #1 rice vinegar brand: Mizkan*.
How to make Bang Bang Shrimp (Paleo, Whole30)?
To make this dish at home is actually really easy and I’m going to spill all the secrets here! Essentially there are only 5 steps:
- Pat dry the shrimp
- Dip the shrimp in whisked egg white then potato starch (tapioca or arrowroot okay, too)
- Shake off the excess then pan fry them in avocado oil
- Whisk the sauce in a bowl
- Serve with the Bang Bang sauce on the side (as a dipping sauce) or drizzle it over the shrimp
The best way to enjoy these delicious jumbo puffy shrimp is to serve them immediately. The shrimp is not deep fried and tends to soak up the sauce pretty quickly, so I recommend not only enjoying them right away but also only combining them with the sauce right before serving.
How to make a healthier Bang Bang sauce?
My Bang Bang sauce is seriously so yummy and it’s Paleo and Whole30 friendly! Nate, my husband, loves the sauce so much that he even uses it as a salad dressing. The naturally sweet and tangy flavor from Mizkan’s Natural Rice Vinegar, mixed with a little hot sauce seriously gives this shrimp appetizer its distinct flavor and makes this dish so popular.
Mizkan’s Natural Rice Vinegar is genuinely brewed and versatile enough to use in hot or cold dishes. This classic combines the best of traditional flavors and premium ingredients. Use it for sushi, marinades, salad dressings or wherever else your creativity takes you.
You’ll need –
- Mayonnaise
- Mizkan Natural Rice Vinegar
- Hot chili sauce
- Garlic
- Coconut aminos
- Ketchup
- Coarse sea salt
If you want the sauce a little sweeter, and if you are doing a Whole30, try adding some apple juice. If on keto, you can try adding ¼ tsp keto monk fruit sugar or coconut sugar for paleo. To me personally, I like the sauce on the tangy side and therefore I didn’t add any sugar to the Bang Bang sauce.
Tips for making the best Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe:
- Buy large shrimp (deveined and shell off)
- Pat the shrimp completely dry. (TIP: If shrimp is not completely dry, they will not turn out crispy and the starch will not stick.)
- Butterfly the shrimp (this is optional but will make your shrimp extra beautiful and tasty)
- Whisk egg whites until frothy (egg whites help the shrimp puff up and gives it more body)
- Use potato starch (or tapioca or arrowroot starch)
- Shake off excess (cover the shrimp evenly with no clumps)
- Use a heavy bottom high wall stainless steel or cast iron pot
- Change oil if you see brown bits accumulating up in the pot
- Keep the oil hot but not to a smoke point or it’ll burn the shrimp. If you aren’t sure, use a thermometer and keep the oil temperature at 375F.
- Serve the shrimp immediately with the sauce on the side or drizzle it over the shrimp
Pairings for Bang Bang (or Boom Boom) Shrimp
- Keto fried rice
- Low carb Chicken Lo Mein
- Paleo Cauliflower gnocchi
- Lemony tuna pasta
- Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce
- Thai peanut sauce cucumber noodles
- Roasted cauliflower recipe
- Eggplant garlic sauce
- Mongolian beef recipe
- Bok Choy Dim Sum
- Ginger chicken with squash
- Malaysian Style Crispy Chicken Wings
More Seafood/Pescatarian Dishes
- Panda express honey walnut shrimp!
- Shrimp and broccoli stir-fry
- Baked Salmon with Sweet Spicy Gochujang Glaze
- Chinese Steamed Cod with ginger scallion sauce
- Vietnamese Garlic Shrimp
- Seafood Dim Sum
- Keto shrimp avocado salad
- More Paleo pescatarain recipes here
- More healthy appetizer recipes here
This Bang Bang Shrimp recipe has become one of my favorite ways to prepare shrimp. After all, how can you say no to succulent, crispy, and juicy shrimp bites tossed in a sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy Bang Bang sauce that’s so good and so addictive! They are the best Paleo and Whole30 appetizer to bring in all the goodness from life and keep you happy and sunny!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Mizkan™ Rice Vinegars and Sauces, available nationwide at Walmart and select retailers. Follow Mizkan on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
* Source: INTAGE SRI. Rice Vinegar Accumulated Sales Revenue 2015 to 2019
Bang Bang Shrimp (Paleo, Whole30, Grain-free, Nut-free)
Ingredients
For the Bang Bang Shrimp:
- 1 lb. large shrimp, deveined and shell off
- 2 large egg whites, whisk until frothy
- 7-8 tbsp potato starch, or tapioca or arrowroot starch
- ⅓ -½ cup avocado oil
For the Bang Bang sauce: (Makes about 1 cup)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp Mizkan Natural Rice Vinegar
- ½-1 tsp hot sauce
- 0.2 oz clove garlic, grated or crushed, about 1 large clove
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1.5 tbsp ketchup
- 2 pinches of coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp completely dry with a clean paper towel. If the shrimp is not completely dry, it will not turn out crispy and the starch will not stick.
- Butterfly the shrimp. This step is optional but it will make your shrimp extra tasty and look more beautiful. Store them in the fridge while you move on to the next step.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. The egg whites will give the shrimp more body and make them puff up bigger. Prepare another bowl with the starch.
- Heat the oil in a small heavy bottom pot (stainless steel or cast iron) that has a high wall to prevent grease from spilling. I use a small 1.5-quart pot so that the oil is deep enough and I don’t have to use much oil. Heat the oil over medium to medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Test the temperature with a wooden chopstick, if it shows bubbles around the chopstick when inserting it into the oil, the temperature is hot enough. You can also use a thermometer to reach 350F/177C.
- Working in batches, dip the shrimp in the egg whites then starch. Shake off the excess. Pan fry for about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Set them over a wire rack to drain excess oil. I separate the entire batch to 4 and keep the raw shrimp in the fridge while I work on the current batch. If you see brown bits accumulating in the bottom of the pot, use a fine mesh sieve to scoop out the brown bits or the shrimp will turn to a black/brown color.
- While you fry the shrimp, whisk the sauce ingredients in one bowl. See notes section if you want to make it sweeter.
- Serve the shrimp immediately with the Bang Bang sauce on the side (as a dipping sauce) or drizzle it over the shrimp.
Notes
- If you want the sauce a little sweeter, and if you are doing a Whole30, try adding some apple juice. If on keto, you can try adding ¼ tsp monk fruit sugar or coconut sugar for paleo. To me personally, I like the sauce on the tangy side and therefore I didn’t add any sugar to the Bang Bang sauce.
- The best way to enjoy these delicious jumbo puffy shrimp is to serve immediately. The shrimp is not deep fried and tends to soak up the sauce pretty quickly so I recommend not only enjoying them right away but also only combining them with the sauce right before serving.
I love this site and the IG account and come here often for recipes! The Chinese Cod is excellent and I’ve been meaning to try this recipe for over a year now; what was I waiting for? It’s so good and overall pretty easy! I did the stovetop version but think I’ll go with the air-fryer version next time. My basket is large, so I’m thinking I can make more at one time than working in batches on my small cast iron skillet.
The Bang Bang sauce is also very good and goes well on more than just the shrimp. I serves the shrimp on top of greens and a scoop of cauliflower rice – the sauce was good on all 3.
Thanks for having such flavorful, relatively simple, and W30 recipes 🙂
Thank you, Vanessa. Appreciate it as always!
I’ve been meaning to review this for awhile. Everything from Iheartumami is AWESOME and this one is no different..,.It’s amazing. I like to use Argentinian Shrimp and the flavor is absolutely perfect. I doubled the recipe tonight because my family loves it so much. I paired it with a homemade veggie fried rice and some spring rolls! Perfection!! Thanks iheartumami!!!
This recipe was easy to make, delicious, and best of all – healthy! We will definitely be making this again!
This recipe is a knockout! I made this and served it on a bed of lettuce leaves for easy mini tacos, and it was a major hit. Paired with a little riced cauliflower, and you have a full meal. I’ll definitely be making this one again … and again!
Thank you, Reed!
I have a dumb question…I have never cooked shrimp before. Should I buy raw or pre-cooked shrimp? Haha. So excited to try this!
Not at all, Whitney! So buy raw (not cooked) shrimp. Large ones will taste better for this dish!