Boom boom shrimp is crispy tempura battered shrimp drizzled with a sweet and spicy chili sauce, known as bang bang sauce, this easy appetizer is a crowd pleaser.

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Follow the video instructions for this easy boom boom shrimp recipe.
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🥰 Why this recipe works
- Just like the restaurants, Cheesecake Factory and Bone Fish Grill's amazing appetizer!
- Make extra shrimp and add to shrimp tacos or add to a salad for an easy lunch later in the week.
- Easy instructions will give you delicious results.
If you like this shrimp recipe, you will want to pick up an extra pound or two of shrimp when you are shopping and make this super easy recipe for Mexican cocktail shooters.
You make this copycat recipe and indulge in the crunchy, chili sweetness of shrimp at home!
🦐 Bang Bang Shrimp Ingredients:
- shrimp, medium, peeled and deveined
- buttermilk (or make your own with 1 cup milk plus 1 T. vinegar)
- flour
- cornstarch
- egg
- hot sauce
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Panko Bread Crumbs, Seasoned. (or substitute in your own homemade breadcrumbs)
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- Italian seasonings
- vegetable oil as needed (for frying)
🫙 Bang Bang Sauce Ingredients:
- mayonnaise
- sweet chili sauce
- honey
- rice vinegar
🥄 How to make bang bang sauce:
- Whisk together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, honey and rice vinegar in a small bowl.
- Set aside while you prepare the shrimp for frying.
🍤 How to make boom boom shrimp:
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, flour, cornstarch, egg, hot sauce, salt, and pepper, to taste.
- In a large bowl, combine Panko bread crumbs, onion and garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Working one at a time, dip shrimp into buttermilk mixture, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat.
- Working in small batches, add shrimp to the skillet and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve immediately, drizzled with sweet chili sauce.
👩🍳 Chef Tip
- Your shrimp will be perfect when they form a ‘C’. If they get tighter to form an ‘O’, they are overcooked. C=cooked. O= overcooked.
- Your fry oil will now have the essence of shrimp in it. You may use it to fry other items but there is a chance your other items may have a shrimpy flavor to them.
- Once the oil has cooled, store it in a closed container and label it as shrimp fry oil.
Bang Bang Shrimp Copycat recipe
There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 1 cup buttermilk (or make your own with 1 cup milk plus 1 T. vinegar)
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs (Seasoned.)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasonings
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or more, as needed (for frying))
Sauce Ingredients
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Instructions
- Sauce: whisk together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, honey and rice vinegar in a small bowl.¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.½ cup vegetable oil
- In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, flour, cornstarch, egg, hot sauce, salt and pepper, to taste.1 cup buttermilk, ¾ cup flour, ½ cup cornstarch, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- In a large bowl, combine Panko bread crumbs, onion and garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste.1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon Italian seasonings, Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Working one at a time, dip shrimp into buttermilk mixture, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat.1 pound medium shrimp
- Working in small batches, add shrimp to the skillet and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve immediately, drizzled with sweet chili sauce.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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published December 5, 2016
👩🏻🍳 Sarah Mock
CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
Emory Kaltved
This site is absolutely fabulous!
Sarah
Thank you so much! I am glad you are making it. It is a favorite in my house too.
Kimberly Baxter
I love this recipe and have made it a number of times.