The Bonefish Grill restaurant is a nostalgic destination from my college years when a friend’s parents would come to town and treat us students to a non-cafeteria dinner. On these lucky occasions, I said my prayers that someone would order Bonefish’s famous appetizer.
At Bonefish, the Bang Bang Shrimp is made of fried shrimp with a cornstarch and creamy buttermilk coating.Bang Bang shrimp sauce is made of mayonnaise, sriracha, and sweet chili garlic sauce; it’s drizzled all over the top.
Fried shrimp in a spicy mayo sauce?! No wonder it tastes euphoric. Unfortunately, it was immediately followed by disappointment—we made the colossal mistake of ordering only one for a table of six. Such Bang Bang rookies! Since my eating habits – and my wallet – can’t tolerate eating out for Bang Bang shrimp each week, I made this healthy Bang Bang shrimp recipe with the same legendary flavor.
The dish is called Bang Bang shrimp because of the pop of Sriracha and sweet chili sauce used in the sauce. It’s a spicy, sweet, creamy sensation, all combined with crunchy shrimp.Today’s homemade version keeps those critical characteristics. For a healthy twist, I swap out the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt and bake the shrimp in the oven.
How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp
Baking the shrimp instead of frying them is not only better for you—it’s easier to cook, easier to clean, and yields fantastic results. (You could also try Air Fryer Shrimp for a crispy breaded outside without deep frying in oil.)Baking guarantees that the Panko breadcrumbs will get extra crispy, more so than deep frying in oil at home. Plus, cleaning out a vat of fry oil from my stove? NOPE.Baking enhances the shrimps’ exterior crunch, and dare I say it? (I do!) It rivals the restaurant’s preparation, all without leaving the comfort of your kitchen.
The Ingredients
Shrimp. The perfect vessel for our delicious crispy coating and addictive sauce. They’re easy to eat, low in calories, and high in protein (see more about shrimp nutrition here). You should peel and devein the shrimp, but may leave the tails on for presentation.Flour. I used a little all-purpose flour to help create a base for our crispy exterior. It ensures the panko sticks.Eggs. The binder for the shrimp coating.Panko. Also known as Japanese-style breadcrumbs, panko is larger than standard breadcrumbs and crisps up beautifully in the oven (or air fryer). It makes my favorite baked coating.Bang Bang Sauce. A mixture of nonfat plain Greek yogurt, Thai sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha becomes a scrumptious copycat of Bonefish Grill’s famous sauce. It’s creamy, sweet, and spicy all at the same time.
The Directions (Regular Oven)
How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp in an Air Fryer
In addition to cooking Bang Bang shrimp in a conventional oven, for those who own an air fryer, this appliance is ideally suited for making the crispy baked shrimp.
Storage Tips
To Store. This recipe is best the day it is made, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Store leftover sauce in a separate airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.To Reheat. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray, and rewarm shrimp on the baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F.I do not recommend freezing this recipe, as the panko-coated shrimp will be mushy once thawed from freezer.
What to Serve with Bang Bang Shrimp
Bang Bang shrimp is most famous as an appetizer, so preparing them for a dinner party will make you a legend. But Bang Bang shrimp are so much more versatile! Most of the time, we make them a main meal. Here are a number of other ways to adapt the rich flavor of Bang Bang shrimp:
Pasta. You could serve them atop pasta as a main dish, like this Spicy Shrimp Pasta or this Cajun Shrimp Pasta. Just substitute Bang Bang shrimp for the sautéed shrimp. Do not stir them into the pasta while the pasta is cooking. Instead, add the Bang Bang shrimp once the pasta is all finished and served on your place. I recommend pairing it with any long pasta noodle, like bucatini, fettuccine, spaghetti, or linguine.Tacos. If you love this idea, check out my Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos recipe. They’d be extra tasty topped with the slaw from these Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Taco Slaw.Stir Fry. You could add them to a stir fry with rice and other vegetables of your choice. Similarly to the pasta, only add the Bang Bang shrimp once the stir fry is cooked and ready. Adding any earlier will risk the baked, crunchy breadcrumb coating becoming too soggy. You could even substitute them in a pad Thai dish like this Healthy Shrimp Pad Thai.Lettuce Wrap. Double the crunch by wrapping Bang Bang shrimp in a lettuce wrap. You can replace the filling in these Asian Lettuce Wraps entirely with the shrimp in this recipe.Quinoa, Rice, or Cauliflower Rice. Take a note from this Healthy Garlic Shrimp with Quinoa, and serve it with protein-rich quinoa. Or, swap whole grain brown rice or low-carb cauliflower rice.
Other Yummy Shrimp Recipes
Mediterranean ShrimpGarlic Shrimp PastaBaked Shrimp ScampiMexican ShrimpAnd so many other fresh and healthy shrimp recipes!
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
Baking Sheet. If you’re making the shrimp in the oven, these are the perfect tool to use.Pie Dish. A wide, shallow pie dish is ideal for dredging.Air Fryer. The appliance you’ll need to make your shrimp in the air fryer.
Heads up: if you’ve ever ordered Bang Bang shrimp at Bonefish Grill, you know that one order never lasts. Don’t be surprised when this disappears just as quickly at home! Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe.
