Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe

July 14, 2016 By Joe 59 Comments

Are you a fan of the mouthwatering bang bang shrimp from Bonefish Grill? If you’ve ever tasted this popular appetizer, you know just how addictive it can be.

But what if you could recreate that crispy, tangy, and spicy goodness in your own kitchen? Well, you’re in luck! In this blog post, we’re going to share with you a copycat bang bang shrimp recipe that will satisfy your cravings and impress your family and friends.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

This recipe was updated on June 5. 2023.

Bonefish Grill bang bang shrimp, $12.90 for an order. Mary Jo and I like to get an order for each of us and get a side salad and call it supper.

Add to that a happy hour-priced chardonnay, (4 pm until 6:30 pm in Florida). Yummy eats.

I’ve wanted to re-create this and finally got around to it. This recipe is pretty darn close to the original recipe from Bonefish Grill.

Bang Bang Shrimp Ingredients

To start, let’s gather the ingredients you’ll need for this delicious appetizer. Don’t worry; you can usually find these items easily at your local grocery store.

For the bang bang sauce, you’ll need mayonnaise, Mae Ploy Brand Thai sweet chili sauce, and Huy Fong Chili garlic sauce. These ingredients come together to create a creamy and spicy sauce that perfectly complements the shrimp.

You may like a little more heat in the sauce so you could add some sriracha to the mayonnaise hot sauce if desired.

Now, let’s move on to the star of the show—the shrimp! Bonefish Grill uses small shrimp for their Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer.

I use frozen, 60-80 size raw shrimp that is peeled and ready to use once it is thawed. My Walmart sells a 12-ounce bag of these shrimp for around $5.00. (This is the shrimp used in the photos).

Larger shrimp are fine to use also but the frying time would be a little bit longer.

Creating The Crunchy Coating

The breading ingredients are cornstarch, Panko breadcrumbs, and baking soda.

Bonefish Grill bang bang shrimp has a distinct crunch, and this was a little harder to recreate.

I tried breading with all-purpose flour, straight cornstarch, flour/cornstarch combined, then cornstarch with some panko breadcrumbs.

Straight cornstarch is pretty good, but adding some panko breadcrumbs gave the shrimp a nice crunch that was closer to Bonefish Grill bang bang shrimp.

After making the recipe again, I added 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the cornstarch dredge and the shrimp browned much better.

It makes a really nicely browned shrimp.

Preparing and Frying the Shrimp

First of all, place the shrimp in a bowl with 1 to 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk. Let them soak for about 30 minutes.

This will prevent any off-flavors and take the place of an egg wash. The moisture from the milk will be just enough to get a thin coating of the cornstarch/Panko breadcrumb mixture.

Heat a Dutch oven or large saucepan with sunflower or peanut oil over medium heat. You want the oil to reach a temperature of around 350°F for optimal frying.

In a shallow bowl. mix together the cornstarch, Panko breadcrumbs, and baking soda.

Work in batches of about 10 to 12 small shrimp or 6 or 8 larger shrimp. Remove them from the buttermilk and allow them to drip excess milk and then place them into the cornstarch mixture to coat.

Carefully place them into the hot oil to fry for 2 to 3 minutes until browned.

It is easiest to use a kitchen spider (ad), to dip the shrimp into the oil. Otherwise, a large slotted spoon could also be used.

After frying, place the fried shrimp onto a cooling rack that has paper toweling under it to catch any oil drips. The cooling rack will prevent the shrimp from becoming soggy as if placed directly on paper towels.

Continue with the remaining shrimp.

Combine the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and chili garlic sauce in a medium-sized bowl. Place the fried shrimp into the bang bang sauce and stir to coat. The tangy and spicy sauce will take the flavor of the shrimp to a whole new level.

Serve the Bang Bang Shrimp in a bowl with shredded lettuce and chopped green onion.

Alternative Ways To Serve The Shrimp

You can enjoy the bang bang shrimp as a standalone appetizer or get creative with different serving options.

For a delightful twist, try using the shrimp in shrimp tacos or as a topping for a refreshing shrimp salad.

You can even turn it into a main course by pairing it with brown rice and a side of steamed vegetables.

Serve the shrimp with dry white wine or not-too-sweet rosé wine.

For a non-alcoholic drink, have some water with a wedge of lemon.

This is the type of appetizer to make if you are having an informal gathering with friends.

Once all the ingredients are laid out, the frying goes quickly and you want to eat these soon after they’re done.

Serve on a bed of chopped lettuce and garnish with some green onion. This is delicious!

Looking for more menu ideas?