Bang Bang Shrimp
I have a confession to make – I’ve never had Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish Grill, the restaurant who put Bang Bang Shrimp on the map. Given this fact, obviously, I am not trying to call this a “knock off” or “copycat” recipe. When I’ve worked with this particular recipe, I never judge it by how I think it “should” taste in comparison to anyone else’s Bang Bang Shrimp – I only measure it by the last time I made it – as in, Where could I make this even better?
Below are some tips I’ve picked up over the times I’ve made this dish. I made it yesterday and it was the best batch I’ve ever made – the recipe is below the tips, but the real “meat of the matter” is in the tips.
- Be certain your oil reaches the appropriate temperature. It’s of the utmost importance.
- Something else that makes a huge difference is this – make sure you cook the shrimp long enough. When you take one out to examine it, if the cornstarch coating looks wetter than it does crunchy, pot that guy back into the oil. A smooshie coating will ruin everything.
- When making the sauce, the recipe below is my own personal favorite blend. Taste as you add ingredients and if you want more of a pronounced sweet chile sauce flavor, use more. If you want it to be less sweet, use less honey. Also, you could forgo the hot sauce entirely if you wanted to.
- A lot of people say that Bang Bang Shrimp is fantastic served as an appetizer before the main course – but I… er… well.. if I’m going to spend as much money as I have to spend on shrimp, it’s going to be the main course and nothing but the main course.
- If you were to cut the tails off of the shrimp, they’d make out of this world tacos.
- They’re also great served with rice – leftover Sweet Thai Chili Sauce on the rice is a lovely, lovely thing.
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Hellman's Mayonnaise (or other gluten free brand)
- 1/4 Cup PLUS 3 TBS Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
- 4 Dashes Hot Sauce
- 2 tsp Honey
- 1/2 - 1 Cup Cornstarch
- 1 Pound Large Shrimp, Peeled/Deveined
- Vegetable Oil (for frying)
- Chopped Green Onions (green part)
- Lettuce Leaves (Optional)
Instructions
- Combine the mayo, sweet chile sauce,hot sauce, and honey in a dish.
- Place cornstarch in a shallow dish (pie plates work beautifully). Coat the shrimp in the cornstarch by pressing each shrimp down into the cornstarch - be sure to get all sides.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or large, deep pan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Be absolutely certain it reaches this temperature.
- Cook the shrimp by working in batches. You don't want to overcrowd the pan. Cook until lightly brown on the outside - about 3-5 minutes. Transfer each batch to paper towels to drain.
- Put all of the cooked shrimp into a bowl and pour the chile sauce mixture over the top. Coat each one gently.
- Arrange on a platter that has been lined with lettuce leaves (optional)- then top the whole shebang with chopped green onions.
*** My Bang Bang Shrimp is pictured in one of my red Rachael Ray Stoneware dishes. You can find a wide assortment of her stoneware on Amazon (below). I, legitimately, use mine on a daily basis.
