Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp is a delicious and easy twist on the restaurant favorite made popular by Bonefish Grill. The shrimp is breaded and air-fried to crispy perfection before being tossed in a sweet and spicy bang bang sauce and is under 300 calories per serving!
What is Bang Bang Shrimp?
Bang bang shrimp is an appetizer or main dish that’s packed with all the best sweet, savory and spicy flavors. To keep this recipe light and quick to make, we’re air frying the shrimp instead of deep frying it. Don’t worry, it still turns out deliciously crispy, crunchy. Then, douse it in a zesty and creamy sauce, and your family will be begging for seconds!
The best part of this recipe is how quick it is to make! The shrimp cooks for about 10 minutes, while you’re whipping up the sauce. Once it’s done, toss it in the bang bang sauce and serve! We love to enjoy this as a starter. It’s always a hit at parties and game day gatherings. Another option is to serve it as a main course with some vegetable sides, rice and/or a salad.
Ingredients needed
This air fryer bang bang shrimp recipe is made with a handful of simple ingredients. Just make sure you have some sriracha and sweet chili sauce to achieve that classic bang-bang flavor!
- Shrimp: Choose jumbo shrimp for a larger bite. Make sure they’re peeled, deveined (that’s the dark vein running down the back), and with the tails removed for easy eating.
- Flour or cornstarch: Cornstarch is great because it creates a crispy, light coating when fried. Flour works as well, if that’s what you have.
- Salt & pepper: For seasoning the shrimp.
- Egg: Adds richness while helping the breading adhere to the shrimp.
- Olive oil spray: Creates a nice golden exterior as the shrimp fries.
- For the sauce: The creamy, sweet and spicy bang bang sauce is a simple mix of mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce and sriracha sauce.
How to make this recipe
Making air fryer breaded shrimp is super quick and easy! Here’s how to do it:
- Bread shrimp: Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel. To a small bowl, add the flour and season with salt & pepper. Beat the egg in a separate bowl.
- Air fry shrimp: Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket. Dip each shrimp in the egg and then coat it with the flour. Place the shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray shrimp with cooking spray and air fry at 400ºF for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through.
- Make the sauce: While the shrimp is air frying, prepare the sauce. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, sweet Thai chili sauce, and Sriracha until smooth.
- Add sauce and serve: Remove the shrimp from the basket and toss in the bang bang sauce until fully coated. Garnish with greens or sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Helpful tips
- Prep tip: To save time, buy shrimp that is already prepped with the peeling and tail removed.
- Frozen shrimp: You can use frozen shrimp for this recipe, just be sure to thaw it before breading it.
- Low-fat mayo: For less fat and calories, you can substitute the regular mayo for the low-fat variety.
- Alternative to mayo: If you don’t like mayo, you can swap out the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.
Frequently asked questions
How long to cook shrimp in the air fryer?
Jumbo shrimp will take about 10 minutes to cook at 350ºF in the air fryer. Keep in mind that if you use smaller shrimp, they will cook quickly.
Should I flip shrimp in the air fryer?
No, it is not necessary to flip the shrimp in the air fryer. Because of the power of the heating element and constant heat circulation, most things cook evenly without having to hassle with flipping.
Is bang bang shrimp spicy?
Bang bang shrimp has a little kick of heat, but the spice level is balanced with the creamy mayo and sweet chili sauce. Feel free to add less sriracha if you’re sensitive to spicy foods.
More Shrimp Recipes
Serving suggestions
Serving bang bang shrimp as an appetizer is the most traditional way to serve it, but there are actually so many delicious ways to enjoy it! Here are some options:
- Main dish: These pair great with a variety of sides. Some of our favorite options are garlic butter mushrooms, autumn roasted veggies, Greek kale salad, or baked mac & cheese.
- Appetizer: Serve these as part of a spread of other apps like buffalo chicken dip, whipped feta dip, and curried chicken sliders.
- In a salad: For a boost of protein, top any fresh green salad with these irresistible bites, and add your favorite dressing.
- In a grain bowl: Add these to a bowl with rice or quinoa and plenty of veggies.
- Shrimp tacos: Wrap some of the shrimp in tortillas and add the slaw and sauce from my shrimp tacos recipe.
Storage recommendations
Fresh bang bang shrimp is best, but you can store leftovers for a few days in the fridge. This makes for a quick and easy lunch the next day!
- In the refrigerator: Let the shrimp cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you’re able to store the sauce separately, that is best and it will keep for up to a week, stored in the fridge.
- Reheating: To reheat, air fry at 320 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes. Warm up the bang bang sauce separately in the microwave if needed, and toss the shrimp in it just before serving.
More air fryer recipes
- Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Cheeseburgers
- Hard Boiled Eggs in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer French Fries
Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup flour or cornstarch
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 egg
- olive oil cooking spray, I used Pam olive oil spray
Instructions
- Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel. To a small bowl, add the flour and season with salt & pepper. Beat the egg in a separate bowl.
- Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket. Dip each shrimp in the egg and then coat it with the flour. Place the shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray shrimp with cooking spray and air fry at 400ºF for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through.
- To Make the Sauce: While the shrimp is air frying, prepare the sauce. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the mayo, sweet Thai chili sauce, and Sriracha until smooth.
- Remove the shrimp from the basket and toss in the bang bang sauce until fully coated. Garnish with greens or sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great flavor! The shrimps aren’t as crispy as I’d hoped them to be but great flavor!