Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce (Easy 5-Minute Copycat Recipe)

Bang bang shrimp sauce is the creamy, sweet, and spicy condiment that made Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer famous, and the good news is you can whisk up a batch at home in about five minutes with pantry staples. We’ve made this sauce more times than we can count in our own kitchen, and it never fails to disappear fast, whether it’s tossed with crispy fried shrimp, drizzled over tacos, or used as a dip for fries. This guide walks through exactly what goes into it, how to make it, and how to tweak it to your taste.

What Is Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce? (Quick Answer)

Bang bang shrimp sauce is a creamy sauce made from mayonnaise, sweet Thai chili sauce, sriracha, and a touch of honey. It’s sweet, spicy, and tangy all at once, and it’s what gives the popular Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer its signature flavor. The sauce comes together in one bowl with no cooking required, and it works on far more than just shrimp.

Where Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce Comes From

Bang bang shrimp sauce got its start as the signature coating on Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer, a dish of crispy fried shrimp tossed in a sweet and spicy mayo-based sauce. It’s been a menu staple there for years, and its popularity spawned countless copycat versions, along with spinoffs like bang bang chicken, bang bang cauliflower, and bang bang tacos. Some cooks also know it by the name boom boom sauce, since the two are built from nearly the same base ingredients. Wherever you first tried it, the appeal is the same: a sauce that’s creamy enough to coat food evenly, sweet enough to balance the heat, and spicy enough to keep you coming back for another bite.

Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce Ingredients You’ll Need

The beauty of this recipe is how short the ingredient list is. Here’s what you’ll need and why each one matters:

• Mayonnaise – This is the creamy base of the sauce. Regular mayo works great, but light mayo or even plain Greek yogurt can lighten things up if you’re watching calories.
• Sweet Thai chili sauce – This brings the sweetness and a mild background heat. Look for it in the Asian foods aisle at most major grocery stores, or check the international section.
• Sriracha – This is where most of the heat comes from. You can dial it up or down depending on your spice tolerance.
• Honey – Just a small amount rounds out the sweetness and balances the heat. Maple syrup or agave work as substitutes.
• Scallions (optional) – Finely chopped green onion adds a fresh, mild bite and a pop of color, though it’s easy to leave out if you don’t have any on hand.

Some versions also include a splash of rice vinegar or lime juice for brightness, or a pinch of garlic powder for extra depth. Once you’ve made the base recipe a couple of times, feel free to adjust the ratios to match what you like best.

How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce (Step by Step)

Making bang bang shrimp sauce from scratch takes only a few minutes and doesn’t require any special equipment. Here’s the basic process:

1. Measure your ingredients. Set out the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and honey, and finely chop the scallions if you’re using them.
2. Whisk it together. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and honey until smooth and fully combined. The sauce should be pale orange and completely uniform in color.
3. Stir in the scallions. If you’re using green onion, fold it in now. This step is entirely optional and the sauce tastes just as good without it.
4. Taste and adjust. Give it a taste and add more sriracha for heat, a bit more honey for sweetness, or a squeeze of lime juice for brightness.
5. Use right away or chill. Toss the sauce with freshly fried or grilled shrimp immediately, or store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

That’s genuinely all there is to it. There’s no cooking step, which makes this one of the fastest sauces you can add to your recipe rotation.

Tips for the Best Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce

A few small details make a real difference in how the sauce turns out:

• Toss the sauce with hot, freshly cooked shrimp. The heat helps the sauce cling and slightly loosens it, which is part of what gives restaurant-style Bang Bang Shrimp its glossy coating.
• Don’t overmix once the shrimp goes in. Fold gently so the crispy coating on fried shrimp stays intact rather than getting soggy.
• Thin it out if needed. If you want a lighter, more pourable sauce for drizzling over tacos or a salad, whisk in a small splash of buttermilk or water, a teaspoon at a time.
• Make a double batch. This sauce keeps well, so if you’re cooking for a crowd or meal prepping, doubling or tripling the recipe is an easy way to always have some on hand.
• Season gradually. Sriracha brands vary quite a bit in heat level, so add it in small increments and taste as you go rather than dumping it all in at once.
• Keep the shrimp crispy. If you’re making the classic Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer, fry or air-fry the shrimp separately and toss them with the sauce right before serving instead of coating them ahead of time. Sauce that sits on hot, freshly cooked shrimp for too long before eating can soften the crust.
• Use a light hand with salt. Sweet chili sauce and sriracha both carry some sodium already, so taste before adding extra salt to the mix.

Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce vs. Other Creamy Chili Sauces

It’s easy to lump bang bang shrimp sauce in with other creamy, spicy condiments like sriracha mayo, spicy aioli, or yum yum sauce, but the sweet Thai chili sauce is really what sets it apart. Sriracha mayo is typically just mayo and sriracha, without the sweetness. Yum yum sauce, popular at hibachi restaurants, leans more on butter, ketchup, and paprika for its flavor and color. Bang bang sauce sits right in the middle of sweet and spicy, which is exactly why it works so well on shrimp, where you want a coating that complements the natural sweetness of the seafood rather than overpowering it.

Ways to Use Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce Beyond Shrimp

While bang bang shrimp sauce is best known for coating crispy fried shrimp, it’s genuinely one of the most versatile condiments you can keep in the fridge. A few of our favorite ways to use it:

• Dipping sauce for fries, onion rings, or chicken tenders
• Drizzled over bang bang chicken, tacos, or poke bowls
• Spread on sandwiches, burgers, or crab cakes in place of plain mayo
• Tossed with grilled shrimp skewers or roasted cauliflower
• Mixed into coleslaw for a creamy, spicy slaw dressing

If you can dip it, spread it, or drizzle it, chances are bang bang sauce will make it better. It’s a great one to keep stocked for weeknight dinners when you want big flavor without much effort.

Storage: How Long Does Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce Last?

Bang bang shrimp sauce keeps well in the refrigerator when stored properly. Because the base is mayonnaise, it should always be kept cold rather than left out at room temperature for extended periods.

• Refrigerator: Store the sauce in an airtight container or jar for up to a week to 10 days.
• Freezer: Freezing isn’t recommended, since mayonnaise-based sauces tend to separate and turn watery once thawed.
• Serving tip: If the sauce has been sitting in the fridge for a day or two, give it a quick whisk before serving since it can settle slightly.

A single batch typically makes around three-quarters of a cup to one cup of sauce, which is plenty for a pound of shrimp with a little extra left over for dipping.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce

Can I make bang bang shrimp sauce vegan?

Yes, bang bang shrimp sauce is easy to make vegan with two simple swaps. Use a plant-based mayonnaise in place of regular mayo, and swap the honey for maple syrup or agave nectar. Everything else in the recipe, including the sweet chili sauce and sriracha, is already plant-based.

How do I make bang bang shrimp sauce spicier?

The easiest way to add heat is by increasing the sriracha in small increments, about half a teaspoon at a time, tasting after each addition. You can also stir in a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or swap in a spicier chili sauce if you want more of a kick without changing the texture.

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise?

Yes, plain Greek yogurt is a popular lighter substitute for mayonnaise in bang bang shrimp sauce. It cuts down on fat and calories while keeping the sauce creamy, though the flavor will be slightly tangier than the traditional mayo-based version.

What’s the difference between bang bang sauce and boom boom sauce?

Bang bang sauce and boom boom sauce are essentially the same idea: a creamy, sweet, and spicy sauce built on mayonnaise and chili sauce. Different restaurants and recipe creators simply use different names, and some versions lean sweeter while others lean spicier, but the core formula is nearly identical.

Final Thoughts

Bang bang shrimp sauce is one of those recipes worth keeping on hand permanently. It takes minutes to make, uses ingredients most people already have, and turns simple shrimp, chicken, or vegetables into something that tastes like it came from a restaurant kitchen. Once you’ve made your own batch, you’ll probably find yourself reaching for it far more often than just shrimp night. Give it a try this week and see what you end up putting it on first.