These Bang Bang Shrimp Rice Bowls are the latest in my family’s meal rotation. They are made with crispy fried shrimp tossed in a creamy sauce, tender jasmine rice, and fresh toppings like cucumbers, creamy coleslaw, and carrots.
You can use any of your favorite toppings for these rice bowls, and I’ve included ideas below! They are prep-ahead friendly, perfect for meal prep or easy weeknight dinners.
When I am craving something extra fresh and flavorful, these Bang Bang Shrimp Rice Bowls are my go-to! I love making it for dinner or to prep for the week’s lunches, just as much as I love this crunchy Thai Chicken Salad and this fresh Asian Chicken Slaw Salad.
They are packed with incredible texture and flavor. The crispy, saucy fried shrimp gets a kick from the sweet chili sauce, while the tender steamed rice, especially my coconut jasmine rice, adds a perfect fragrant rice base.
And the toppings have lots of crunch! I make a small batch of Japanese cucumber salad, carrots, avocado, and a crunchy and creamy slaw. If you like bang bang sauce, also try my Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos!
These bang bang shrimp rice bowls come together in 30 minutes, and the components can be prepped ahead. Perfect for a quick, flavorful meal on busy weeknights!
Love shrimp? Try my Crispy Coconut Shrimp or this delicious Grilled Shrimp Salad.
Why I love making bang bang shrimp rice bowls:
- Incredible flavor and texture. Crunchy, tender, creamy, tangy and sweet with a kick all in one!
- Shallow-fried for less oil and less mess, yet still perfectly crispy shrimp!
- Customizable. Mix and match your favorite toppings, or clean out the fridge.
- Prep ahead friendly. Easy and perfect for lunch or a simple dinner.
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Ingredients Notes
Below are a few ingredient notes from recipe testing. As always, quantities for this bang bang shrimp bowl recipe can be found in the recipe card down below.
- Extra large or jumbo shrimp: Deveined, peeled with tails removed. The larger, the better because they shrink when cooking.
- Buttermilk: Tenderizes the shrimp, adds tangy flavor, and helps the cornstarch adhere to the shrimp for the perfect crispy exterior.
- Cornstarch: It will turn out extra crunchy with cornstarch! Do not substitute with flour – it won’t get you as much crunch.
- Mayo, sriracha and Thai sweet chili sauce: For the sauce. For the sweet chili sauce, I like the Mae Ploy brand.
- Cabbage: I use both green and purple for the slaw, thinly sliced.
- Scallions and cilantro: For the slaw. Cilantro adds freshness and flavor, but you can also use parsley.
- Mayo and sour cream: Add creaminess to the crisp slaw. You can also use Greek yogurt.
- Lime: For both the slaw and serving. Adds an amazing, fresh citrus touch!
- Cooked jasmine rice or long grain rice
- Other toppings of your choice, such as shredded carrots, avocado, or cucumbers. For the cucumbers, I use my Japanese Cucumber Salad.
- Vegetable oil, salt and pepper
Step-by-Step Tutorial
Making an amazing bang bang shrimp bowl is very easy. Let me show you how, along with helpful tips!
Step 1 | Make the sauce
To make the sauce, combine the mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, and sriracha to taste. Mix and set aside.
Step 2 | Prep the toppings
For the cucumbers, I make a small batch of Japanese Cucumber Salad. For the slaw, combine the sliced slaw with sour cream and mayo, lime juice, and seasonings.
Prep your other toppings as well. And don’t forget to cook the rice if you haven’t already.
Step 3 | Cook shrimp and toss with sauce
Pat dry the shrimp and season with salt and pepper, and coat with buttermilk for a few minutes.
Heat vegetable oil (about 1 inch layer) in a large heavy duty pan. The oil needs to reach 365 to 375 degrees F. In a shallow bowl, coat the shrimp with cornstarch, pressing to adhere. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown, in batches. Transfer to a plate with a towel to soak up any excess oil.
Toss the cooked shrimp with half of the prepared sauce. Reserve the rest for serving.
Step 4 | Assemble rice bowls
Now, the fun part: assembling the bang bang shrimp bowls! In shallow serving bowls, arrange cooked rice and the crispy and saucy shrimp, along with your prepared toppings. Drizzle with the remaining sauce and serve.
Tips for Success
- If you can’t find Thai sweet chili sauce, substitute with more sriracha and honey to taste. Adjust the level of spice to taste by adding more sriracha.
- Prep your toppings first before cooking the shrimp. That way, the shrimp will be hot and crunchy when ready to serve.
- Use high smoke point oil for frying, such as vegetable or canola oil.
- Wait until the oil reaches 360 F before frying. This ensures the shrimp turns crispy and golden brown on the outside without overcooking.
- Cook in batches to help maintain a consistent frying temperature. I usually do two batches when using a large 12-inch skillet.
Prep Ahead Tips
This easy bang bang shrimp rice bowl can be prepared in advance! I usually prep all my toppings and even cook the shrimp on Sundays when I do all my meal prep for the week.
Reheating cooked shrimp: To restore their crispiness, reheat in the air fryer at 385 F for about 4-5 minutes. This works best without the sauce coating, so save the sauce for the end.
- Make the sauce up to 3-5 days in advance. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Make the slaw up to 1 day ahead, and refrigerate.
- Cook the rice ahead, and reheat with a splash of water to re-introduce moisture.
- Prep shrimp by deveining and peeling if needed. If you’re cooking ahead (up to 1 day ahead), keep the sauce separate until ready to serve. The best way to reheat cooked fried shrimp is in the air fryer.
Mix and Match Toppings
I love how I can add any toppings I like to my bowls! It’s also a great way to clean out the fridge. Here are a few ideas:
- Avocado Crema
- Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
- Fresh crunchy veggies, such as cucumbers or radishes
- Sliced jalapeños for a spicy kick
- Nuts for extra crunch! Try cashews or salted peanuts.
More Bowl Recipes
Here are some meal bowl recipes that are packed with fresh ingredients and loads of flavor! Try these for meal prep or for easy weeknight dinners:
- Burrata Bowl (so colorful and fresh!)
- Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowls
- Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls
- Chicken Fajita Bowls
- Moroccan Couscous Salad
Recipe FAQs
You can adjust the level of heat by adding more or less sriracha to taste. The Thai sweet chili sauce isn’t really spicy – it’s more on the sweet side.
The shrimp needs to be fully thawed before frying.
I recommend a large Dutch oven, cast iron, or stainless steel deep pan (not a shallow skillet). A 10 or 12 inch pan will work.
Not much. We’re shallow frying the shrimp here, so about 1 inch layer is enough.
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Bang Bang Shrimp Rice Bowls
Equipment
- 12-inch stainless steel pan or cast iron
- Candy thermometer to measure oil temp
Ingredients
Bang bang sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup Thai sweet chili sauce - I use Mae Ploy brand
- 2 teaspoon Sriracha - or to taste
Creamy slaw:
- 3 cups thinly sliced cabbage - green and purple
- 3 scallions - thinly sliced diagonally
- ¼ cup cilantro - roughly chopped
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- Juice of 1 lime
Shrimp:
- 1 pound jumbo or extra large shrimp - deveined and peeled
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Salt and pepper
- 1 ½ cups cornstarch - for coating
- Vegetable oil - for frying
Rice and other toppings:
- Japanese pickled cucumbers - or sliced English cucumbers
- 3 to 4 cups Cooked jasmine or long grain rice - see note
- Shredded carrots
- Avocado slices
Instructions
- Make the sauce: In a bowl, combine the bang bang sauce ingredients. Mix until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Make the coleslaw: In a bowl, combine all the creamy slaw until evenly mixed. Set aside.
- Prep your other toppings as needed.
- Pat dry shrimp and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ground black pepper. Add the buttermilk and toss to coat. Set aside.
- Heat oil, about a 1 inch layer, in a large pan until it reaches 360 to 370 degrees F. Use a candy thermometer to measure.
- In a shallow bowl, generously coat the prepared shrimp with cornstarch on both sides, pressing to adhere (the buttermilk helps to adhere).
- Cook shrimp in batches for about 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
- In a large bowl, toss the fried shrimp with about ½ of the prepared bang bang sauce. Save the rest of the sauce for serving.
- Assemble the rice bowls: Arrange the cooked rice, the saucy shrimp, and all your prepared toppings. Drizzle with the reserved sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- Rice: For extra fragrance, make my easy Coconut Jasmine Rice!
- Use jumbo or XL shrimp. Shrimp tends to shrink when cooked.
- Use oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil. Don’t use olive oil.
- Make sure the oil reaches frying temperature, to ensure the outside is golden brown without overcooking. Shrimp cooks fast.
- Prep Ahead: Prepare the bang bang sauce and toppings 1-2 days ahead and refrigerate.
- You can cook the shrimp the day before and reheat later. Do not toss with the sauce until ready to serve. To restore crispiness, reheat in the air fryer at 385F until warm and crunchy. Do not microwave (it will get soggy).
- Storage: Place in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days.
- Rice: Quinoa, couscous, farro.
- Sour cream: Greek yogurt.
- Shrimp: Chicken, salmon, tofu
- Thai sweet chili sauce: Mix sriracha and honey to taste.
- Add ins: Lettuce, pickled cucumbers, carrots, avocado slices or edamame
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