Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos
These Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos are incredibly delicious, crunchy, and made with a creamy, sweet and spicy bang bang sauce. It's very easy to make and it's also prep ahead friendly. Serve as a main dish or appetizers. This recipe makes about 12 tacos.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 734kcal
Equipment
- 3.6 quart cast iron braiser for frying
- Candy thermometer to check oil temperature
Ingredients
Coleslaw topping
- 3 cups thinly sliced cabbage I use a mix of green and purple
- 3 scallions thinly sliced diagonally
- ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup kewpie mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- Juice of 1 lime
Bang bang sauce
- ¾ cup kewpie mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce I'd recommend "Mae Ploy" brand
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Sriracha or to taste
For the shrimp tacos
- 1 pound jumbo or extra large shrimp peeled and deveined
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 to 2 cups cornstarch or as needed, for dredging
- Vegetable oil for frying enough to fill about 2 inches deep in pan
- 12 soft flour tortillas taco-sized, not fajita sized
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Make the coleslaw topping: In a large bowl, combine all the slaw ingredients (cabbage, scallions, cilantro, mayonnaise, sour cream, and lime juice). Toss to combine evenly, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Make the bang bang sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, and sriracha until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Pat dry shrimp and season with ½ teaspoon Kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Toss the shrimp in buttermilk. Set aside.
- Heat oil (about 2 inches deep) in a heavy duty pan until the oil’s temperature reaches 350 to 365 F. Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature.
- As the oil nears the right temperature, toss the buttermilk-coated shrimp with cornstarch (a few at a time, leave excess buttermilk behind), pressing gently so the cornstarch sticks well.
- In batches, cook shrimp in batches for about 4 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to soak any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. Note: the oil temperature will drop when you add food - you can increase the heat to bring it back to temperature.
- Toss the fried shrimp with about half or two-thirds of the prepared bang bang sauce. Save the rest of the sauce for serving.
- Assemble: Top each warm flour tortilla with about 2 pieces of the bang bang shrimp. Top with the coleslaw and serve with a fresh squeeze of lime juice and a good drizzle of the bang bang sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Thai sweet chili sauce: I’d recommend using Mae Ploy brand. They come in bottles in the Asian food section at most grocery stores.
- Use jumbo or extra large shrimp. It will shrink when cooked.
- Cornstarch: Do not substitute with flour (it won’t get as crispy).
- Use vegetable or canola oil for frying. Avocado or peanut oil work too, but are pricier. Don’t use olive oil for frying.
- Ideal deep frying temperature for shrimp: 350 to 365 degrees F.
- Prep ahead: Make the sauce 1-2 days ahead and refrigerate. Slice the slaw ingredients, but don’t toss with the dressing yet.
- Extra toppings: Japanese cucumber salad, avocado crema, pico de gallo.
- Coleslaw: Use a pre-packaged slaw mix for convenience.
Nutrition
Serving: 3tacos | Calories: 734kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 2035mg | Potassium: 505mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 655IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 317mg | Iron: 4mg