These Bang Bang shrimp tacos are made to impress! The Bang Bang shrimp is crispy, tender, sweet, and spicy. Each bite is filled with a flour tortilla, shrimp, and a tangy slaw. It is delicious!
- 1 pound large shrimp, deveined and tails off
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup cornstarch
- Vegetable oil for frying (enough to fill 2 inches deep in the pan)
- 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 2 cups purple cabbage, shredded
- 3 green onions, sliced thinly diagonally
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- Juice of 1 lime or to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha, plus more to taste
- 12 flour tortillas (taco size)
- Cilantro leaves for garnish
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Make the slaw: In a large bowl, toss all the cilantro slaw ingredients together until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
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Prepare the Bang Bang sauce: In another bowl, combine all the Bang Bang sauce ingredients. Set aside.
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Prepare the shrimp: Pat dry the shrimp. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat oil (about 2 inches deep) in a large Dutch oven until the oil’s temperature reaches 375 degrees F. Use a candy thermometer to measure the oil’s temperature. While the oil is heating, toss shrimp with buttermilk. Transfer the buttermilk-coated shrimp to the cornstarch, leaving any excess buttermilk behind. Toss until evenly combined.
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Cook the shrimp: When the oil has reached 375 degrees F, deep fry in batches, about 3-4 minutes. If the shrimp is not not fully submerged in oil, flip halfway through to cook on both sides. Transfer cooked shrimp to a paper lined with paper towel to soak any excess oil.
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In a separate bowl, toss the shrimp with about 2/3 of the Bang Bang sauce.
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Assemble the tacos: For each taco, layer about 3 prepared pieces of shrimp over a flour tortilla and top with the prepared slaw. Serve with the remaining Bang Bang sauce and cilantro for garnish. Serve immediately.
- Special equipment: large Dutch oven, candy thermometer.
- Oil: Use vegetable oil or any milk oil that has a high smoke point. AKA, don't use olive oil. Olive oil has a low smoke point, so it will burn and smoke quickly.
- Flour vs. Corn Tortillas: I love flour tortillas for the flavor profile of Bang Bang shrimp. However, feel free to use corn tortillas. If using corn tortillas, warm them up over open flame of you have a gas stove, or in the microwave oven with a damp paper towel in between every 3-5 corn tortillas.