Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe (With Oven Option) (2024)

There’s a lot to love about our lightened-up version of the famous bang bang shrimp. Here are some key features about it:

• Skip the frying, and make this recipe in either an air fryer or on a sheet pan in the oven, cutting out the trans fats and reducing saturated fat
• Experience tons of flavors and textures in one simple dish that is creamy, crunchy, crispy, savory, salty, spicy, and even has a touch sweet
• This versatile recipe will be the talk of the table at any gathering as a fun appetizer dish. It also doubles as a main dish that can be served over rice or greens for a nutritious weeknight dinner

Our go-to mayonnaise is Primal Kitchen Mayo. We reach for this real mayo for many uses, including recipes like this one. We love it because it’s made from high-quality ingredients, including avocado oil, and doesn’t contain any added sugars. We also love that it comes in glass jars (perfect for using in recipes) and squeezable jars (great for quick sandwiches).

Save 20% on Primal Kitchen favorites with code REALFOOD20 at checkout (and get a free gift and free shipping on orders of more than $60).

Dietitian Jessie developed this recipe in her kitchen and has these tips to share:

• When making the batter, add the flour to the egg-water mixture in a slow sprinkle while whisking continuously. This creates a light and bubbly batter and prevents the flour from clumping in the liquid.
• Though this recipe works in either the oven or the air fryer, I prefer the air fryer method. It resulted in slightly crispier shrimp, and it was also easier to remove the shrimp from the air fryer basket than the sheet pan (where you risk a little of the batter sticking). So, if you have an air fryer, use it for this recipe!
• Serve it hot! Have your tray or bowl of romaine lettuce ready to go (if you choose to serve your bang bang shrimp that way), so as soon as it comes out of the oven or air fryer, all you need to do is toss it with the sauce and spread it over the lettuce. Then, dig in right away with it’s hot and crispy!
• If shrimp isn’t your thing, you could easily replace the shrimp in this recipe with chunks of raw boneless skinless chicken breast and make Bang Bang Chicken instead!
• To save a little time, you could prep the bang bang sauce up to 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you cook the shrimp.

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Print Recipe

Servings: 1 lb shrimp (4–6 appetizer servings; 2–3 main dish servings) 1x

Ingredients

• 1 lb peeled and deveined raw shrimp
• Scant ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon flour (use gluten-free, if needed), divided
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup mayonnaise (we like Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo)
• 2 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
• 1–2 teaspoons sriracha
• 1 tablespoon water
• Nonstick cooking spray (we like Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Spray)
• Optional for serving: Shredded romaine, sliced green onions

Instructions

1. Rinse and pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.
2. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the 1 tablespoon of flour to very lightly coat it.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg. Add the cold water to the egg and whisk again. While continuously whisking*, sprinkle the remaining scant ¾ cup flour into the egg-water mixture until a batter forms.
4. Stir the salt into the batter.
5. Add the flour-coated shrimp to the batter and toss lightly.
6. Using a fork, lift each shrimp out of the batter, one at a time, and allow much of the excess batter to drip back into the bowl.
7. Proceed with one of the cooking methods below. The directions include serving suggestions.
8. While the shrimp is cooking, in a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Thai chili sauce, and sriracha. Stir to combine, then stir in 1 tablespoon of water to loosen the mixture into a pourable sauce. Set aside until the shrimp are done cooking.

AIR FRYER DIRECTIONS [PREFERRED METHOD]:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 360°F. You can also use the shrimp setting if your air fryer has one.
2. Once preheated, mist the air fryer basket with nonstick spray. Add the battered shrimp in an even layer to the air fryer basket.**
3. Air fry the shrimp for 4 minutes.
4. Using a pair of tongs or a fork, turn over each shrimp piece and mist the top of the shrimp lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
5. Air fry for 4 minutes more.
6. Remove the crispy shrimp from the air fryer and add to the bowl with the sauce. Toss to coat.
7. Serve the bang bang shrimp over a bed of shredded romaine lettuce and garnish with sliced green onions.

OVEN FRYING DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and generously mist the paper with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Add the battered shrimp in an even layer to the baking sheet, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. You may need to use two baking sheets or bake in batches, depending on the size of your baking sheet and oven.
4. Bake the shrimp for 5 minutes.
5. Using a pair of tongs or a fork, turn over each shrimp piece and mist the top of the shrimp lightly with nonstick spray.
6. Bake for 5 minutes more or until cooked through and breading is slightly crisp.
7. Remove the crispy shrimp from the baking sheet and add to the bowl with the sauce. Toss to coat.
8. Serve the bang bang shrimp over a bed of shredded romaine lettuce and garnish with sliced green onions.

Notes

*It’s important to whisk while adding the flour (instead of just dumping the flour into the bowl) to prevent lumps from forming in the batter.

The batter is a thin batter, which creates a nice crisp coating on the shrimp. You will have some batter leftover.

**You’ll need to air fry the shrimp in 2-3 batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.

Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
• Calories: 119
• Fat: 6 g
• (Sat Fat: 1 g)
• Sodium: 276 mg
• Carbohydrate: 8 g
• (Fiber: 0 g
• Sugar: 3 g)
• Protein: 9 g
• Cholesterol: 16 mg

Dairy-FreeGluten-freeNut-free

© The Real Food Dietitians