Copycat Bonefish Grill Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe

If you’ve ever ordered Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish Grill and immediately started scheming how to make it at home, you’re in good company. The sauce is the whole thing — creamy, sweet, with just enough heat to keep you reaching for the next shrimp.

The good news: it’s made from two ingredients you probably already have, and the shrimp fry up crispier at home than you’d expect.

This has been a staple in my kitchen for years. My husband and I used to make the drive to Bonefish specifically for this appetizer — now we make it at home and honestly, we prefer it.

You control the heat level, the shrimp are hot when you eat them, and you can make enough to serve as a full dinner instead of a starter.

Why This One Is Worth Making

• Cornstarch coating, not batter. This is the key. Cornstarch gives you a thin, crackly shell that holds the sauce without turning soggy. A thick batter would soak up all that sauce and turn to mush.
• The sauce is made ahead. Mixing the mayo and chili sauce at least an hour before you cook lets the flavors meld. Make it the morning of and you’ll notice a real difference.
• Quick fry time. Shrimp cook fast — 2 to 3 minutes in hot oil. The cornstarch crisps before the shrimp have any chance to overcook, which is the most common mistake with fried shrimp at home.
• Two-ingredient sauce. Thai sweet chili sauce and mayo. That’s it. The ratio matters more than the ingredients.
• Works as a meal, not just an appetizer. Serve over rice and you have a real dinner. The portion Bonefish gives you as a starter is genuinely not enough.

What to Know Before You Start

A few things that will save you frustration:

The sauce needs time. Don’t skip the rest period.

If you toss fresh-made sauce with the shrimp, it tastes sharp and one-note. Give it an hour minimum — a few hours is even better.

The mayo softens the chili sauce and the flavors come together into something that tastes like it’s supposed to.

Your oil temperature matters more than anything else. Too cool, and the cornstarch absorbs oil instead of crisping — you’ll get greasy shrimp with no crunch.

Too hot, and the outside burns before the shrimp is cooked through. 350°F to 375°F is the target.

If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a pinch of cornstarch into the oil. If it sizzles and floats immediately, you’re in the right zone.

Damp shrimp coat better. Don’t pat them bone dry before dredging.

The natural moisture on the shrimp is what makes the cornstarch stick. Just shake off any excess water.

Don’t crowd the pan. This is the one I have to remind myself of every single time.

Fry in batches. Too many shrimp at once drops the oil temperature and you end up steaming instead of frying.

Toss, don’t drown. You want the shrimp coated, not swimming.

Add sauce a little at a time and toss. You can always add more; you can’t take it away.

Ingredients

Here’s what goes into Bang Bang Shrimp and why each part matters:

For the Shrimp

• 1 lb. shrimp — Raw shrimp gives you the best texture since they finish cooking in the oil and stay tender. If you use pre-cooked shrimp, you’re really just warming them through and crisping the coating — it works, but they’ll be a little firmer. Either way, tails off. No one wants to fumble with tails when the shrimp are coated in sauce.
• ¾ cup cornstarch — Not flour. Cornstarch fries up lighter and crispier with almost no flavor of its own, so the sauce is what you actually taste. It also stays crisp slightly longer than flour coatings before the sauce softens it.
• Oil for frying — Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil all work. You need something neutral with a high smoke point. About 2 inches deep in a heavy pan, or use a countertop fryer.

For the Sauce

• ½ cup mayonnaise — Full-fat. This is not the place for light mayo. The fat is what gives the sauce its body and helps it cling to the shrimp. I use regular Hellmann’s or Duke’s — both work.
• ⅔ cup Thai sweet chili sauce — Mae Ploy is the brand most people swear by and I’d agree. It’s slightly thicker and has a cleaner chili flavor than some store brands. You’ll find it in the Asian foods aisle or order it online.
• 1–5 drops hot chili sauce (optional) — Sriracha works here. This adjusts the heat past what the sweet chili sauce brings on its own. One drop is barely noticeable. Five drops gives you a real kick. I land somewhere around three.
• Green onions for garnish (optional) — These are worth using. The fresh bite of raw green onion cuts through the richness of the sauce in a way that actually matters — it’s not just color.

How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp

Step 1: Make the Sauce First

Whisk together the mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, and hot sauce in a bowl. Taste it — it should be creamy, a little sweet, and have a gentle heat at the back of your throat.

Adjust with more hot sauce if you want more kick. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.

This step is not optional. The sauce genuinely tastes better after it rests.

Step 2: Prep the Shrimp

If using raw shrimp, peel and devein them, and remove the tails. Pat them lightly — you want them just slightly damp, not wet and not dry.

If using pre-cooked shrimp, remove the tails and let them come to room temperature for about 15 minutes so they don’t cool down the oil too much when you fry.

Step 3: Dredge in Cornstarch

Pour the cornstarch into a shallow bowl or a zip-top bag. Add the shrimp in batches and toss to coat.

The cornstarch should stick to the surface of each shrimp in a thin, even layer. Shake off any excess — clumps of cornstarch will drop into your oil and burn.

You’ll see white powder on the shrimp, which is exactly what you want.

Step 4: Heat the Oil

Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven to 350°F–375°F. If you’re using a countertop fryer, set it to 375°F.

Don’t rush this step — give the oil 5 to 8 minutes to come up to temp fully. A thermometer is your best friend here.

The difference between 325°F and 375°F is the difference between greasy and crispy.

Step 5: Fry in Batches

Add shrimp to the hot oil in a single layer — don’t pile them in. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until the coating is pale golden and crisp.

With raw shrimp, they’ll curl into a C-shape and turn pink when done. With pre-cooked shrimp, you’re really just crisping the coating, so 2 minutes is plenty.

Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and let them drain for a minute or two. This is important — if you toss them straight into the sauce while they’re still hot from the oil, the steam softens the coating.

A short rest keeps things crispier longer.

Step 6: Toss with Sauce

Add the fried shrimp to a large bowl. Start with about half the sauce and toss to coat.

Add more sauce until every shrimp has a good coating — you want them glossy and coated, not pooling in sauce at the bottom. Serve immediately, garnished with sliced green onions.

Helpful Tips

Use a thermometer

I cannot overstate how much difference this makes. An instant-read or clip-on fry thermometer costs less than $15 and completely removes the guesswork.

Once you start using one for frying, you won’t go back. The shrimp go in at the right temperature every time, and they come out the same way every time.

Make the sauce a day ahead

The recipe says an hour minimum, but if you’re making this for guests or a party, make the sauce the night before. It keeps in the refrigerator for up to five days.

The flavor deepens considerably overnight.

Don’t skip draining on paper towels

Even 60 seconds on paper towels makes a difference. The shrimp release steam as they cool slightly, and draining keeps that moisture from getting trapped under the sauce and softening the coating.

Adjust the sauce ratio to your taste

The recipe uses a ⅔ to ½ ratio of chili sauce to mayo, which is sweeter and more chili-forward — closer to what Bonefish serves. If you prefer something more mild and creamy, go equal parts mayo and chili sauce.

If you want more heat and less sweetness, bump the hot sauce drops and cut back slightly on the chili sauce.

Mae Ploy is the right chili sauce

Not all Thai sweet chili sauces are equal. Mae Ploy has a thicker consistency and a cleaner chili flavor that holds up in the mayo-based sauce.

Some store-brand versions are thinner and sweeter and the sauce ends up a little watery. If you can’t find Mae Ploy locally, it’s easy to order.

Serve immediately

Bang Bang Shrimp does not wait well. Once the sauce goes on, you have about 10 to 15 minutes before the coating starts to soften.

Fry and toss right before you’re ready to eat. This is not a dish you make ahead and reheat.

Serving Ideas

Bang Bang Shrimp works as an appetizer exactly the way Bonefish serves it — shrimp in a bowl with green onions, eaten with forks or straight from the dish. But it’s also genuinely good as a main course. Here’s how we actually eat it at home:

• Over steamed white rice — The rice soaks up any extra sauce that pools in the bowl. Simple and genuinely satisfying as a full dinner for two.
• In lettuce cups — Bibb or butter lettuce cups with a few shrimp in each, topped with green onions and a squeeze of lime. This is the way to go if you’re serving it at a party.
• As a taco filling — Three or four shrimp in a small flour tortilla with shredded cabbage and a drizzle of extra sauce. This has become a regular weeknight dinner at my house.
• Over shredded cabbage — Skip the rice, pile the shrimp over a base of thinly shredded napa cabbage. The cabbage wilts just slightly from the warm shrimp and picks up the sauce.
• As a side to grilled fish — If you’re already grilling, make a batch of Bang Bang Shrimp as a side. It bridges the gap between appetizer and full meal.

Variations Worth Trying

Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp

You can absolutely make this in an air fryer. Coat the shrimp in cornstarch exactly the same way, spray lightly with cooking spray, and air fry at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway.

The texture won’t be quite as crisp as deep-frying, but it’s close and the cleanup is significantly easier. Toss with sauce the same way.

Bang Bang Cauliflower

Same sauce, same cornstarch coating, swapped over cauliflower florets. Cut them into bite-size pieces, coat, fry or air fry, and toss.

The sauce works just as well on cauliflower and this is a genuinely good vegetarian version — not a compromise, actually good.

Bang Bang Chicken

Cut chicken breast or thigh into bite-size pieces, coat in cornstarch, and fry the same way. Chicken takes a bit longer — 4 to 5 minutes in 350°F oil until cooked through.

The sauce works identically. This is a good option when shrimp isn’t in the budget or you’re cooking for someone who doesn’t eat seafood.

Extra Hot Version

If you want real heat, add a tablespoon of sambal oelek to the sauce along with the Sriracha. Sambal is chunkier and has a different heat profile — more immediate and less sweet.

Start with a teaspoon if you’re not sure, taste, and add from there.

Equipment That Helps

You don’t need special equipment, but a countertop fryer makes this significantly more consistent. I’ve been using a Hamilton Beach fryer for years and it maintains temperature automatically, which is the thing that matters most for even frying.

It also has a built-in basket and draining hook, so cleanup is contained.

Countertop deep fryers on Amazon — useful if you fry more than a few times a year. The temperature control alone is worth it.

Instant-read thermometers on Amazon — under $15 for most, and removes all guesswork from oil temperature.

Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce on Amazon — if you can’t find it locally. The flavor difference over store brands is noticeable.

Storage, Make-Ahead, and Leftovers

The Sauce

The bang bang sauce keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This is genuinely the best part — make a big batch of sauce and you can fry shrimp any night of the week in about 15 minutes total.

Cooked Shrimp

Once the shrimp have been tossed in sauce, they don’t store or reheat well. The coating softens completely overnight.

If you have leftover sauced shrimp, they’re fine eaten cold the next day — serve them over a salad with extra sauce as dressing — but reheating them in any meaningful way isn’t going to work.

Make-Ahead Strategy

The smart move for entertaining: make the sauce up to two days ahead and refrigerate it. You can also peel, devein, and dredge the shrimp in cornstarch a couple of hours ahead — keep them on a sheet pan in the refrigerator uncovered until you’re ready to fry.

The cornstarch coating will be slightly drier when they go into the oil, which isn’t a bad thing. Fry right before guests arrive, drain, toss in sauce, and serve.

Freezing

Don’t freeze cooked Bang Bang Shrimp. The texture of fried shrimp doesn’t survive freezing and thawing, and the sauce separates.

If you want to prep ahead for a future meal, freeze the raw shrimp before cooking — just thaw, coat, and fry as usual.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use pre-cooked shrimp instead of raw?

Yes, and the recipe actually notes this. Pre-cooked shrimp are already pink and fully cooked, so you’re really just frying long enough to crisp the cornstarch coating — about 2 minutes.

The texture will be slightly firmer than shrimp that cook in the oil from raw, but it works and saves a step if that’s what you have. Just make sure tails are off and they’re thawed if they were frozen.

Why cornstarch instead of flour?

Cornstarch creates a thinner, lighter, crispier coating than flour. It also absorbs less oil, so the shrimp don’t end up greasy.

Flour coatings are fine for heavier fried dishes like chicken, but for delicate shrimp where you want the sauce to be the star, cornstarch is the right call. It’s also naturally gluten-free if that matters to anyone you’re cooking for.

What size shrimp works best?

Medium to large — roughly 31/40 or 21/25 count per pound. Smaller shrimp overcook very quickly and the ratio of coating to shrimp gets off.

Jumbo shrimp take longer to cook and the outside can get too dark before the interior is done. The medium-large range gives you a good coating-to-shrimp ratio and they cook evenly in 2 to 3 minutes.

How spicy is this?

Thai sweet chili sauce is mild on its own — more sweet than hot. The base recipe without any added hot sauce is genuinely mild and most people would not call it spicy.

The heat comes entirely from the optional hot sauce drops. One to two drops is almost imperceptible.

Five drops is noticeable but not aggressive. If you want it spicy, add more Sriracha or a small spoonful of sambal oelek.

Can I bake these instead of frying?

You can, but be honest with yourself about the result. Baked shrimp won’t get crisp the same way — the coating stays soft instead of crackly.

If you want to avoid frying, the air fryer is a much better option than the oven. At 400°F in an air fryer with a light spray of oil, the cornstarch gets close to the fried texture.

The oven at any temperature doesn’t really get there.

Is this actually close to what Bonefish Grill serves?

Close enough that it satisfies the craving, which is the real test. The core sauce at Bonefish is mayo-based with sweet chili, so the flavor profile is right.

The main difference is that restaurant shrimp are typically fried in well-maintained commercial oil at a consistent temperature, which gives them a slightly more uniform crust. At home, the results are a little more variable but genuinely good.

We haven’t made the drive to Bonefish for this dish since we started making it at home.