 These healthy bang bang shrimp are crispy, tender, spicy, and creamy! They make a fantastic dinner recipe and are paleo, Whole30, gluten-free, grain-free, refined-sugar-free, and nut-free. Tossed in a sriracha-spiked creamy sauce, these bang bang shrimp are seriously good!
Let’s play a quick game of Never Have I Ever. I’ll start.
Never have I ever… won a game of Never Have I Ever.
Never have I ever watched the American Office. (I know. Don’t even try to convince me. It ain’t gonna happen. #Gervais4life).
Never have I ever gone to Bonefish Grill and not ordered bang bang shrimp.
Anyone drinking? Anyone at all? No? Didn’t think so.
It’s not difficult to understand why we’d all love crispy shrimp tossed in a creamy, spicy sauce, is it? The shrimp are so tender, wrapped in a crunchy little hug, coated in a sauce that brings in all the goodness from life and leaves behind all the poo-pooness. Well, no.
These Whole30 bang bang shrimp bring in all the goodness from life and leave behind all the poo-pooness. Because, of course, there are all sorts of wacky weirdness in those bang bang shrimp that make them, eh, not the best choice when you’re trying to eat healthily, avoid vegetable oils, refined grains, sugars, and preservatives. But don’t you worry, sister! These Whole30 bang bang shrimp are here to rescue you.
They’re dredged in an arrowroot and coconut flour mixture and pan-fried in your favorite oil then tossed in a homemade mayo + sriracha + coco aminos + ketchup mixture. Crispy, tender, spicy, creamy, perfection.
These Whole30 bang bang shrimp are, of course, paleo, gluten-free, grain-free, refined-sugar-free, and even nut-free, making them perfect to serve to almost anyone you know, except, of course, the vegetarians and vegans. And this recipe takes full advantage of homemade condiments that are super easy to prepare but that make all the difference in flavorful recipes.
Namely: my Whole30 sriracha recipe, my Whole30 ketchup recipe, and my Whole30 immersion blender mayonnaise recipe.
I highly, highly, highly recommend you keep the Whole30 sriracha on hand, but if you don’t have any, can’t make it (Please try if you can! You’ll freak out, I promise), and are on a Whole30, compliant hot sauce will do in a pinch. I’d recommend a more pepper-forward hot sauce in this case, like Cholula, rather than a more vinegar-forward hot sauce like Tabasco or Frank’s Red Hot.
And make sure that when you dredge your shrimp, you ensure there’s no excess clinging on – you want just the coating on the shrimp to form a light and crispy shell around your crustaceans. A clumpy dredge will result in ultimately soggy shrimp – not what you want here!
Perfectly made with my Whole30 sriracha recipe, Whole30 ketchup recipe, and Whole30 immersion blender mayonnaise recipe.
Whole30 Bang Bang Shrimp (Paleo, Grain Free, Nut Free)
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 egg whisked well
- 2/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- coconut or avocado oil for frying
- sliced green onions green part only, for garnish, optional
- sesame seeds for garnish, optional
Bang Bang Sauce
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Whole30 mayonnaise
- 2 1/2 tsp. sriracha or hot sauce
- 2 1/4 Tbsp. ketchup
- 1 1/2 tsp. coconut aminos
- 1 garlic clove minced
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Stir together all sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Whisk together coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt, and pepper in a wide bowl. Dip shrimp in eggs then dredge in flour. Shake off excess and place on a baking sheet or plate. Repeat with all shrimp.
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, fry shrimp, making sure not to crowd. Wait until the bottom side is nicely browned before flipping, then flip and cook through on the other side. Shrimp should be beautifully browned and crispy. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and repeat until all shrimp are fried.
- In a large bowl, toss shrimp with half of the sauce. Add more sauce to taste and toss. Serve with remaining sauce (if you have any). Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
Nutrition
Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
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Christina says
Could this be done in an air fryer instead of pan fried? And if so, what settings and timing would you recommend?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Hi! We recommend placing the coated shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket, then set the temperature at 400°F and the timer to 5 minutes. When the time is up, carefully flip the shrimp over, and set timer for another 3 mins until finished.
Jenny says
Can we use something other than coconut flour? Not a fans of the taste.
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
You can try almond flour!
Vera says
I’m just starting whole30 today. I’d like to be able to make recipes for the whole family instead of just for me. My daughter is allergic to nuts. So no coconut or almond flour any other suggestions? This will be the first recipe I make on my whole30 journey! Thanks!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
You can try to substitute with more arrowroot starch. Hope this helps!
Ceara says
This recipe is amazing! It tastes just like you would get at a restaurant and is so easy to make! I used an air fryer, and followed the instructions that are in a previous comment for temp and cooking time. I made it for my sister and brother-in-law when they visited this weekend and they loved it so much that they are making it for dinner this week too.
Stephanie says
Is there anything you can sub for the arrowhead powder? I really want to try it and do not have that at home. It would have to be whole 30 compliant. Thank you!!!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Do you have tapioca starch/flour?
Karin Hensley says
Wow! This is amazing! I made this tonight (my 2nd time ever making shrimp, 1st time frying it)…it was DELICIOUS! Hubby said it rivals any restaurant shrimp he’s had (we don’t have bonefish here where we live but after this, I can imagine its fantastic!) Will definitely be making this again!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
That sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Leigh says
I’ve been wanting to make this for a long time. Pulled the trigger tonight and my whole family LOVED it! They said it’s a once a week thing from now on.
I made rice for them on the side, and cauliflower rice for me. Brussel sprouts, too! So good. Thank you.
Dana says
Hello! Has anyone tried making this recipe with chicken?
Bethany Forms says
Is Srircha Whole 30 compliant? That’s a game changer if it is!
Amelia Camurati says
Store-bought Sriracha is not compliant, but we have a recipe for one that is! Check it out here.
Alyssa says
How much is one serving for this recipe ? Thank you ,
Amelia Camurati says
About four ounces is one serving of shrimp, so anywhere from 5-6 jumbo shrimp to 10-11 regular shrimp.
Abby says
Can I use tapioca flour instead of arrowroot powder?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Sure! Just make sure to be aware that tapioca flour can sometimes have a different texture. Make sure to mix it with enough water beforehand. 🙂
Mandi says
I rarely leave comments but had to say this shrimp recipe is the bomb! I made it last night and my boyfriend and I loved it. We made a cabbage and mango slaw and jasmine rice to accompany it. So so good!
Amelia Camurati says
Thanks for coming back to let us know Mandi! 🙂
Steve says
Super easy. I did this in the air fryer at 370F for about 7 min. Just spray the breaded shrimp with coconut oil.
Maria G says
I really want to make this, but I thought that fried foods were not whole30 compliant?
Cheryl Malik says
I know I say “pan-fried,” but you’re really not frying them, just coating them in Whole30-compliant ingredients and cooking in a skillet.
Haya says
This looks soooo good! Do you think it would work in an air fryer?
Amelia Camurati says
Absolutely! The shrimp will likely need a shorter cook time, but watch for the color change to pink and you’re set!
SI-Ya Ray says
Sooooo delicious! These felt like I got them from a restaurant in the Caribbean. We added lime zest and juice and it upped their delish.
Amelia Camurati says
Sounds like a nice way to add some zip to it!
Larna says
We really enjoyed this shrimp recipe. I served it with a side of raw baby carrots dipped in guacamole.
Amelia Camurati says
Sounds like a great combo, Larna!
Leslie White says
I’m always torn by reviews, but this recipe is making me want to shout it from the rooftops! Diets beware. This is anything but depriving. Holy moly, this will definitely be in the Whole 30 rotation. Is it bad to have it everyday? ????
Amelia Camurati says
We suggest every other day so you can try other great Whole30 recipes! 😉
Kate says
Absolutely delicious!!
Cheryl Malik says
So glad you loved it!
Wendy says
I’d never heard of Bang Bang Shrimp before, but the recipe sounded good. Made it tonight and it wasn’t good. It was AH-MA-ZING!!! My husband and I are doing our 6th round of Whole30 and this is definitely going on our favorites list!! Made your ketchup this morning, which we’re planning on using with hamburgers tomorrow, but now I’m thinking we’ll be having bang bang burgers instead! I didn’t have a full pound of shrimp, so I cut the flour proportions in half. But there would have been enough for plenty more. Next time I think I won’t toss the shrimp in the sauce before serving, as the crispy coating comes off easily.
Kels says
Thank you for making my 30 day, whole 30 experience amazing! Made this three times during the the month. It helped me realized, food does not need sugar or soy etc to be good. Favorite recipe. THANK YOU.
Amelia Camurati says
So glad we could help!!
Jessica says
Serious win! My Husband is not sold on paleo recipes, he LOVES this one. This recipe made me a hero! He groaned and gave me the face when I said I was going to try to make healthy bang bang shrimp. But he’s a good sport, and was blown away, he says the sauce is spot on to the real deal from bonefish. I end up using Tabasco most of the time, and we feel like it adds a little something extra. I haven’t used sesame seeds yet, because I keep forgetting to buy them lol, but I load up on the green onions. Thank you!
Teresa says
I made this recipe for the first time tonight. I made the sauce on Sunday night in preparation. This recipe is the best Whole30 recipe ever! I had the shrimp in green lettuce leaves and a side of roasted baby bok choy. I can’t wait to try other Whole30 recipes from you!
Cheryl Malik says
That sounds so good! Glad you loved it!
Jane says
This was so delicious! I do miss that meal at Cheesecake Factory but didn’t like the calories. I must say this was far better than Cheesecake. ???? all the way! Yumminess!
Thank you!
Meg says
This is one of my favorite Whole30 recipes!! Thank you so much!! I even leave out the hot sauce for me because I’m a wimp and it’s still incredible!! Great over cauliflower fried rice or gluten free noodles if not on Whole30!
Cheryl Malik says
happy you’re enjoying!
Steve says
These are delicious and rich. Loved them over cauliflower rice and side of lettuce (the sauce makes a great salad dressing, too).
Cheryl Malik says
Thanks, Steve. 🙂
Ann Marie says
I love your recipes Cheryl, and this one was Amazing!!!!!! I don’t usually comment but I had to….thank you so much for this recipe.