Sweet, spicy, creamy, and crunchy, this Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp recipe is the taste sensation you’ve been waiting for! With an amazing sauce and perfectly cooked shrimp, this easy shrimp recipe can be a snack, appetizer, or main dish!
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Table of Contents
- Save This Recipe ✉️
- WHAT IS KETO BANG BANG SHRIMP?
- WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE AIR FRYER BANG BANG SHRIMP
- HOW TO MAKE KETO AIR FRYER BANG BANG SHRIMP
- Girl Carnivore Expert Recipe Tips
- WHAT TO SERVE WITH LOW-CARB AIR FRYER BANG BANG SHRIMP
- Leftovers
- MORE GREAT SHRIMP RECIPES
- Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe
- Recipe FAQs
When you’re craving a quick, easy, and flavor-packed keto shrimp recipe, Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp is the dish for you. There’s unbelievable flavor in this recipe, and the crave-worthy sauce is so good that you’ll want to lick your plate clean. Not keto? No worries – we’ll tell you how to make this the conventional way.
Skip the deep-fat fryer and make this bang bang shrimp recipe in your air fryer! With less mess, less fat, and less time, you can be noshing on something delish in a jiffy.
We love this air fryer shrimp recipe for dinner, but it’s also the perfect appetizer or snack. We’ll make it for friends when they come to visit, and they always think we’ve been working away in the kitchen for hours!
The genius behind this recipe is that the sauce can be made ahead of time, and the shrimp can be cooked in minutes. Love shrimp? Give it a try!
WHAT IS KETO BANG BANG SHRIMP?
Made famous by chain restaurants across the USA, Bang Bang Shrimp is a dish of breaded and fried (or, in this case, air-fried) shrimp with a crispy breading, served with a sweet and spicy sauce. Made with Sriracha and sweet chili sauce, the mayo-based sauce is at once spicy, sweet, creamy, and addictive.
You can serve the sauce on the side or drizzle it over the top of the shrimp before serving, but we always put out extra sauce because it’s just that darn good.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE AIR FRYER BANG BANG SHRIMP
- Shrimp – See our notes below on the best shrimp to make bang bang shrimp.
- Mayonnaise – We like using avocado mayo, but use what you have.
- Sriracha sauce – This fiery hot Thai condiment is a key ingredient in bang bang sauce.
- Thai sweet chili sauce – You can find this in the Asian food section of most supermarkets. Chili garlic sauce will also work.
- Vinegar – White vinegar is fine.
- Ginger – Grated fresh ginger, NOT dried.
- Sugar substitute – If you’re not worried about the carbs, use regular granulated white sugar.
- Scallions – AKA green onions; sliced thinly.
- Pork Panko crumbs – Purchase them or make your own – see below. If you’re not worried about the carbs in breadcrumbs, use regular Panko.
- Salt and pepper
OPTIONAL GARNISHES
- Lettuce leaves – Bibb or green leaf lettuce.
- Parsley – Fresh parsley chopped finely.
Lemon – Cut into wedges.
HOW TO MAKE KETO AIR FRYER BANG BANG SHRIMP
TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
- Whisk the mayonnaise with the Sriracha, Thai chili sauce, vinegar, ginger, and sugar or sugar substitute until smooth.
- Add the scallions (chopped green onions) and combine. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
FOR THE SHRIMP:
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.
- Place the remainder of the mayo in a small bowl. Then add the pork Panko to a separate bowl and season it with salt and pepper.
- Add the shrimp to the mayo to coat well, then press them into the pork Panko.
- Transfer the breaded shrimp to a wire rack until they’re all breaded.
- Refrigerate the coated shrimp for 15 minutes before air-frying it so the breading sets up.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 F.
- Place shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket or on the air fryer tray and cook for about 5 minutes. You may have to work in batches if all the shrimp don’t fit without overlapping.
- Flip the shrimp and air fry for another 5 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through and golden brown.
- Serve immediately over thinly sliced lettuce with extra leaves to act as lettuce cups for serving. Drizzle the crispy shrimp with the creamy sauce, sprinkle with parsley, and set out lemon wedges.
- Refrigerate the coated shrimp for 15 minutes before air frying, so the breading sets up.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400-F.
- Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket or on the air fryer tray and cook for about 5 minutes. You may have to work in batches if all the shrimp don’t fit without overlapping.
- Flip the shrimp and air fry another 5 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through.
- Serve immediately over thinly sliced lettuce with extra leaves to act as lettuce cups for serving. Drizzle the shrimp with the creamy sauce, sprinkle with parsley, and set out lemon wedges.
Girl Carnivore Expert Recipe Tips
- Ginger isn’t traditional in a keto bang bang sauce, but it adds so much flavor. Try it – we bet you’ll love it!
- If you’re not worried about the carbs, you can use regular Panko breadcrumbs and white sugar.
- Make sure your shrimp are pretty dry before breading them so you don’t get the breading soggy.
- Don’t overcrowd your air fryer so that the shrimp can get nice and crispy.
- Preheat your air fryer so you don’t overcook the shrimp.
- Every air fryer cooks differently – be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and suggested cooking times.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH LOW-CARB AIR FRYER BANG BANG SHRIMP
We love noshing down on this zesty dish by piling the shrimp and sauce into a lettuce cup. You could also serve them in a tortilla or dig into a bowlful or plateful of them. Since you have your air fryer out, pair them as a side dish to Panko Chicken.
Sides are optional, but if you want to include the shrimp as a part of a heartier meal, pair them with a salad and a side of fried rice or cauliflower rice to keep this meal low in net carbs. Want to mix this meal up but still serve crispy air fryer shrimp? Try this savory tiger sauce instead!
Leftovers
Keto Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp are best eaten fresh. You can pack up the leftovers in an airtight container, put them into the fridge for a day or two, and crisp them back up in the air fryer before serving.
If you think you’re going to have leftovers, don’t put any sauce on them. Once sauced, the breading will start to get soggy. Unsauced bang bang shrimp can be reheated in the air fryer for a minute or two to warm.
MORE GREAT SHRIMP RECIPES
Perfect for weeknight dinners or as a delicious appetizer, the whole family will love this great recipe! It’s low on the carbs but not on the flavor, making it a healthier alternative for those on keto or low-carb diets.
Have you tried this recipe? Do us a favor and rate the recipe card with the ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and drop a comment to help out the next reader.
Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
For the Air Fryer Shrimp Shrimp
- 2 lbs shrimp thawed, peeled, and deveined
- 1 cup avocado mayo divided
- 1 1/2 cups Pork Panko crumbs
For the Bang Bang Sauce
- 2 tbsp Sriracha sauce
- 1 tbsp Sweet chili sauce
- 1 tsp distilled vinegar
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp erythritol or sugar
- 2 tbsp scallions thinly sliced
- Salt
- Pepper
Garnish:
- Green leaf or bib lettuce for service
- Freshly minced parsley
- Lemon sliced into wedges
Instructions
Prep the shrimp
- Make sure the shrimp are thoroughly thawed and peeled completely.2 lbs shrimp
- Pat dry with paper towels.
Make the bang bang sauce
- Whisk ½ cup mayo with the sriracha, Thai chili sauce, vinegar, ginger, and erythritol until smooth.1 cup avocado mayo, 2 tbsp Sriracha sauce, 1 tbsp Sweet chili sauce, 1 tsp distilled vinegar, 1 tsp freshly grated ginger, 1 tsp erythritol or sugar
- Add the scallions and stir to combine.2 tbsp scallions
- Set aside until ready to serve.
Bread the Shrimp
- Set up your workflow for ease and minimal mess.
- Place ½ cup mayo in a shallow bowl1 cup avocado mayo
- Place the pork panko in another bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.1 1/2 cups Pork Panko crumbs, Salt, Pepper
- Place a wire rack over a baking sheet neat by.
- Working with a few shrimp at a time, add to the mayo and coat both sides.
- Transfer the shrimp to the panko and press gently to coat both sides with a thick layer of pork panko crumbs.
- Transfer the shrimp to the wire rack and repeat until all the shrimp are coated.
- Place the shrimp on the wire rack in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Air fry the Shrimp
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F.
- Arrange the shrimp in the basket and air fry for 5 minutes. You may need to work in batches to not overcrowd your basket.
- Using tongs, flip the shrimp and cook the shrimp another 5 to 6 minutes longer until the shrimp are cooked through and the coating is nice and crispy.
- Carefully Remove from air fryer onto a clean wire rack.
Serve
- Serve the shrimp over thinly sliced lettuce with additional lettuce as a garnish or to act as lettuce cups for eating.Green leaf or bib lettuce for service
- Sprinkle freshly minced parsley on top and drizzle with the bang bang sauce.Freshly minced parsley
- Add lemon wedges if desired and serve hot.Lemon
Notes
Nutrition
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Save Recipe BookmarkRecipe FAQs
No, the shrimp aren’t spicy, and while there’s a bit of heat in the sauce, it’s not very spicy. However, if you like it spicy, feel free to add more Sriracha!
Yes! This is an easy recipe. Make the sauce, set up your breading station, and then cook the shrimp. That’s all there is to it!
Do yourself a favor and start with peeled and deveined shrimp, or you’ll be standing over the sink doing the tedious job of peeling and deveining them.
EzPeel shrimp are another great option – they’re cut down the back and deveined, so all you need to do is slip off the shell.
Shrimp reduces dramatically when cooked, so look for large shrimp (31/35) or jumbo shrimp (26/30). The number refers to the number of shrimp per pound.
We prefer using wild-caught fresh shrimp but use what you can find.
Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese-style breadcrumbs that have lots of crunch. To keep this a low-carb bang bang shrimp dish, use pork Panko made from finely ground pork rinds. Pork rinds are keto and have no carbohydrates.
You can purchase pork Panko or make your own by pulsing pork rinds in a food processor until they are finely ground.
Yes. Please. After vowing not to buy another kitchen appliance, I broke down and bought an air fryer because several people have told me they’re perfect for cooking for one with easy cleanup. So, I’ll be making enough Bang Bang for me and no one else :)) Girl, I hope you are doing well and continuing to slay the grill. Miss seeing you!
I did the same thing. REFUSED to jump on this one… then a friend had one and I tried out a few recipes. Wont lie, Im hooked. I like how light everything is in them and that clean-up is easy. HOW ARE YOU?!
Looks KILLER!!! If this is half as good as the Bloody Mary shrimp…
… this Will ROCK!!!
UPDATE: Made this for the wife, major thumbs up! Better than ANY Bang, Bang appetizer bought at any chain – hands down!!!
I refuse to air fry, these puppies were deep fried as God intended! 😉
Thanks, Kita!