This baked bang bang shrimp is a healthier take on the famous restaurant version. it’s still crispy, crunchy and served with a killer sauce.
The one and only time I ate at a Bonefish Grill was about 5 years ago on a work trip in North Carolina.
We went to Carrabba’s the night before and I believe we wrapped the trip up with Applebee’s on our way to the airport.
My idea of food hell, most of my coworker’s idea of a good meal.
When someone suggested an appetizer of fried calamari at Carrabba’s the first night and one of my coworkers looked at her like she had 5 heads having never heard of calamari before, that’s when I knew it was going to be a fun meal.
I have no idea what rock he spent the first 23 years of his life living under but I sure as heck tried to find out during dinner.
The answer?
Southern Jersey.
It’s funny how vividly I remember that trip which is one of maybe 100+ over the past 5 years all involving shitty chain restaurant meals but between the calamari incident and the Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish, it sticks out in my head.
Those shrimp were appropriately named because 5 years later I still think about them.
Only now I think in terms of baked, not fried. Although – this recipe would be perfect for the air fryer too. This air fryer frozen shrimp recipe is a great one to keep in your back pocket for quick and easy shrimp meals.
I also wear pants that are 3 sizes smaller (thank god skinny jeans weren’t in back then). Hey! I think I finally found something that’s gotten better with age! Those multiplying gray hairs are really good at making me forget all the good stuff when they’re staring me in the face as I twist my hair into a ponytail every.damn.day.
So yeah, this is my 3 sizes skinnier version of Bang Bang Shrimp.
Baked, not fried and using wild caught, not farmed shrimp (as I’m sure Bonefish does).
Really, without trying to sound like an elitist food snob, buy the wild shrimp.
Eating farm raised is like shoving shit in your mouth. Literally. They’re already bottom feeders, add the farm part and ew. Just ew.
More recipes like this to try
Love copycat recipes? You have to try this Panera tomato soup copycat – it’s so creamy!
Looking for a shrimp takeout recipe instead? Give this easy shrimp lo mein a try.
Or, for another shrimp appetizer with a healthier makeover, try our baked popcorn shrimp.
Baked Bang Bang Shrimp
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 8 jumbo wild caught shrimp
- 1/2 cup almond milk, or other milk
- 2 tablespoons egg whites
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons flour, I used almond flour, but AP would work even better
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sriracha, or more depending on spice tolerance
- dash of salt
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
For the Dipping Sauce
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Clean, trim and de-vein shrimp.
- Combine the remaining ingredients except breadcrumbs in a bowl and whisk together.
- Place breadcrumbs on a plate.
- Dip shrimp into the batter then coat in the breadcrumbs.
- Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining shrimp.
- Bake shrimp for 12-15 minutes, flipping over half way through.
- Combine dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix.
- Serve shrimp fresh out of the oven with the dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
This Bang Bang Sauce is incorrect. The Bonefish version has mayo, srirachi (rooster) sauce, and Thai Chili Sauce.
The Thai Chili Sauce makes a huge difference.
Hi! I’m new to your blog as of today, via RunEatRepeat and this recipe looks amazing! I happen to have everything on hand right now, so I am making it tonight! Can’t wait!
Hi Sarah, thanks for stopping by :) Hope you like the shrimp!
I mean… South Jersey is a WHOLE OTHER WORLD from the ‘Jerzey’ that the rest of the country imagines. Ya know how it’s called the Garden State? South Jersey is the reason. You’ve heard about the Jersey Devil? Pine Barons in coastal SOUTHERN NJ.
Also, we South Jersians generally identify with Philadelphia sports teams as well as delights (Reading terminal market, the italian market, or even the greasy cuisine of south street )- so there’s no excuse for not knowing what fried calamari is!
Also also, this baked version looks ah-maze-ing and I can’t wait to give it a try! Any idea on the calorie count having baked it?
Haha, my brother lives in Jersey, not southern, but he off roads in the pine barrens so I’ve heard alllll about it down there ;) No idea on the calorie count, but sparkpeople.com has a good calculator if you want to plug it in.
Omg… funny story, and I must say I love how you made these a bit healthier by baking them! Love me some bang bang shrimp!
Don’t know if it matters or not, but they use chili paste in their sauce to get the bang. I work there and have eye balled the recipe a number of times. I can’t eat it because of the mayonnaise (I HAAAAAATE mayo) otherwise I would have the whole recipe already haha.
Thanks, Ashley! Yeah, I tried to mimic that with the sriracha since I didn’t have any chili paste on hand. If I worked there, I’d be downing these in the kitchen ;)
What is AP instead of almond flour?
all purpose flour.
Just wanted to let you know that I made these last night, and they were so delicious! So easy to put together and turned out great! Thanks!
I love the story behind this. Seriously I hate chain restaurants. I had to do National FFA last year for recruiting and the one gal we worked with was all about the chains. Thankfully, my boss and I would rather eat alone at a non-chain restaurant than eat at a chain. I felt kind of bad because that forced this lady to eat alone too, but my boss and I had fun sharing random restaurant experiences all week.
A – thank you for using wild caught seafood. Anything seafood that is farm raised gives me the willies. 2) These look fab. iii) Even I, the later of all things with too many legs (squid) or too few legs (slugs) have tried calamari. And I liked it. I even tried escargot for the first time this last weekend, and loved it. Thank god for wine or else I wouldn’t have had the guts.
Escargot…I just can’t do it. I came close once. I think the problem was there wasn’t any wine involved.
MMM shrimp! This looks delicious. Your next adventure should be to make a healthy rock shrimp ha.