If you love bold, creamy, and slightly spicy flavors, this Bang Bang sauce is a must-have in your kitchen! Making this popular shrimp sauce at home is not only easy and budget-friendly, but it also allows you to customize the spice level to your liking. Most famous as a tangy dip for Japanese teppanyaki, this Asian-inspired sauce is also delicious with crispy shrimp, chicken, burgers, and fries.
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This Bang Bang sauce recipe is a perfect balance of creamy, tangy, and spicy flavors, making it a must-have condiment for all kinds of dishes. The Thai sweet chili sauce adds a touch of sweetness, while the spicy kick comes from a hint of sriracha or hot sauce. Its creamy texture makes it an ideal dipping sauce, topping, or spread.
While most people know it as Bang Bang shrimp sauce, this versatile condiment goes beyond just seafood! Drizzle it over grilled chicken, crispy fries, sushi rolls, or even tacos for an instant burst of flavor. Plus, it takes just a few minutes to mix up, so you can enjoy restaurant-quality sauce anytime—right at home!
Why We Love This Bang Bang Sauce Recipe
- Easy to adjust the flavor.
You can easily increase or decrease the spiciness and/or sweetness according to your taste preferences. - Versatile
We use it for dipping, as a sandwich spread, and even to add moisture and flavor to sides like fried rice. - Doesn’t require any fancy ingredients or special tools!
All you need are a small bowl, a whisk, and just 4 ingredients.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Mayonnaise: In addition to regular mayonnaise, mayo with olive oil or avocado oil work just as well — but do anticipate a change in flavor. For a healthier version, use plain Greek yogurt or light mayo instead.
- Thai chili sauce: This sweet, savory, and spicy ingredient is used often in Asian cuisine. One recipe of ours that makes a good substitute is mango dipping sauce.
- Sriracha: Sriracha is the most popular choice for adding bursts of spicy heat, but your favorite hot sauce can be used instead. Just try to avoid thin, runny sauces that will alter the consistency.
Recipe Variations
- Extra spicy: If you love a bold spicy kick, add more sriracha, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes to amp up the heat.
- Milder & kid-friendly version: Reduce the spice by using less sriracha or swapping it for a dash of paprika for a milder but still flavorful sauce.
- Citrus twist: Add a squeeze of lime juice or lemon juice for a tangy, zesty variation that pairs especially well with seafood and grilled meats.
- Garlic Lovers: Stir in minced garlic or garlic powder for an extra depth of flavor that enhances everything from shrimp to burgers.
- Dairy-free or vegan: Use vegan mayo or a blend of cashew cream and olive oil to keep this sauce completely plant-based while maintaining its creamy texture.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Bang Bang sauce has a nice balance of sweet and spicy flavors. For a less sweet alternative, consider using regular tomato-based chili sauces or chili paste instead of Thai chili sauce. However, keep in mind that if using paste, you’ll need to add a bit more liquid to thin the consistency.
Chili paste makes for a spicier dip, whereas chili sauces add a ketchup-y flavor.
To make it sweeter, just add a teaspoon or two of honey!
How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce
- Make serving easier with a squeeze bottle.
If your goal is to make a large batch of Bang Bang sauce to use in multiple dishes, consider investing in a couple of squeeze bottles for easy serving.
Or, wash out an empty ketchup, mustard, or other condiment bottle and use it for storing your homemade condiment!
- Too spicy? Add vinegar or lemon juice.
It can be easy to overdo the heat when you’re making a shotgun sauce or other creamy, spicy sauces like this one.
However, rather than adding a boatload of mayonnaise or piling on the honey to try to fix the flavor, add lemon juice or vinegar instead. The tartness does a much better job of calming the heat.These ingredients are also good for counteracting too much sweetness.
Or try making this yum yum sauce recipe, which is creamy and delicious without any spiciness!
Serving Suggestions
This Bang Bang Sauce recipe is incredibly versatile, making it the perfect dipping sauce, topping, or drizzle for so many dishes! Crispy and tempura-fried recipes are even better when tossed in the sauce right after frying, giving them a sweet and spicy glaze with a creamy texture.
Use it as a substitute for the sriracha mixture in our sriracha meatballs, or pair it with Bang Bang shrimp sauce favorites like fried fish, scallops, and wings. It’s also a great way to add bold Asian-inspired flavor to chicken in a cast iron skillet or drizzled over French fries and roasted vegetables.
Looking for a fun way to elevate your rice dishes? Try adding it to Blackstone chicken fried rice—it’s an absolute game-changer! And if you need a cooler, milder condiment to balance out the heat, serve it alongside our yogurt-based shawarma recipe sauce for a delicious contrast. However you use it, this sauce brings bold, creamy flavor to any meal!
Recipe FAQs
These two condiments are slightly different.
While both are spicy and mayonnaise-based, Boom Boom sauce typically has a tangy flavor from the addition of garlic, ketchup, and sometimes Worcestershire or mustard.
The shelf life of homemade seasonings and condiments varies.
Because homemade Bam Bam sauce contains mayonnaise, it will last approximately 2 weeks in the refrigerator. This shelf life also applies to the variation of bang bang shrimp sauce that contains Greek yogurt.
Store your Asian condiment in the refrigerator, and keep it in a squeeze bottle or other airtight container. The recipe is enough for 8 servings, so it’s likely to be devoured pretty quickly, but it does keep for up to 2 weeks.
It can be frozen for up to 3 months as well but should be thawed overnight in the refrigerator before using it again.
Whether it’s from the fridge or freezer, we advise shaking the bottle well before serving. This will recombine any ingredients that may have separated.
If you tried this Bang Bang sauce recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Bang Bang Sauce
Equipment
- medium-sized mixing bowl
- airtight container
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise or full fat plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup Thai chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha or other hot sauce of choice
- 2 teaspoons honey optional (for a sweeter flavor)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or to your preference
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to your preference
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk ingredients well to thoroughly combine.
- Taste for seasoning, then add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve. Store Bang Bang sauce in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Toni says
I love how quick and easy this is to make! Thanks for the recipe!
Ned says
Wow, awesome! This sauce was incredible on chicken. Thank you so much!
Kathleen says
This is one fantastic, sweet and spicy sauce. I can’t wait to dip my chicken and veggies in it.
Caroline says
I love how incredibly easy this is, but also great with so many things. Appreciate the tips about chili paste/sauce.
dana says
I love love love this bang bang sauce! We use it for tacos, burgers, and grain bowls! It’s hard not to just dive in with a spoon, honestly haha.