Easy Boom Boom Shrimp

Boom Boom shrimp is one of my favorite appetizers. Crispy shrimp coated in a sweet, spicy and slightly garlicky cream sauce is both decadent and addicting. We never have leftovers when we make this dish.

My lightened-up recipe has all the flavor of the original dish, but with less sugar and fat. Boom Boom shrimp comes together quickly, and this easy dish looks impressive enough to serve to guests.

I love serving them on a bed of greens, but Boom Boom shrimp would also be delicious folded into a tortilla taco-style or served over a bed of rice with some stir-fried broccoli.

Is Boom Boom Shrimp the Same as Bang Bang Shrimp?

While both sauces look the same, the taste profile is different. Bang Bang sauce is a mayonnaise-based sauce made with sriracha, sweet chili, and rice vinegar. Boom Boom sauce has a few more ingredients to round out the flavor, include garlic, ketchup and chili-garlic sauce. You can use my lower calorie Boom Boom sauce or a store-bought version to make this Boom Boom shrimp recipe.

How to Make Boom Boom Shrimp

I like to use jumbo shrimp for this recipe. If your shrimp didn’t come already cleaned and deveined, you’ll want to start by removing any shell/tails, deveining your shrimp and gently rinsing.

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels.

If you’re making my homemade Boom Boom sauce – mix it together now and refrigerate while you’re preparing the shrimp.

Mix together a bit of cornstarch, garlic powder and salt.

Gently coat the shrimp in the cornstarch mixture.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high temperature. Once hot, add shrimp in a single layer and cook for 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until plump, opaque and lightly browned.

Once shrimp is fully cooked, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.

Pour in Boom Boom sauce (if you’re using my homemade sauce recipe to make this Boom Boom shrimp recipe, you’ll just need half of the sauce) and gently coat.

The remaining sauce is PERFECT to dip fries, or to use as a sauce for chicken nuggets or to drizzle over chicken fried rice.

Serve Boom Boom shrimp over a bed of greens, folded into a taco shell, or over a bed of rice with a side of stir-fried vegetables. Sprinkle on some black sesame seeds as a garnish if desired.

Serve immediately so the shrimp stay crispy. This is a dish that I don’t recommend you make in advance, you’ll want to cook it right before you serve it. You CAN prep my homemade Boom Boom sauce in advance if desired.

That’s it! So easy!

FAQ

What to serve with Boom Boom shrimp?

I like to serve Boom Boom shrimp over a bed of greens as an appetizer. If you’d like to turn it into a light meal, it’s also delicious folded up in a taco or over a bed of jasmine rice with a side of green veggies

You can also serve it a spicy shrimp po’ boy – just add the shrimp to bread and top with lettuce, tomato, mayo and pickles.

How long does cooked shrimp last in the fridge?

Cooked shrimp will last 3 to 4 days in the fridge.