How to 'Bang Bang' Any Ingredient

We’ve received your message - you like anything that’s Bang Bang-flavored, as evidenced by your “likes” and comments on recipes like Bang Bang Chicken, Bang Bang Shrimp, and Bang Bang Potatoes. That combination of crispy meat or vegetable with a creamy, spicy sauce seems to be what you crave. That’s why we’ve devised a way for you to “Bang Bang” (almost) anything.

For clarity, this is a highly Americanized version of the traditional Sichuan dish. To make Sichuan-style bang bang chicken, whole chickens are either boiled or poached and then “banged” (sometimes with sticks or even a rolling pin) to tenderize and remove the chicken meat from the bone. Once removed, the tender pieces of meat are tossed with a spicy (but not creamy) sauce along with cucumber and sesame seeds.

The Americanized version was made popular by Bonefish Grill, which originally sold “bang bang” shrimp as a “special” on its menu some 20 years ago. People couldn’t get enough of the deep-fried shrimp topped with a spicy, creamy sauce. It became so popular that bang bang shrimp got added to the regular menu.

While we love the traditional Sichuan preparation, we know you’re looking to re-create the creamy version at home. Luckily, that’s a relatively easy task that only requires a few ingredients.

How To Make Any Dish Bang Bang-Style

Step 1: Make the Sauce

It’s the star of the show and, luckily, only requires a few ingredients. All you’ll need is mayonnaise, Sriracha chile sauce, sweet Thai chile sauce, and rice vinegar. Once combined, you can serve it right away, or let it sit in the fridge to come together. We recommend making it at least one day in advance. The extra time allows the flavors to meld so that each bite of sauce is full of “bang!” (Pun intended.) Grab the full Bang Bang Sauce recipe here.

Step 2: Pick the Main Ingredient

Once you have the sauce, you can make almost any food “bang bang-style.” But whatever food you choose to highlight, make sure you cook it until it’s crispy. Proteins, like chicken, shrimp, pork, or fish, are an easy starting point. Use a three-step breading process (like in this Fried Chicken Tenders recipe) and crisp up in the air-fryer to keep things easy. For vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potatoes, toss in oil with a bit of cornstarch (like in Bang Bang Potatoes) before air-frying or roasting to get an extra crispy exterior.

Step 3: Don't Wait!

We know one thing: Crispy-fried foods don’t stay crispy for long. That means you should enjoy your bang-bang “insert-ingredient-here” right away. If you have leftover sauce, no problem! Cover and refrigerate it and use it within three days.