Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos

What Is Bang Bang Shrimp?

The first star of this dish is the plump, crispy shrimp. For these tacos,
I like to use extra-large shrimp, sometimes labeled as “26-30,” which refers
to the number of shrimp in a pound. To make this easy and time-friendly, I
buy them peeled and deveined with tails removed. Fiddling with shrimp
tails gets in the way when you’re trying to enjoy these tasty tacos.

The other star of this recipe is the mildly spicy mayonnaise-based sauce
—the bang in the bang bang, I’d call it. The crispy shrimp is tossed in this
creamy sauce just before serving. You can adjust the heat by reducing
(or increasing!) the amount of sriracha in the mixture.

How to Get Extra-Crispy Shrimp

You can’t get around frying for the crispiest version of this shrimp.

1.  Flour + Cornstarch: Use a combination of flour and cornstarch for an
     crispy breading. It holds up under the sweet and spicy sauce.

2.  Dry then fry:Use a thermometer to make sure that you’re
     frying at the right temperature. Maintaining that temperature
     throughout the cooking time is important, too. The shrimp is deep-
     fried at 350°F, so using a deep-fat frying thermometer to keep your
     oil right around that temperature is recommended.

3.  Deep fry in batches: Crowding the pan is a sure-fire way to drop your
     oil’s temperature (which results in a soggy, oily breading). Try to keep
     batches on the smaller side to maintain the proper temperature. One
     handful at a time (about 7 or 8 shrimp) is generally good.

Make-Ahead Sauce

You can make the bang bang sauce a day or two in advance.
it covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Allow the sauce to sit at room temperature while the shrimp is frying to
give it a chance to warm up. This way you’re not left with tepid shrimp
after tossing them in the cold-from-the-fridge sauce.

How to Serve Bang Bang Shrimp

I like to add shredded cabbage to my tacos to give a contrast of textures
and to temper the heat of the sauce a bit. The shrimp is served in
warmed flour tortillas; but, if you want to cut down on carbs, you can
serve them in lettuce leaves instead.

I garnish my tacos with thinly sliced radishes and jalapeños, lime wedges,
chopped cilantro, and green onions. Letting my crew customize their
tacos is always a hit.

INGREDIENT:

For the bang bang sauce:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup chili garlic sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce, optional

For the shrimp:

• 1 1/2 pounds extra-large (26-30 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup butter milk
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups vegetable oil for frying

For serving:

• 10 taco-sized flour tortillas, warmed (or Bibb lettuce leaves)
• 8 ounces shredded cabbage, about 3 cups
• Thinly sliced radishes
• Thinly sliced jalapeño peppers
• Sliced green onions
• Chopped cilantro

METHOD:

1.  Make the bang bang sauce:

       In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, chili garlic sauce, and
       sriracha together until blended. Store up to two days in the
       refrigerator until ready to use.

2.  Marinate the shrimp:

       In a separate bowl, marinate the shrimp in the buttermilk for
       20 minutes.

3.  Prepare your breading station:

       Combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
       Set a cooling rack on top of a sheet pan on which to place the breaded
       shrimp prior to frying (this helps achieve a crispy coating on the shrimp).

       Set up a draining station as well by lining another sheet pan
       with a thick layer of paper towels. (Or, if you have another
       cooling rack to set over the sheet pan, that’s even better!)

       Set the oven to 200°F.

4.  Bread the shrimp:

       While the oil heats, drain the buttermilk and toss the shrimp, in batches, in
       the flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour and arrange the shrimp on the
       cooling rack to “dry out” while you’re heating your frying oil.

5.  Heat the oil:

       Place a thermometer in a wide, deep pot, such as a Dutch
       oven, and add the oil. Heat over medium-high heat until
       the oil reaches 350°F. (This will take about 20 minutes.)

6.  Fry the shrimp:

       Add a handful of the shrimp to the hot oil, and after a minute of
       frying, use a slotted spoon to stir and separate the shrimp;
       they like to stick together. Fry for 4 to 4 1/2 minutes,
       or until the shrimp are golden brown.

7.  Keep the shrimp warm and continue
     frying:

       Remove the shrimp from the oil with a slotted spoon and place
       them on your draining rack/pan. Place the cooked shrimp
       in the warm oven.

       Continue frying the remaining shrimp in batches. Remember to
       let the oil come back up to 350°F in between batches.

8.  Sauce the shrimp:

       Once all of the shrimp has been fried, toss it all in 1 cup of the
       sauce. Reserve the remaining sauce for drizzling on top of the
       tacos.

9.  Assemble the tacos:

       Fill the warmed tortillas with a handful of shredded cabbage,
       then top the cabbage with the shrimp, then more sauce (if
       desired). Garnish the tacos with sliced radishes, jalapeños,
       green onions, and the chopped cilantro, then serve.

       These tacos are best enjoyed right away.