Quick Look at these Bang Bang Shrimp Rice Bowls
- Ready In: under 1 hour!
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: shrimp, rice, cucumber, carrots, edamame, cilantro, avocado, and the best bang bang sauce!
- Cooking Method: frying shrimp in a skillet
- Dietary Info: dairy-free and gluten-free friendly
- Protein: 29g/bowl
- Best For: a flavor-packed dinner!
Share and summarize this recipe:
Why You’ll Devour This Rice Bowl
- Warm, crispy shrimp + cool, fresh veggies!
- Quick cooking protein – love using shrimp.
- The BEST 3-ingredient bang bang sauce – adjust to your desired spice level.
- Customize – make this rice bowl your own with suggested ingredients or add what you have on hand.
- Pro meal prep tips + how to store leftovers!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Shrimp – highly recommend using jumbo, raw shrimp (16/20) that have been shelled and the tail removed. They also need to be fresh or fully thawed, if frozen. Smaller or pre-cooked shrimp can be used but will less time to cook.
- Almond Milk + Lemon Juice – substitute with regular milk or use 2/3 cup buttermilk in place of both.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – option to use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs or another favorite variety.
- Cooked Rice – feel free to use white rice, brown rice, or even homemade cauliflower rice!
Meal Prep Tips
The sauce can easily be mixed and stored in the fridge until ready. Same for the rice, cook ahead, store, and reheat when ready to serve. And feel free to chop any veggies ahead of time and keep in the fridge until ready. This will be a super easy weeknight meal, if you do a little prep.
How To Make Bang Bang Shrimp Bowls
Step 1 – Mix up the bang bang sauce.
Step 2 – Prepare the bowls to batter the shrimp.
Is Bang Bang Sauce Spicy?
If you use the amounts listed in the recipe card, no, it isn’t spicy. It will have a subtle warmth to it, but not spicy. If you prefer a more spicy sauce, add more chili garlic sauce or sriracha.
Step 3 – Dip shrimp in cornstarch and then the egg mixture.
Step 4 – Then toss shrimp in the breadcrumb mixture and set them on a plate.
Step 5 – Fry the breaded shrimp in oil for 2-3 minutes total; flip halfway.
Step 6 – Transfer fried shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate to cool.
How To Know When Shrimp Are Fully Cooked?
Shrimp are done when they turn opaque and curl into a loose “C” shape. If they curl into a tight “O” shape, they’ve likely overcooked. They cook very fast, so keep a close eye on them.
Step 7 – Toss cooked shrimp with half of the bang bang sauce.
Step 8 – Build the rice bowl and add more sauce on top – enjoy!
Rice Options For A Fried Shrimp Rice Bowl
| Rice Type | Reason to Use |
| White Rice | traditional; classic flavor |
| Brown Rice | more fiber |
| Homemade Cauliflower Rice | added vegetable; lower carb |
| Thai Coconut Rice | added sweetness |
| Best Sushi Rice | more sticky texture |
Best Ways To Serve Bang Bang Shrimp Rice Bowls
In this shrimp rice bowl, I highly recommend avocado slices, edamame, carrots, and cucumbers for fresh vegetables, but feel free to use anything you have on hand. Fresh chopped cilantro on top also adds a light and refreshing flavor! Just make sure you have plenty of that amazing bang bang shrimp sauce for drizzling on top!
Erin’s Testing Tips: What We Learned
👉 Be sure to check the temperature of the oil before adding shrimp (it should be around 375 degrees F). Oil does not boil like water, so please be very careful and keep an eye on the temperature.
👉 Do NOT dispose of the oil down the drain. Let it fully cool and then transfer into an empty bottle and throw away in the garbage.
👉 To make this meal kid-friendly, we set out all of the options and let everyone build their own bowl or enjoy the pieces of the bowl separately on a plate.
Bang Bang Shrimp Rice Bowl FAQs
Yes, but they need to be fully thawed before breading them to cook.
A cast iron skillet or other large skillet that can handle high temperatures would work. It needs to have fairly high sides to keep some of the splatter in the pan.
Enough to cover the bottom of the skillet and be about 1 inch deep.
Keep the warm items (shrimp and rice) in a separate container from the fresh veggies for easier reheating. The bang bang sauce should also stay in a separate container to help prevent sogginess.
Other Simple Rice Bowl Recipes You Might Like
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Ingredients
Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce:
- 1 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, sub Sriracha
Bang Bang Shrimp:
- avocado oil, enough for a 1 inch deep layer in the pan
- 1 pound large shrimp, remove shell + tail
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk, sub regular milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¼ cups panko breadcrumbs, sub gluten-free breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Other Bowl Ingredients:
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 1 cup edamame, shelled
- 1 cup carrots, julienned or matchstix
- 1-2 cups English cucumber, sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 4 lime wedges
Instructions
- Sauce: In a small bowl, add 1 cup mayo, 2 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce, and 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce; mix to combine. Set aside.
- Prep: Add avocado oil to a 12 inch cast iron skillet and set on the stove. Ensure 1 pound large shrimp are thawed (if frozen prior) and that the shell and tail have been removed. Gather 3 shallow bowls: in one add 3 tablespoons cornstarch, in the second whisk together ⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice + 1 large egg, and in the third combine 1 ¼ cups panko breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Prepare Shrimp: Line up the bowls of cornstarch, milk, and panko mixture. Taking one shrimp at a time toss the shrimp in the cornstarch (fully coat, but shake off excess), then dip in the milk and finally coat in the panko mixture. Place on a large plate and repeat until all of the shrimp are prepared.
- Cook: Heat oil to 375℉ (use a thermometer to ensure the correct temperature is reached and maintained). In batches, add shrimp and let cook approx. 2-3 minutes total, flipping halfway – or until they are golden brown and shrimp is cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Toss: Once all shrimp have been cooked, place them in a large bowl and toss with ½ the Bang Bang Sauce. Reserve the rest for adding on top or dipping.
- Build Bowls: Divide 4 cups cooked rice, 1 large avocado, 1 cup edamame, 1 cup carrots and 1-2 cups English cucumber between 4 bowls. Divide shrimp and remaining sauce between bowls and garnish with cilantro and a lime wedge.
Notes
- Almond Milk + Lemon Juice: you can sub in 2/3 cup buttermilk.
- Avocado Oil Alternatives: sub in peanut oil or canola oil, if you wish for frying.
- Gluten-Free: simply use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Other Cooking Methods: if you don’t want to mess with the oil and breading shrimp, feel free to make pan fried shrimp or grilled shrimp skewers. Toss in half the bang bang sauce and build the bowl with all the same fresh ingredients!
Bridget says
Loved this! So good!
Alex says
Absolutely amazing! My husband and toddler licked it up!
Ash says
Recipe is great. Husband loved it.
Suzan says
Great recipe. I made it with cauliflower rice. Even though my husband is a Louisiana man who grew up on rice, he didn’t even notice! The sauce is to die for. We are only a family of two now so he has lunches for 2 days!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Suzan!!
Leisha says
SO GOOD. Made these tonight in taco form and my husband and I agreed this will be going in the weekly rotation. We left the spicy chili sauce out because I’m a bit of a wimp, but didn’t feel it was missing anything.
Annie says
Delicious! The crunch of the shrimp was superb! I jazzed up the bang bang sauce a bit with toasted sesame oil and some rice vinegar, but everything else as the recipe stated.
David says
Hi, can I use whole milk instead of almond or buttermilk?
Erin says
Hi David – yes, whole milk should work just fine, but I will probably add in the lemon juice just so it tastes a bit more like a buttermilk.
Ingrid says
You don’t mention egg in list of ingredients but it’s listed in the wet ingredients
Erin says
Ah sorry about that – just added it to the ingredient list! Thank you!