Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos

BANG BANG SHRIMP TACOS😍

Whether you’ve had Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish Grill, Lava Lava Shrimp at Down the Hatch, or Dynamite Shrimp at Cheesecake Factory - you know crispy bites of shrimp coated in an addicting sweet chili mayo sauce SLAPS. And what better way to make it a meal than to throw it in a taco? These are seriously so addicting, I can’t wait to see y’all make them!

This recipe was a more challenging one to test, because I wanted to use a paleo flour that would keep it’s crunch even after tossing in the creamy sauce. And since I love food and I love science, I decided to do a little experiment testing out all paleo flours to see what my favorite was. I listed out the results below, but found it was a combination of cassava flour and tapioca flour that yielded the best crunch. I get my paleo flours from Thrive Market as they are a bit cheaper, but Whole Foods will carry them too. If you don’t have access to either, you can coat in cornstarch for a similar crunch!

**Very Important to keep in mind when frying with paleo flours is they brown a lot faster, which means you may need to change out your oil if you’re doing multiple batches to avoid a burnt taste. Once the oil is brown, toss and start again! Also keep a close eye on them as they cook quickly!

Crunch Results:

Favorites:

• Tapioca Flour/Tapioca Starch - best texture, most resemblance to a flour with the actual crunch - a bit harder to coat evenly since it’s a starch but the crumbly bits fell off frying so it was still good. Thin overall crunch - #1

• Rice flour - great overall coating, very thin but still a good crunch

• Cassava flour - nice coating, not quite as strong of a crunch as just the tapioca - but I found using part cassava and part tapioca was the perfect combo of overall coating and crunch.

Least favorites:

• Potato - not a bad overall coating but not a strong crunch - more chewy in some parts vs crunch. Doesn’t brown lighter in color

• Arrowroot - surprisingly not a winner - good crunch fresh, but got soggy very fast and lost it’s crunch, not my favorite. Would taste good combined with others and can be a substitute for tapioca flour.

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

For the Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos:

• ¼ lb small-medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (if using med-large shrimp, cut in half)

• 2 egg whites

• ½ cup cassava flour (or substitute for all tapioca - see above for notes)

• ¼ cup tapioca starch

• 4 tortillas (I used Siete Foods Cassava Flour tortillas)

• Avocado oil or similar high smoke point oil

• Avocado, cilantro, jalapeno, or any other desired toppings

For the Bang Bang Sauce:

• 2 tbsps mayonnaise (Kewpie brand preferred)

• 2 tbsps sweet chili sauce

• 2 tsps sriracha

• 1 tsp honey

• ½ tsp soy sauce

• ¼ tsp garlic powder

• Salt to taste

For the Ginger Sesame Slaw:

• 2 cups coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage

• Juice from 1 large lime

• 1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

• 1 small green onion, sliced thinly

• ¼ tsp garlic powder

• ¼ tsp ginger powder or ½ tsp freshly grated ginger

• 1 tsp sesame oil 

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

For the Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos:

• Make the bang bang sauce by combining the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, soy sauce, garlic powder, and salt to taste. Set aside.

• Make the coleslaw by adding the lime juice, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and a pinch of salt to the bottom of a bowl and whisk. Add the coleslaw mix, cilantro, and green onions and toss. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use.

• Set up your dredging station for the shrimp. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until frothy. Add cassava flour, tapioca starch, and a pinch of salt to a bowl or plate and mix through.

• Get a pan to medium heat and add in enough avocado oil to coat the bottom of the pan.

• While the oil preheats, dredge the shrimp by adding to the egg whites, then transferring to the flour mixture and tossing until coated. Repeat with the rest of the shrimp.

• Once the oil is hot, add the shrimp in batches and cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack while you finish cooking all the shrimp.

• Meanwhile, toast your tortillas until warm and slightly charred.

• Add the shrimp to a bowl with a little of the bang bang sauce at a time, tossing until well coated. You may not use all the sauce, you want just enough to coat the shrimp.

• Assemble your tacos by adding the coleslaw to the tortillas and top with the bang bang shrimp. Serve with lime slices, jalapeno, or any other desired toppings and enjoy!