Have you tried Bang Bang Sauce? We’re making our own homemade version of this popular sauce at home. Try it on crispy shrimp, chicken, and more! (Bonefish Grill Copycat)
Homemade bang bang sauce is a restaurant dupe that tastes good on just about everything. IMO, this simple sauce is the perfect blend of sweet + heat. It’s not too spicy, not too sweet, and deliciously creamy.
It’s one of my go-to drizzles for our Egg Roll Bowls, but this delicious sauce also delightful on just about anything crispy or crunchy. (Crispy, crunchy + creamy sauce = texture heaven!)
But besides the flavor & texture, my favorite thing about this copycat recipe is just how simple the ingredients are. Here’s all you need to get started…
What Is Bang Bang Sauce?
This condiment was made popular by the Bonefish Grill restaurant. One of their signature dishes is the Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer–crispy fried shrimp tossed in a creamy, sweet & spicy sauce. Bang Bang Shrimp grew a fan following and soon people were re-creating the bang bang shrimp sauce at home to use on shrimp, chicken, salmon, and more.
So why is it called Bang Bang Sauce? Well, that refers to the zing, pop, or “bang” of the spicy Sriracha and sweet chili sauce. It’s a double-whammy! But don’t worry, even though there’s a bit of kick, the sauce is creamy, sweet, and tangy, which makes it delicious on all kinds of dishes.
Gather Your Ingredients
Ready to make your own Bang Bang Sauce at home? The ingredients are pretty simple and straightforward! Let’s take a look.
- Mayo. Yep, mayonnaise is the base of this homemade Bang Bang sauce. It adds a creamy, neutral base that allows some of our other flavors to shine through.
- Thai Sweet Chili Sauce. Mae Ploy is rumored to be the favorite brand for Bonefish Grill, but other brands may be easier to find where you live. I love the ones from Thai Kitchen or Trader Joes, both of which are gluten-free.
- Sriracha Sauce. This hot chili vinegar sauce can add a spicy kick. You can control the heat here. I like 2-3 Tablespoons for a mild-medium heat, but if you’re nervous, you can absolutely start with 1 Tablespoon.
- A Little Honey. For some sweetness.
- Lime Juice or Rice Vinegar. Then, a little acidity. I love to add fresh lime juice when I have it, but rice vinegar is another great option.
- A Pinch of Salt, Maybe. Lastly, depending on the brands of sauces you use, you may want to add a pinch of salt to balance the flavors.
How To Make Bang Bang Sauce, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
- Combine. In a small mixing bowl, combine mayo, sweet chili sauce, 1 Tablespoon sriracha, and the honey.
- Whisk until smooth and well blended.
- Taste & Adjust. Taste the sauce and add more sriracha, lime juice, or honey, to taste.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy right away or store leftover sauce in an airtight container or jar in the fridge 3-5 days.
Serving Ideas
So, what do you serve with Bang Bang Sauce? Once you make a batch of this easy sauce, you’ll want to put it on everything! With the perfect balance of sweet heat, this versatile sauce is delicious with many kinds of dishes, but some of my favorite things to dip, drizzle, or dollop with bang bang sauce are…
- Egg Roll Bowls – I love this sauce as the perfect drizzle over our egg roll in a bowl!
- Crispy Shrimp – Bang Bang Shrimp, anyone? It’s the perfect sauce for crispy shrimp!
- Crispy Chicken – It’s a GREAT dipping sauce for chicken–Chicken tenders, chicken wings, even chicken nuggets! (no judging here!)
- Salmon – Add a dollop of sauce on our Sweet Chili Lime Salmon or these crispy salmon bites!
- Sweet Potato Fries – I love dipping crispy sweet potato fries in this sauce! The combo of crispy french fries and creamy dipping sauce is *chef’s kiss.* Roasted vegetables, work well, too.
- Burgers & Sandwiches! Use it as a spread for turkey wraps, dollop on Bang Bang Chicken Burgers, and more!
Get Creative! Try it as a sauce for crispy shrimp tacos, lettuce wraps, and more.
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Bang Bang Sauce
Is Bang Bang Sauce the same as Yum Yum Sauce? Not quite! They’re kind of “sibling” sauces, with some similar elements but distinct differences. While both sauces are creamy with a kick, Bang Bang Sauce leans sweet while Yum Yum Sauce leans more savory.
Can I Use Something Besides Mayo? I don’t really recommend it, since it’s a key ingredient. I’ve seen some recipes that use plain Greek yogurt or sour cream in place of the mayonnaise, but in my experience, the yogurt/sour cream flavor overpowers the other flavors and it just won’t have the same bang bang sauce taste you’re looking for.
How Spicy Is Bang Bang Sauce? The benefit of making your own bang bang sauce is that you can control the spice level. If you’re nervous, start with 1 Tablespoon of Sriracha and go from there. I’d say I have mild-medium spice tolerance (I can’t do anything super spicy since I was pregnant with my kids), and I usually add 2-3 Tablespoons of Sriracha to mine.
Recipe Card
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Leave a star rating below when you try our Bang Bang Sauce recipe! We can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Bang Bang Sauce
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 3/4 cup sauce 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A Bonefish Grill Copycat! This creamy bang bang sauce makes a delicious dip or drizzle for crispy shrimp or chicken, egg roll bowls, salmon, and more!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1–3 Tablespoons sriracha
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice or rice vinegar
Instructions
- Combine. In a small bowl, combine mayo, sweet chili sauce, 1 Tablespoon sriracha, and the honey.
- Whisk until smooth and well blended.
- Taste & Adjust. Taste the sauce and add more sriracha, lime juice, or honey, to taste.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy right away or store leftover sauce in an airtight container or jar in the fridge 3-5 days.
Notes
- Serving Ideas. This sauce’s creamy texture makes it a great sweet & spicy dipping sauce for crispy shrimp, chicken, and salmon, but it’s also yummy on potato wedges, sweet potato fries, grilled chicken, wraps, burgers, egg roll bowls, and more!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: about 2 Tablespoons sauce
- Calories: 118
- Sugar: 5.3 g
- Sodium: 216.6 mg
- Fat: 10.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.1 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 0.2 g
- Cholesterol: 5.8 mg
I want to put this sauce on practically everything! The subtle heat is just right for me (but I know I could ramp it up if I wanted to). Its amazing.
This sauce is absolutely delicious and easy to make! Just the right amount of heat with 1 T. of siracha. And, I used rice vinegar because it’s what I had on hand. Thank you for this lovely recipe. I can see using it on many things.
YUM! So glad you loved it. We just made my Bang Bang Chicken Burgers this weekend and it’s SO GOOD on them!