Boom Boom Shrimp Recipe

We all love deep-fried shrimp (otherwise known as tempura).

It has a delicious batter and can be put alongside a plethora of delicious sides and sauces to make a tasty meal for any occasion.

But this shrimp recipe is a little different, it’s served with a unique sauce called ‘boom boom sauce’, which is quite similar to yum yum sauce or bang bang sauce.

It’s made with a mixture of chili, sriracha, mayo, and peanut butter to give a unique and impactful flavor.

Today we’re going to show you how to make perfect deep-fried shrimp along with a healthy serving of the incredible boom boom sauce.

It’s easy to make and can be cooked in under 30 minutes!

How to make Boom Boom Shrimp

To make Boom Boom Shrimp we need all the standard ingredients you’d expect for a nice deep-fried shrimp including flour, cornstarch, and baking powder.

The unique thing about this particular recipe however is that we also need some ginger ale and peanut oil.

If you’re using pre-packed large shrimp, which is a good alternative to save some money if you can’t get a hold of some fresh ones, make sure they are at room temperature before frying to ensure they can be cooked fast and evenly.

Ingredients:

(4 servings)

For the fried shrimp:

• 1lb of large shrimps (fresh or frozen) peeled and deveined
• 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1.5 tablespoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 x 12oz can of ginger ale
• Peanut oil for frying

For the boom boom sauce:

• 1/3 cup of mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup of sweet chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon of peanut butter
• 4-6 drops of sriracha sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper

Instructions:

If you’re already familiar with the general process of frying foods this will all be very simple for you.

The main thing to remember is that shrimps cook fast, so we need to be careful about how many we cook at one time as too many cool the oil and it will be harder to get an even crisp.

We’ll first start with preparing and frying the shrimp, and then we’ll make the famous boom boom sauce for dipping.

Step 1:

Put some of the peanut oil in a skillet and start heating it up.

A good trick to know when it’s up to temperature is to put a wooden spoon in the oil, if it starts bubbling around it a bit, you’re good to go!

Step 2:

While the oil is heating up, add the dry ingredients into the bowl.

This includes flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.

Stir everything together well.

Step 3:

Once all the dry ingredients are incorporated, add the ginger ale to the bowl and stir everything together thoroughly using a whisk.

Step 4:

After you have finished the batter and the oil is up to temperature, we can fry the shrimp.

Coat the shrimp in the batter thoroughly one at a time.

When adding them into the oil hold the tail and place them headfirst, then lower the rest facing away from it, this can help protect you from any splattering oil.

As mentioned before, try not to load too many in at once as it will cool the oil, and we want to ensure a nice and crispy outside.

Step 5:

The shrimp should take about 3 minutes to cook, if you are deep frying then you’re finished.

If you’re cooking them in shallow oil flip them over and cook for another 3 minutes so they are crispy all over.

After they are done, place them on a paper towel to help drain the excess oil.

Step 6:

Now we can make the Boom Boom sauce.

In a small mixing bowl combine the mayonnaise, chili sauce, peanut butter, and sriracha along with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Step 7:

Mix all this together and then drizzle over the shrimp directly.

Or alternatively, you can put it into a small dish to use as a dip.

Enjoy your delicious Boom Boom Shrimp meal!

Ingredient substitutions

Some of the ingredients in this dish can be altered to influence the flavor.

For example, a very common alteration is to use more sriracha in the Boom Boom sauce to make it spicier.

But there are also a lot of opportunities to substitute ingredients to make some interesting alternative versions of this classic dish.

1. Chicken

Because this is just fundamentally fried protein, this means we can adapt this fundamental ingredient with almost any kind of protein we wish.

A very popular choice is chicken.

Simply cut some raw chicken breast into small pieces, similar in size to that of the shrimp, and fry in the same way. It works great!

2. Ginger Ale alternatives

Ginger ale is often the most popular choice to use in the batter because of its distinctive flavor.

But you can substitute this for almost any other sweet carbonated drink.

Give sprite, cola, or club soda a try for some interesting yet equally tasty alternatives.

3. Spicy garlic sauce

Otherwise known as chili garlic sauce.

Sriracha has a very distinct taste, but if you’re fond of it you can get the same level of kick, with a little extra garlic flair by exchanging it for a spicy garlic sauce instead.

What to serve with Boom Boom Shrimp

This shrimp dish is wonderfully adaptable and works great with a number of sides depending on your mood, the time of day, or the weather.

It can be a fresh summer snack or a hearty meal to warm you up on a winter’s night, the choice is yours!

Fresh salad

One of the best ways to lighten the meal up and make it a little more healthy is to serve it with a fresh salad topped with a little balsamic vinegar.

This is particularly effective if you’ve prepared the boom boom sauce as a dipping sauce so you can use it with the salad as well as the shrimp.

French fries

A fantastic way to bulk the meal up is with a nice, crispy carbohydrate source.

Once again you can dip the fries in that delicious boom boom sauce and get more value out of its signature flavor.

How to reheat Boom Boom Shrimp

Boom Boom Shrimp is both easy to store and reheat.

However, if you think you’ll need to keep some for later it’s better to store the sauce in a separate dipping bowl rather than pour it all over the shrimp.

How to reheat Boom Boom Shrimp in a pot

To reheat in a pot/pan we are essentially going to re-fry it for a few minutes to keep that nice crispy outside.

Simply add a little oil (ideally the same peanut oil) to a pan and fry for just 3-4 minutes until it’s hot and has that nice crispy outer crust again.

Be sure to let the shrimp come up to room temperature before serving.

How to reheat Boom Boom Shrimp in a microwave

The microwave presents therisk of letting everything become a little soggy, but it does work!

You can cover the shrimp with a paper towel to help manage the moisture content.

Simply place it on a dish and microwave for 1-2 minutes and it should be good to go!

How to reheat Boom Boom Shrimp in the oven

Simply pre-heat the oven to about 400°F and space the shrimp out onto a tray.

Cook for about 7-10 minutes.

How to reheat Boom Boom Shrimp in an air fryer

One of the best ways to reheat the shrimp.

Preheat the air fryer to about 400°F, add the shrimp into the frying basket and fry for 3-4 minutes.

After the first 2 minutes take the basket out and give them a good shake to make sure they cook evenly.

How to store Boom Boom Shrimp

Once again it’s best to have the sauce in a separate dipping bowl to help prevent the shrimp from getting too soggy in the fridge.

Store in the fridge

Ensure the shrimp have cooled to room temperature and simply place them in an airtight container.

Once refrigerated they will last for up to 3 days.

Store in the freezer

Once at room temperature simply place them into heavy-duty freezer bags and freeze.

They will last in the freezer for up to 6 months.