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Bang Bang Shrimp Po'Boys (5 Minute Shrimp Sandwiches)

By: Author Kate Vaynshteyn

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Need dinner on the table in about 5 minutes? Make Bang Bang Shrimp and serve them up on soft rolls! The bang bang sauce for the shrimp has just 2 ingredients (WHATTT!!) and is so tasty. Not too spicy, just the right amount of flavor. Delicious and so easy to make!

This bang bang shrimp is also fantastic served in lettuce wraps for a light meal or over rice with your favorite veggies.

Plate with bang bang shrimp sandwiches

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Bang bang shrimp

This is one of my favorite dinner hacks: shrimp coated in the tastiest bang bang sauce you can make from just two ingredients - mayo and chili paste / chili crisp. The sauce is creamy with a hint of spice (or a lot of spice if you want to go heavy on the chili). It goes perfect with tender shrimp and soft toasted Italian rolls.

Hand holding a bang bans shrimp po boy sandwich

The great thing about this easy recipe is that it's kind of like a "choose your own adventure."

Want to keep it light? Start with raw uncooked shrimp and cook it up in a pan in just 2-3 minutes.

Want something breaded, crunchy, and SUPER satisfying? Use store-bought frozen popcorn shrimp and air fry or bake it until crispy and golden brown. Whichever shrimp you choose, toss it with the bang bang sauce, tuck some lettuce into the sub rolls, and top with shrimp until the bread is bursting. 

Crispy bang bang shrimp po' boy sandwich on a plate

More easy shrimp dinners: Hot Honey Shrimp Tacos

Ingredients

For unbreaded shrimp:

  • 1 pound uncooked shrimp, deveined and tails removed, thawed if frozen
  • ½ teaspoon seasoned salt (or old bay seasoning or you favorite shrimp or seafood seasoning; or use salt, pepper, and garlic powder to season the shrimp)
  • ½ teaspoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon chili paste or chili crisp, or to taste (or use sweet chili sauce for a much milder flavor)

For popcorn shrimp:

  • 1 pound frozen popcorn shrimp or other frozen breaded shrimp, tails removed
  • ½ cup mayo
  • 2 teaspoons chili paste or chili crisp, or to taste

For the sandwiches:

  • lettuce leaves (I like soft butter lettuce, such as Bibb or Boston)
  • Italian sub rolls / po'boy rolls / hoagie rolls
  • 1 scallion, diced (for topping, or use sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning or any other favorite toppings)
Ingredients to make bang bang shrimp po' boy sandwiches

More easy shrimp dinners to try: Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

Equipment

  • Medium bowl
  • Large skillet for cooking shrimp OR an air fryer or oven

More Southern-inspired shrimp recipes to try: Cajun Shrimp and Sweet Potato Hash

Instructions

If cooking frozen breaded shrimp, follow the packaging directions to fully cook the shrimp. I cook mine in the air fryer for 8 minutes at 350F.

Popcorn shrimp in an air fryer tray

If making unbreaded shrimp, heat a large skillet, add a splash of olive oil, add the shrimp and seasoned salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through, stirring frequently.

Shrimp cooked in a skillet

In a medium bowl, combine the mayo with chili paste (use different amounts of mayo + chili, depending on if you're using crispy or pan-cooked shrimp). Add the shrimp and stir until coated in sauce.

Collage of 2 pictures showing breaded and unbreaded shrimp in bang bang sauce

Make sandwiches: toast the buns, add lettuce and top with bang bang shrimp. Garnish with scallions, and enjoy!

More quick and easy shrimp recipes: Shrimp in Tomato Sauce

Kate's cooking tips

  • I like to use small or medium raw shrimp, so the bites are smaller and more manageable. Same with the breaded shrimp: popcorn shrimp works better than large butterflied shrimp.
  • Breaded shrimp absorbs a lot of sauce compared to plain shrimp, that's why the sauce amounts are different. If using breaded shrimp, I recommend coating it in sauce right before serving, or else it will absorb all the sauce. If you think you'll have leftovers, leave some shrimp un-sauced until ready to serve. 
  • You can add a little lime juice to the bang bang shrimp sauce if you like.
  • Try this bang bang shrimp in lettuce wraps or over rice.

More down South-inspired shrimp dinners: Cajun Shrimp with Cheesy Grits

If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!

Bang bang shrimp po' boy sandwiches on a plate
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5 from 1 vote

Bang Bang Shrimp Po' Boys

Dinner in literally 5 minutes? YES! This recipe for Bang Bang Shrimp can be ready in 5 minutes if you go with the unbreaded shrimp option. Using frozen popcorn shrimp? That'll take you 10 minutes in the air fryer. Either way, the shrimp coated in my 2-ingredient bang bang sauce is SO delicious!
Prep Time3 minutes
Cook Time2 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Author: Kate Vaynshteyn
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Ingredients

For unbreaded shrimp:
  • 1 pound uncooked shrimp deveined and tails removed, thawed if frozen
  • ¼ - ½ teaspoon seasoned salt to taste (or old bay seasoning or you favorite shrimp seasoning)
  • ½ teaspoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon chili paste or chili crisp or to taste (or use sweet chili sauce for a much milder flavor)
For popcorn shrimp:
  • 1 pound frozen popcorn shrimp or other frozen breaded shrimp tails removed
  • ½ cup mayo
  • 2 teaspoons chili paste or chili crisp or to taste
For the sandwiches:
  • lettuce (I like a soft lettuce, such as Boston or Bibb)
  • Italian sub rolls / po'boy rolls / Italian rolls
  • 1 scallion diced (for topping, or use sesame seeds or any favorite topping)
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Special equipment

Instructions

  • If cooking frozen breaded shrimp, follow the packaging directions to fully cook the shrimp. I cook mine in the air fryer for 8 minutes at 350F.
  • If making unbreaded shrimp, heat a large skillet, add a splash of olive oil, add the shrimp and seasoned salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through, stirring frequently.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the mayo with chili paste. Add the cooked shrimp and stir until coated in sauce.
  • Make sandwiches: toast the rolls, add some lettuce, top with bang bang shrimp. Garnish with scallions, and enjoy!

Notes

  • I like using small or medium shrimp here because the bites are more manageable.
  • Breaded shrimp absorbs a lot of sauce, that's why the sauce amounts are different. I recommend coating it in sauce right before serving. If you think you'll have leftovers, leave some shrimp un-sauced until ready to serve.
  • You can add a little lime juice to the bang bang shrimp sauce if you like.
  • The nutrition facts are estimated for the unbreaded shrimp without the sub rolls (since I don't know what kind of rolls you're using), and will depend on the amount of sauce in your serving. Using breaded popcorn shrimp will obviously result in higher calories.

Nutrition

Calories: 180kcal (9%) | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 16g (32%) | Fat: 12g (18%) | Saturated Fat: 2g (10%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 149mg (50%) | Sodium: 876mg (37%) | Potassium: 131mg (4%) | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 213IU (4%) | Calcium: 62mg (6%) | Iron: 0.3mg (2%)

The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.

5 from 1 vote
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Kate Vaynshteyn

Friday 27th of February 2026

These shrimp sandwiches with bang bang sauce are a life-saver for busy weeknights. So easy, so tasty, so quick. I hope you like them as much as we do!