Bang bang shrimp pasta is creamy, sweet, spicy, and goes from stovetop to table in 20 minutes. This easy weeknight pasta dinner tastes like takeout, with even less of the wait!
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: A little heat, balanced by a creamy sauce and buttery garlic shrimp, with tangy lime.
- Technique: While the pasta is cooking, mix the sauce. Then quickly sear the shrimp so nothing overcooks.
- Serving: Finish with cilantro and red pepper flakes, and serve alongside garlic toast or broccoli salad.
Assemble Your Ingredients
- Pasta: Any long pasta works (spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine). Short on time? Use quick-cooking angel hair pasta instead!
- Shrimp: Medium shrimp cook fast and stay juicy. If using frozen shrimp, thaw and pat dry for better searing.
- Seasonings: Regular paprika works, but smoked paprika gives a deeper, restaurant-style flavor. Lime juice brightens up the sauce and gives the whole dish a lift. Add garlic at the end so it stays fragrant, not bitter.
- Garnish: Cilantro gives a fresh finish that cuts the richness. Swap fresh parsley or thin-sliced green onion if cilantro is not your thing. Red Pepper flakes add an optional heat you can sprinkle per serving.
- Sauce: Mayonnaise or Greek yogurt acts as the base of this sauce. Mix with Sweet Thai chili sauce, fresh lime juice, and sriracha for the classic Bang Bang sauce flavor. Add small amounts of sriracha at a time to control the heat.
Variations and Easy Swaps
- Swap protein: Replace the shrimp with chicken strips, salmon chunks, or crispy tofu.
- Add veggies: peas, steamed broccoli, sautéed bell peppers, shredded carrots, or spinach. Toss in quick-cook veggies like baby spinach at the very end so it won’t overcook.
- Garnish: Add some “take-out” style flair and top with chopped peanuts or cashews before serving.
How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp
- Mix the bang bang sauce and set it aside (full recipe below).
- Cook the pasta al dente, reserving a little pasta water, and sautè the shrimp in garlic butter.
- Combine the spaghetti and sauce with the shrimp and toss in the pan.
Serve sprinkled with cilantro and red pepper flakes.
Leftovers Made Easy
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Warm gently on the stove over low heat stirring often. Add a splash of water to loosen the sauce if it’s too thick.
Freezing is not recommended, since mayo-based sauces separate after thawing.
More Shrimp Dinners, Fast
Did your family love Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta? Leave a comment and rating below!
Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise regular, light, or Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup sweet Thai chili sauce
- ½ lime juiced
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce or to taste
Instructions
- Make the sauce by mixing together mayonnaise, sweet Thai chili sauce, lime juice, and sriracha. Set aside.
- Cook spaghetti noodles according to direction on box and then drain.
- Meanwhile, season the shrimp with paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Melt the butter in a 12-inch pan and add the shrimp. Cook over medium heat 1-2 minutes per side, until shrimp are pink and curl into a "C" shape. Adding the garlic in the last 30 seconds.
- Turn off the heat and add the pasta and sauce and toss together. Sprinkle with cilantro and chili flakes.
Video
Notes
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days. Avoid freezing the sauce as it will separate when thawed.
- Consume within 2 days, and reheat gently on the stovetop or 50 percent microwave heat to prevent the shrimp from drying out and toughening.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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Made this for Sunday family dinner! Soooo good! I was fortunate enough to have some left-over and it was delish the next day! Great recipe!
I made this for dinner tonight but cut back on the sriracha and didn’t put the red hot seeds. It was amazing and still quite spicy and I’m adding it to my menu
My husband and I loved this recipe. I used a pound of shrimp, cause that is what I had. I used less of hot sauces that was called for. If you like it HOT use more. We both liked it very much, will make again. It’s really good leftover.
My family loved this recipe. I made it as written, using regular mayonnaise in the sauce. Even though a pasta sauce with a mayonnaise base might sound odd, the garlic and butter cooked with the shrimp really bring together the sauce ingredients. The only thing I added at the end was chopped green onions on top with the cilantro and red pepper flakes. And left the bottle of Sriracha on the table for anyone who wants an extra dose of spice (me!). Would definitely make it again since we are trying to include more seafood in our diet. The frozen raw shrimp (peeled and deveined with tails on) from Trader Joe’s worked perfectly.
So happy to hear how much your family loves this shrimp pasta Sonya!
The sauce wasn’t great, which is what makes Bang Bang Shrimp the yummy dish it’s supposed to be.
I used a plain Greek yogurt, and I think it might have turned out better with regular Mayo. The Greek yogurt made it much thicker.
I also added way more Sriracha and red pepper flakes than the recipe called for, because it wasn’t spicy with the amount the recipe said to use.
Overall I won’t make this recipe again.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy this as much as we do Benjamin.
I love this recipe!!! Whole family loved it too! The only complaint from them is they wanted it spicier, but my family loves spicy foods. I made this for my grandmother and she said it was perfect. 10/10 recommend!
That’s awesome! So happy to hear that!
God awful sauce. Please do not make this recipe. We threw it out.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy the sauce as much as we do Alissa.
This was very good and easy . I was counting on left overs no such luck . Will do this again .
I made this while camping, well, really glamping! We loved it. Taste is outstanding and it is so easy to pull together!
So happy you loved it Debbie…and glamping sounds like so much fun!
How much lime juice? 1/2 of what? Cup, Tbsp???
I’ve updated the wording to be more clear that it is the juice of ½ of a lime Margaret. Enjoy!
I used tofu noodles in place of regular spaghetti noodles. You can not tell the difference.
Great substitution Connie! So happy you loved it.
My husband really liked this recipe. I didn’t have sriracha so I added a few dashed of hot sauce. Left off the red pepper flakes just to try heat level. Next time I’ll add some.
We are happy to hear he liked it Jean!
I have cooked frozen shrimp can I use them in Bang Bang Shrimp……..thank you
I have only tried the recipe as written, but think that would work. You’ll want to warm the shrimp and brown it a little for best flavor. Let us know if you try it Linda!
Question…for the lime juice, is it cup or teaspoon? Doesn’t say which measurement so I wasn’t really sure.
It is the juice of 1/2 of a lime Nyeasisa. Enoy!
Loved the recipe for the Bang Bang Pasta with Shrimp, until I read the sodium count, fat count, way too much for me! But sure looks scrumptious for sure!
It’s really good Penny!
I was thinking about adding smoked sausage next time I make this…or chicken breast
That sounds delicious Janice!
How would scallops do in this dish
I’ve only made this recipe as written. Let us know if you try making it with scallops Debbie!