This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This easy bang bang sauce recipe is creamy, zesty, and has an irresistible sweet heat! It’s the best pairing with everything from shrimp and chicken to grilled vegetables.
Try my Easy Yum Yum Sauce or Sweet Chili Salmon next.
Why you’ll love it
If you’re unfamiliar with it, bang bang sauce is a silky, sweet, and spicy sauce often used for dipping or drizzling/tossing with fried or grilled foods. It became popular thanks to bang bang shrimp, a signature dish from Bonefish Grill, and it’s super easy to make.
This simple bang bang sauce recipe is made from just a handful of grocery store ingredients. The subtle heat lingers just enough to keep things interesting, and the zesty tang of sweet chili sauce is perfectly complemented by the velvety mayo. It’s so tasty!
What you’ll need
- Mayonnaise – the creamy base
- Thai sweet chili sauce – most major grocery stores will carry this sticky-sweet and tangy condiment in the Asian aisle. It’s a bright red (sometimes orange-y) color and has red chili peppers, garlic, sugar, rice vinegar, etc.
- Sriracha sauce – for that craveable heat
- Honey – a little bit of sweetness to balance everything
Pro tip
Supposedly, Bonefish Grill uses this Thai sweet chili sauce in their version of bang bang sauce, but you can use your favorite brand! They’re all fairly similar.
How to make bang bang sauce
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a prep bowl, add all the ingredients. Stir or whisk them together until smooth. Give it a taste, and adjust as needed. Chill it for a few hours in the fridge if desired.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Store this homemade bang bang sauce in one of these mason jars.
- A classic wire whisk is great to combine it smoothly.
- Grab a sheet of paper towel with one hand if there’s any spills along the way using this handy paper towel holder.
Substitutions and variations
- This sauce has a pretty standard set of ingredients, but you could skip the honey if you want less sweetness or leave out the sriracha if you need it to be very mild. Or add more sriracha for more “bang”.
- I’ve seen some versions add in a bit of paprika. You could always use a little smoked paprika if you want to give it a slightly smoky flavor.
- Adding a splash of lime juice is another way to change it up!
What to serve with bang bang sauce
- Use it on everything from coconut shrimp to French fries, sweet potato fries, poke bowls, sushi, with Air Fryer Salmon Bites, grilled vegetables, chicken tendies or nuggets, Pan Seared Salmon, or even drizzled on tacos. It’s versatile and good on so many things!
- You can add some chopped scallions or chives on top when serving if desired for a pop of freshness.
Leftovers and storage
- It’ll keep for about a week in the fridge in a sealed container. Since it’s a mayo-based sauce, don’t leave it sitting out for too long before refrigerating.
- As with most sauces, I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
More easy sauce recipes
If you made this bang bang sauce recipe from scratch, please leave me a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see how you served it.
Easy Bang Bang Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce or to taste
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk/stir together. Taste and adjust if needed (e.g. add more sriracha).
- You can eat it right away or let it sit in the fridge for a few hours for the flavors to meld. Bang bang sauce will keep in the fridge for about a week.
Notes
- The 1 teaspoon of sriracha sauce gives it a little kick, but not enough that I’d call this sauce particularly spicy. Feel free to adjust to your tastes or skip if it you need this sauce to be kid-friendly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
Leave a comment