Boom Boom Shrimp Recipe

This Boom boom shrimp recipe combines all the elements of a perfect Southern dish. It’s deep fried, it’s nice and spicy, and it has seafood!

Toasted sesame oil, spicy chili and mayonnaise are the key ingredients that make up this unique sauce. Deep fried batter soaks up all these flavors, and provides this dish with its satisfying crispiness.

Serve it up as an appetizer, a snack, or a party food, and listen to your guests rave.

With these simple steps, you can prepare homemade boom boom shrimp that tastes just like the restaurant versions.

Picking the Best Ingredients for Boom Boom Shrimp

Shrimp

The shrimp are the star of this recipe, so it’s important to pick the right variety. In grocery stores, shrimp are often sold in sizes like baby, extra-large or jumbo. If the shrimp is being served on its own, opt for a bigger size.

Fresh shrimp are delicious, but if you don’t have access to them, frozen shrimp will work. You can find these in your grocery store’s frozen food section.

Look for the peeled shrimps, as they’re less work to prepare.

All-Purpose Flour

All-purpose flour is my favorite for battering deep-fried foods. It has 10-12% protein content, which allows for a moderate amount of gluten. If flour has too much gluten, the batter tends to get chewy and oily.

Rice flour is also good for deep frying. Rice flour gets crispier than all-purpose flour, but has less flavor.

You can use either flours for boom boom shrimp, but all-purpose flour is more typical.

Also, note that some boom boom shrimp recipes call for baking powder. But I won’t use it in this version.

Cornstarch

Cornstarch is the key to getting your deep frying batter nice and crispy. This is because cornstarch helps prevent the development of gluten.

Less gluten means the batter absorbs less oil, which gives you crispier shrimp.

Eggs

Dipping the shrimp in an egg wash helps the flour stick better. Eggs yolks also add extra flavor, because of their high fat content.

Vegetable Oil

There are many types of oils out there, but my favorite for deep frying has always been vegetable oil. Vegetable oil is suitable for any type of cooking, from frying and roasting to baking.

What makes vegetable oil so versatile is its flavor. Some oils are highly aromatic, like grape seed oil or peanut oil.

Vegetable oil on the other hand is more neutral in flavor, and won’t affect the taste of your food.

Boom Boom Sauce

Boom boom sauce is a robust and creamy sauce containing sriracha sauce, mayonnaise, sesame oil and green onions. This sauce gives the boom boom shrimp this tangy kick.

This sauce is extremely easy to make and simply requires whisking all the ingredients together.

Method

1. Make Deep Fry Batter
   

   Whisk together 2 eggs in a medium sized bowl. Season with pepper and salt.

   In a separate medium bowl, add the cornstarch and all-purpose flour. Whisk them together until fully combined.
   



2. Coat Shrimp
   

   Make sure the shrimp are patted dry and not wet, or else the batter won’t stick.

   First, dip the shrimp into the egg wash. Let any excess egg drain. Then, dip the shrimp into the flour mixture. Repeat these steps for the remaining shrimp, until they are all coated.
   



3. Heat Frying Oil
   

   Fill the skillet or deep pan with about ½ inch of oil. Heat oil to a temperature of 375°F. I use a standard cooking thermometer to monitor the temperature.
   



4. Deep Fry Shrimp
   

   Add your shrimp to the oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan, or else the shrimp may stick together. Flip each shrimp halfway through cooking.

   The shrimp are done when the batter is crispy, and they’re golden brown in color. Let the shrimp cool on a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil.
   



5. Toss Shrimp in Sauce
   

   Add your deep fried shrimp to a bowl and coat in the boom boom sauce. You can use a spoon to mix it all together, or just toss them in a dipping bowl like I do.

   Serve the shrimp right away so they stay nice and crispy. Garnish with some chopped green onion, sesame seeds or parsley on top.
   

Storing and Freezing Boom Boom Shrimp

In the Fridge

Boom boom shrimp can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Keep the shrimp in a resealable plastic container, so they don’t get squished.

In the Freezer

To freeze the shrimp, use an airtight freezer bag. You can also wrap the shrimp in foil, then put them in a plastic container. Make sure you label and date the container.

They will stay good in the freezer for approximately 6 months.

Reheating Boom Boom Shrimp

Since the shrimp is coated with sauce, they cannot be reheated in the deep fryer. The sauce also tends to dry out in the oven. So in this case, it’s best to simply pan fry the shrimp.

Keep in mind they will not be as crispy as the fresh version, but they will still taste amazing!

What To Serve With Boom Boom Shrimp

• Deep fried foods like boom boom shrimp go best with something fresh and healthy. A nice summer salad would be delicious to help balance the richness.

  I like to serve this dish with a side of cooked vegetables, like steamed asparagus or garlic green beans.

• These shrimp also go well served with steamed white rice. The rice helps soak up some of the sauce and balances the spiciness.
• In restaurants, boom boom shrimp is oftentimes served with french fries.
• You can also pair it with mashed or boiled potatoes, or a nice cold pasta salad. These flavorful shrimp compliment so many different side dishes, your imagination is the limit!