Quick Bang Bang Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwich

If you ask me, a good po’ boy sandwich is one of life’s simple pleasures.

This twist on the New Orleans classic brings together crispy fried shrimp coated in a creamy, spicy bang bang sauce. The shrimp get a buttermilk soak and a cornstarch coating seasoned with Old Bay and paprika before hitting hot oil.

The sauce mixes mayo with Thai sweet chili sauce and sriracha for that signature sweet-and-spicy kick. A crunchy cabbage slaw dressed with lime juice cuts through the richness perfectly.

It’s the kind of sandwich that’s messy to eat and totally worth it, ideal for a weekend lunch when you’re craving something special.

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What Kind of Shrimp Should I Use?

For this po’ boy, medium shrimp are the perfect size – they’re big enough to have a nice bite but small enough to fit comfortably in your sandwich without being awkward to eat. You can use either fresh or frozen shrimp, and honestly, frozen is often your best bet since most “fresh” shrimp at the grocery store has been previously frozen anyway. Just make sure to thaw them completely and pat them really dry with paper towels before you start cooking, since any excess moisture will prevent that crispy coating from forming properly. If you can only find large shrimp, that’s fine too – you might just need to adjust your cooking time by a minute or so.

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Options for Substitutions

This recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need to make changes:

• Shrimp: You can use large shrimp instead of medium – just adjust the cooking time by a minute or two. If you’re not into shrimp, try using firm white fish like cod or tilapia cut into chunks, or even chicken tenders for a different take.
• Buttermilk: Don’t have buttermilk? Mix 1 cup of regular milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes. You’ll get the same tangy result.
• Thai sweet chili sauce: If you can’t find this, mix 3 tablespoons of apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and a pinch of red pepper flakes for a similar sweet-spicy flavor.
• French baguette rolls: Hoagie rolls, sub rolls, or even slider buns work great here. Just make sure they’re sturdy enough to hold all the toppings without getting soggy.
• Purple cabbage: Regular green cabbage is totally fine if that’s what you have. You can also use a pre-made coleslaw mix to save some prep time.
• Old Bay seasoning: If you don’t have Old Bay, you can make your own blend with 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp celery salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making bang bang shrimp is overcrowding the air fryer basket, which prevents proper air circulation and leaves you with shrimp that’s soggy instead of crispy – cook in batches if needed, leaving space between each piece.

Don’t skip the buttermilk soak, as this step helps the cornstarch coating stick better and keeps the shrimp tender, but make sure to shake off excess buttermilk before dredging or you’ll end up with clumps.

Another common error is adding the shrimp to the bang bang sauce while they’re still piping hot, which can make the coating slide right off – let them cool for just a minute or two first.

Finally, toast your baguette rolls lightly to create a barrier against the sauce and slaw, otherwise you’ll be dealing with a soggy sandwich that falls apart before you finish eating it.

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What to Serve With Bang Bang Shrimp Po’ Boy?

Since this sandwich is already pretty loaded with shrimp, veggies, and that spicy-sweet bang bang sauce, I like to keep the sides simple. Classic French fries or sweet potato fries are always a good call – they’re perfect for dipping into any extra bang bang sauce you might have left over. A light coleslaw on the side works great too, especially if you want something cool and crunchy to balance out the heat from the Sriracha. For a Southern-style meal, you could also serve these po’ boys with crispy pickle chips, potato salad, or even a simple corn on the cob.

Storage Instructions

Store Components: If you have leftovers, it’s best to keep everything separate. Store the fried shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, and keep the bang bang sauce in a sealed jar for up to a week. The slaw will stay crisp for about 3 days in the fridge.

Make Ahead: You can prep the bang bang sauce and the cabbage slaw a day or two in advance to save time. Just keep them refrigerated in separate containers. The shrimp tastes best when fried fresh, but you can bread them a few hours ahead and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to fry.

Enjoy Leftovers: To bring back some crispiness to leftover shrimp, reheat them in a 375°F oven for about 5-7 minutes instead of the microwave. Assemble fresh sandwiches with new bread and toppings for the best taste, since assembled sandwiches get soggy pretty quickly.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1800-2100
• Protein: 70-90 g
• Fat: 60-75 g
• Carbohydrates: 230-260 g

Ingredients

For the shrimp and coating:

• 1 lb large shrimp (peeled, deveined, and tails removed)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the bang bang sauce:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp honey

For the slaw:

• 1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 1/2 tbsp mayo
• 1 1/2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 full lime, juiced
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the assembly:

• 2 large baguette rolls, toasted
• 2 medium tomatoes (sliced into rounds)
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place and Marinades

• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 lb large shrimp

Start by combining the cornstarch, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish—this is your dry coating mixture.

In a separate bowl, pour the buttermilk and submerge the cleaned shrimp, making sure they’re fully coated.

Let them soak for 10-15 minutes while you prepare everything else; this tenderizes the shrimp and helps the coating adhere better.

Step 2: Make the Bang Bang Sauce and Slaw

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 1/2 tbsp mayo
• 1 1/2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 full lime, juiced
• 1/4 tsp salt

While the shrimp marinates, whisk together the mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and honey in a small bowl until smooth—this is your bang bang sauce.

In another bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, shredded lettuce, sour cream, mayo, lime juice, and salt to create a tangy slaw.

I like to make the slaw just before cooking so it doesn’t get too watery from the lime juice sitting too long.

Step 3: Coat and Air Fry the Shrimp

• shrimp in buttermilk from Step 1
• dry coating mixture from Step 1

Preheat your air fryer to 380°F.

Remove the buttermilk-soaked shrimp from the bowl and work in batches to coat each piece thoroughly in the dry mixture from Step 1, shaking off any excess.

Arrange the coated shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket or flipping them halfway through.

The shrimp should be golden and crispy when done—I find that flipping them halfway ensures even browning on both sides.

Step 4: Toss Shrimp in Bang Bang Sauce

• cooked shrimp from Step 3
• bang bang sauce from Step 2

As soon as the shrimp comes out of the air fryer, transfer it to a bowl and immediately pour the bang bang sauce from Step 2 over the hot shrimp.

Toss gently to coat all the pieces evenly.

The heat of the shrimp will warm the sauce and help it cling better to each piece.

Step 5: Toast the Rolls and Assemble

• 2 large baguette rolls
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• slaw from Step 2
• bang bang shrimp from Step 4

While the shrimp is cooking, lightly toast the baguette rolls until they’re golden and crispy on the cut sides—this prevents them from getting soggy when you add the wet ingredients.

Slice the tomatoes into rounds and have the cilantro ready.

To assemble, spread or layer a portion of the slaw from Step 2 on the bottom of each toasted roll, arrange tomato slices on top, then pile the bang bang shrimp on the tomatoes.

Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve immediately while everything is still warm.

Quick Bang Bang Shrimp Po' Boy Sandwich

Delicious Quick Bang Bang Shrimp Po' Boy Sandwich recipe with step-by-step instructions.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings 2 sandwiches

Calories 1950 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the shrimp and coating

• 1 lb large shrimp (peeled, deveined, and tails removed)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the bang bang sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp honey

For the slaw

• 1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 1/2 tbsp mayo
• 1 1/2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 full lime, juiced
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the assembly

• 2 large baguette rolls, toasted
• 2 medium tomatoes (sliced into rounds)
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

 

• Start by combining the cornstarch, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish—this is your dry coating mixture. In a separate bowl, pour the buttermilk and submerge the cleaned shrimp, making sure they're fully coated. Let them soak for 10-15 minutes while you prepare everything else; this tenderizes the shrimp and helps the coating adhere better.
• While the shrimp marinates, whisk together the mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and honey in a small bowl until smooth—this is your bang bang sauce. In another bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, shredded lettuce, sour cream, mayo, lime juice, and salt to create a tangy slaw. I like to make the slaw just before cooking so it doesn't get too watery from the lime juice sitting too long.
• Preheat your air fryer to 380°F. Remove the buttermilk-soaked shrimp from the bowl and work in batches to coat each piece thoroughly in the dry mixture from Step 1, shaking off any excess. Arrange the coated shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket or flipping them halfway through. The shrimp should be golden and crispy when done—I find that flipping them halfway ensures even browning on both sides.
• As soon as the shrimp comes out of the air fryer, transfer it to a bowl and immediately pour the bang bang sauce from Step 2 over the hot shrimp. Toss gently to coat all the pieces evenly. The heat of the shrimp will warm the sauce and help it cling better to each piece.
• While the shrimp is cooking, lightly toast the baguette rolls until they're golden and crispy on the cut sides—this prevents them from getting soggy when you add the wet ingredients. Slice the tomatoes into rounds and have the cilantro ready. To assemble, spread or layer a portion of the slaw from Step 2 on the bottom of each toasted roll, arrange tomato slices on top, then pile the bang bang shrimp on the tomatoes. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve immediately while everything is still warm.