This Paleo Bang Bang Shrimp Taco recipe is going to be an easy weeknight staple at your dinner table! These can be paired with various sauces and are perfect with slaw as a topping. The recipe is versatile enough to fit different dietary restrictions, from gluten free to keto. These are the ultimate healthy restaurant copycat!
Are these Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos healthy?
I’ve got you covered! These fit a variety of different diets, but taste like the real deal (just without all the inflammatory breading or oils!) To make sure everyone at the table can enjoy, I’ve included variations for those following Paleo, Whole30, and AIP diets.
How do you make Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos?
These Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos are actually super easy to make. There’s no deep frying involved to make the shrimp extra crispy, since pan frying gets the job done with less mess! And there’s no need to pull out your blender for the sauce–simply whisking all the ingredients together will do.
This quick meal is just a matter of coating the shrimp, pan frying, tossing in the sauce, and building your taco. It’s very likely that you already have all these ingredients in your pantry!
Depending on your personal preference or how much time you have on your hands, there’s some shortcuts you can take. Frozen shrimp work great in a pinch, since they can be quickly defrosted in warm water or the fridge. These pair wonderfully with my plantain tortillas, but my Paleo friends can pick up some Siete tortillas for even quicker prep! Butter lettuce leaves work for a low-carb option.
What’s in these shrimp tacos?
‘Breaded' Shrimp
The backbone of these shrimp tacos is, of course, the crispy breaded shrimp! No gluten-filled breadings or inflammatory restaurant oils here–just pure goodness like coconut flour and arrowroot powder. I have included a recipe for Whole30 compliant breaded and fried shrimp, and another that is AIP compliant. These are fried in coconut oil, but you could sub with avocado oil or an animal fat like lard if needed!
Bang Bang Sauce
The Bang Bang Sauce is what takes these shrimp tacos to the next level. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and spicy! There’s only six ingredients, and each are pantry staples in my opinion. Even if you don’t have compliant mayo or ketchup on hand, they’re pretty easy to whip up from scratch! I have included a recipe for Whole30 compliant Bang Bang Sauce, and another that is AIP compliant. Both versions pack oodles of bold flavor!
Taco Shells
Depending on your personal preference and dietary restrictions, there are 2-3 different options for your soft taco shells. My Paleo pals will love using my plantain tortillas or Siete tortillas for taco shells (bonus–the plantain tortillas are also AIP!) Even if you choose butter lettuce leaves (the best choice for Whole30 dieters!) you won’t lose any flavor. Promise!
What toppings can you use for these Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos?
Stick with a simple veggie slaw for these Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos. Some great complementary flavors would be:
- Red cabbage, raw for a nice crunch or sauteed for a subtle sweetness.
- Onion, caramelized ‘til crispy and sweet.
- Lime juice (impress your guests with a simple lime wedge for presentation!)
- Cilantro, which adds a unique flavor profile to your tacos.
- Mango, for a sweet and tart taste!
Check out these slaw recipes Note: all slaw recipes are Paleo, but not all are AIP or Whole30. Be sure you’re looking at the labels or necessary alterations next to each one before beginning!
- Coconut Mango Slaw (Paleo) (AIP, omit bell pepper and sub extra carrot)
- Spicy Cabbage Slaw (Paleo, use a compliant mayonnaise) (Whole30, omit honey)
- Avocado Cilantro Slaw (Paleo) (AIP, omit cayenne and ancho chile powder) (Whole30, omit sweetener)
Can I use an air fryer to make the Bang Bang Shrimp?
I haven’t tried using an Air Fryer for these, but I’m sure it would work well! If you want to use an Air Fryer, I’d suggest the following tips to make sure they turn out just as crispy as the pan-fried version. If you use an Air Fryer, be sure to let me know how they turn out!
- Lay the shrimp in a single layer on the Air Fryer tray–no overlap!
- Spritz the shrimp with some coconut oil or avocado oil cooking spray first.
- Turn shrimp at the halfway mark to make sure both sides get crispy.
Other recipes you'll also love:
- Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole (Whole30 & AIP)
- Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken (Whole30 & AIP)
- Chicken Salad (Whole30 & AIP)
Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos (Whole30 & Paleo version)
Ingredients
- For the Shrimp, Paleo and Whole30 version
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil
- sliced green onions for garnish, optional
- sesame seeds for garnish, optional
Bang Bang Sauce (Whole30 & Paleo version)
- 1/3 cup Whole30 mayonnaise
- 2 tsp Whole30 compliant hot sauce
- 2 Tbsp Whole30 ketchup
- 1 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Options for the Taco Shells
- Butter lettuce leaves
- Plantain Tortillas, these are Paleo, but not Whole30 compliant
- Siete Cassava Flour tortillas, these are Paleo, but not Whole30 compliant
Instructions
- Break egg into a shallow, wide bowl and whisk until scrambled. Set to the side.
- Stir together coconut flour, arrowroot powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- One at a time, coat shrimp in the egg then dredge in flour mixture. Place on a baking sheet.
- Over medium heat, melt coconut oil in a large skillet. Fry shrimp in a single layer, adding more oil as needed. You’ll likely need to cook the shrimp in batches depending on the size of your skillet.
- Let the bottom of the shrimp brown before you flip (about 2-3 minutes) and cook through on the other side. Once fully cooked and crispy, remove the shrimp from the skillet and onto a towel or paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce in a large bowl. Add fried shrimp to the sauce and toss. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
- Place shrimp into your taco shell of choice, wrap, and enjoy.
Notes
Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos (AIP version)
Ingredients
For the Shrimp (AIP Version)
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil
- sliced green onions for garnish, optional
For the Bang Bang Sauce (AIP Version)
- 1/3 cup AIP mayonnaise, I used the "light and fluffy" mayo recipe here
- 2 Tbsp AIP ketchup
- 1 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp organic horseradish powder, optional to add heat or spice to the dish
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Options for the Taco Shells
- Butter lettuce leaves
- Plantain Tortillas
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp dry. Stir together coconut flour, arrowroot powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- One at a time, coat shrimp in flour mixture. Place on a baking sheet.
- Over medium heat, melt coconut oil in a large skillet. Fry shrimp in a single layer, adding more oil as needed. You’ll likely need to cook the shrimp in batches depending on the size of your skillet.
- Let the bottom of the shrimp brown before you flip (about 2-3 minutes) and cook through on the other side. Once fully cooked and crispy, remove the shrimp from the skillet and onto a towel or paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce in a large bowl. Add fried shrimp to the sauce and toss. Garnish with green onions.
- Place shrimp into your taco shell of choice, wrap, and enjoy.
Notes
Does the coconut flour make them slightly sweet? I’ve noticed that in savory recipes, but it’s not my fav. Looking forward to making these regardless!
It really is easy and it’s the best shrimp I’ve ever made at home. Hard to believe it is allowed on while 30 is absolutely true!
This was excellent. I did not toss the shrimp in the sauce, but rather had it for a dipping sauce and offered as an appetizer. It was SCRUMPTIOUS!!! I have this recipe in my go-to arsenal… and man, that sauce! WOW!
Thank you so much for the rave review!