My flavorful Boom Boom Shrimp Tacos are a quick recipe that’s a hit with my seafood lovers. They are so crunchy and are topped with a copycat Sheetz boom boom sauce that’s sweet and spicy. If you love crispy shrimp, you will love this boom-boom shrimp.
My guys love tacos. Two of their favorites are my pork carnitas tacos and my beef street tacos. Your family will love them too.
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Why this Boom Boom Shrimp Taco Recipe is a Keeper
You’ll love this recipe because not only is it quick and easy, it’s also super delicious if you love shrimp. I make this recipe whenever I get cravings for seafood.
- Explosive Flavor: The “boom boom” sauce, with its creamy, spicy, and slightly sweet profile, creates a flavor explosion that’s incredibly addictive.
- Crispy Shrimp: The breaded and fried (or air-fried) shrimp provides a satisfying crunch that contrasts beautifully with the soft tortillas and fresh toppings. Crunchy shrimp is similar to tempura shrimp. Fried until crispy.
- Easy to Customize: You can easily adapt the recipe to your preferences by adding different vegetables, sauces, and toppings.
- Quick and Convenient: It’s a relatively quick and easy meal to prepare, making it perfect for weeknight dinners or casual gatherings.
- Crowd-Pleasing Appeal: It’s a guaranteed hit with both kids and adults, especially those who love spicy and flavorful food.
- Versatile Meal: It can be served as a main course, appetizer, or party snack.
- Perfect for Taco Nights: It adds a fun and exciting twist to traditional taco nights.
- Balances Flavors and Textures: The recipe provides a great balance of creamy, spicy, sweet, and crunchy elements.
What Size Shrimp are Best for this Recipe?
I like to use large shrimp or succulent jumbo shrimp for this recipe. However, feel free to use a smaller size is you want to be able to add more shrimp pieces to make the shrimp tacos. Use the shrimp you like.
Pro Tip to Love this Recipe
Dry the Shrimp Thoroughly: This helps the breading adhere better to thee succulent shrimp. So pat the shrimp dry.
Ingredient Notes and Variation Suggestions to Make Boom Boom Shrimp
Boom boom shrimp recipes are super easy to customize. I like to take juicy shrimp tacos to the next level by using different ingredients or trying different flavors.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Shrimp: Use different sizes of shrimp, fresh shrimp, popcorn shrimp or try using scallops or a crispy fish. For a quick meal use the shrimp comes breaded and frozen
- Breading Variations: Use panko breadcrumbs for a crispier coating.
- Sauce Variations: Add sriracha, sweet chili or other hot sauces for extra heat. Feel free to add honey or maple syrup for sweetness, and fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley.
- Vegetable Variations: Use different types of cabbage or lettuce, grilled corn, black beans or pickled red onion.
- Tortilla Variations: Use flavored tortillas (like spinach or chipotle).
- Spice Variations: Add chili powder, or cumin to the breading.
- Dairy Substitutions: The mayonnaise in the boom boom sauce can be substituted with Greek yogurt.
How to Make Easy Boom Boom Shrimp Recipe
This recipe with boom boom shrimp sauce comes together in just 3 quick and easy steps. I love this easy recipe so much, I make this boom boom shrimp every Lent.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Make the Boom Boom Sauce: Combine mayo, ketchup, thai sweet chili sauce, garlic powder and sriracha in a small bowl.
- Cook the Shrimp and Prep Coleslaw: Prepare frozen shrimp according to package directions. Then, combine coleslaw mix and some of the sauce in a large bowl.
- Assemble Tacos: Warm taco shells in the microwave. Place some of the coleslaw mix on each taco shell and drizzle with Boom Boom sauce. Place the shrimp on top with avocado slices and more sauce.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for this Weeknight Meal
When I prepare ingredients ahead of time, it can help save me time and kitchen space when it comes to making everything for dinner.
- Shrimp Preparation: If using nonbreaded, large raw shrimp, peel and devein the shrimp. You can do this a day ahead and store them in the refrigerator.
- Breading: If you want to bread fresh shrimp, make a breading mixture (flour, spices, etc.) and store it in an airtight container until you’re ready to coat the shrimp evenly.
- Vegetable Preparation: Shred cabbage or lettuce and prepare the slaw for a spicy shrimp taco, or any salsas. Dice onions, tomatoes and any other vegetables you’re using.
- Tortilla Preparation: If using homemade tortillas, you can make them ahead of time.
- Make the Sauce Ahead of Time: Homemade boom boom sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftovers Bang Bang Shrimp
- Storing: Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge. Keep the spicy boom boom sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and use as a dipping sauce.
- Reheating: Truly, this is one of those recipes that is best fresh. If you need to reheat the shrimp, air fry the shrimp to reheat this easy recipe to avoid soggy shrimp. Add the shrimp in a single layer into the air fryer.
- Using Leftovers: Enjoy sweet and spicy shrimp in a Crab Meat Salad.
Common Recipe Faqs About This Spicy Fried Shrimp Tacos Recipe
Yes, you can bake crispy boom boom shrimp, but it will change the texture. Add shrimp to a baking sheet and bake until brown and crispy.
Boom boom sauce is a delicious, sweet and spicy sauce.
Corn or flour tortillas both work well for crispy shrimp coated in homemade spicy sauce.
Place shrimp in the air fryer basket and cook until golden brown. For extra crispy shrimp, use a deep fryer.
Add the shrimp and fry them in small batches to be sure not to overcrowd the pan.
You can substitute shrimp with breaded and fried cauliflower or tofu.
Expert Tips for Making Boom Boom Recipe
- Season the Breading: Don’t be afraid to add spices to the breading mixture for extra flavor.
- Use a Thermometer: Ensure the oil is at the correct temperature (350-375°F/175-190°C) for frying.
- Don’t Overcook the Shrimp: Shrimp cook quickly, so be careful to not overcook them.
- Warm the Tortillas: Warm tortillas are more pliable and taste better.
- Balance the Flavors: Balance the richness of the boom boom sauce with fresh, crunchy vegetables.
- Fresh Lime: A squeeze of fresh lime juice adds brightness to the tacos.
- Toppings: Sliced Avocado, tomato, green onion, fresh herbs like cilantro, sesame seeds and a squeeze of lime are wonderful.
- Black Bean and Corn SalsaServe this Recipe With: Serve boom boom shrimp with Mexican Rice and Beans, or Skinny Margaritas.
More Recipes You Might Like
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Boom Boom Shrimp Tacos
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Equipment
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Ingredients
Shrimp Tacos
- 10 ounces Frozen breaded shrimp
- 2 cups Asian coleslaw mix, 1 pacakge
- ¼ cup Boom Boom Sauce, recipe below, divided
- 16 Avocado slices
- 8 Soft flour taco shells
Boom Boom Sauce
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Sweet chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon Sriracha
Instructions
Boom Boom Sauce
- Place all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Shrimp Tacos
- Prepare shrimp according to package directions.
- In a large bowl, combine coleslaw mix and Boom Boom sauce.
- Warm taco shells by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving on high for 30 seconds.
- Place ¼ cup of coleslaw mixture on each taco shell.
- Drizzle with Boom Boom sauce.
- Top with avocado slices and cooked shrimp.
- Drizzle with more Boom Boom Sauce.
Christina’s Notes
- Season the Breading: Don’t be afraid to add spices to the breading mixture for extra flavor.
- Use a Thermometer: Ensure the oil is at the correct temperature (350-375°F/175-190°C) for frying.
- Don’t Overcook the Shrimp: Shrimp cook quickly, so be careful to not overcook them.
- Warm the Tortillas: Warm tortillas are more pliable and taste better.
- Balance the Flavors: Balance the richness of the boom boom sauce with fresh, crunchy vegetables.
- Fresh Lime: A squeeze of fresh lime juice adds brightness to the tacos.
- Toppings: Sliced Avocado, tomato, green onion, fresh herbs like cilantro, sesame seeds and a squeeze of lime are wonderful.
- Serve this Recipe With: Serve boom boom shrimp with Mexican Rice and Beans, Jennifer Aniston Salad or Skinny Margaritas.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
The boom boom sauce is SO good! Thanks for the recipe.
These shrimp tacos look amazing! I have never had Boom Boom sauce before, but it sounds so flavorful and fun! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Sheetz sauce is one of my favorite things and these tacos are AMAZING!! Love that you tossed it with the slaw too!
Sounds delish. I have a mayo hater. Has anyone tried substituting something like greek yogurt for the mayo & if so…how did it turn out?
I haven’t. But I’d love to know how it turns out of you try it.
I haven’t tried this, but please let me know if you do!
I subbed Greek yogurt, and it was great!!
That sounss kinda like subway’s Chipotle southwest sauce. A mixture of mayo, mustard, garlic and Chipotle
Christina, this looks delicious!
My husband loves shrimp and avocado! The Boom Boom sauce sounds like a winner!
Loving this sauce… very creative!
Just wanted you to know that your recipe is being featured on foodie friday today. I will be pinning and tweeting it this week too. http://www.simplelivingeating.com/2014/04/haddock-with-parsley-cream-sauce-foodie.html
Looks Delish! Thank you for sharing. You are one of the features today at the Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. Here is the link so you can check out your feature. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2014/04/make-it-pretty-monday-week-96.html Hope to see you again at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
WOW! That is awesome! Thanks so much for featuring me! 🙂
This sounds sooo great! thanks for sharing!
Yum!! I love shrimp. This recipe is certainly pin-worthy. Thank you.
These look so delicious! The sauce sounds really good!
Christina, these look amazing! I also appreciate that they’re easy to prepare. Pinned!
Wow, what an amazing sauce. Thanks so much for bringing this terrific dinner to foodie friday.
I love sweet chili sauce and I love shrimp tacos! You could totally go thai with this via thai basil and/or cilantro and mint. I love tacos!
OMGosh! My husband would looooooooooooooove these!! I’ll have to try them next week! Yummy! Thanks for sharing!
They are CRAZY good! You won’t be disappointed! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
These look amazing. I love the sauce. I’m Pinning. I’m following on Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter. I already follow you on G+. I have a party going on and would love to have you share this.
Debi @ Adorned From Above
Thanks for the follows! I’m glad you like them! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Yum! This looks so tasty (and the boom boom sauce, well, I think I must try this soon). Pinned it. Have a great week. found you at lbccastpartywed.
The boom boom sauce is incredible! Thanks for stopping by!
Shrimp tacos….yummmmmy! I am going to have to make some of that boom boom sauce. We go through Sriracha probably faster than a carton of milk (slight exaggeration there) Looks awesome. Thanks for sharing. Pinning!
HAHA! We do too! We love our sriracha! Thanks for stopping by!
I love this recipe and I am putting it on my menu for next week! Thanks for sharing. I saw you on the busy Monday link up.
Stephanie
I hope you love them as much as we do! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂