Crockpot Bang Bang Shrimp

If you love that creamy, spicy-sweet bang bang shrimp from your favorite restaurant but hate standing over a fryer, this crockpot version is going to become your new go-to. Crockpot bang bang shrimp gives you all that same crave-worthy flavor—tender shrimp coated in a sweet chili and mayo sauce with a little kick—without any breading, frying, or oil splatter on your stove. You just mix a simple sauce, toss in the shrimp, and let the slow cooker do the work while you handle everything else on your to-do list. In about an hour, you’ve got a dinner that tastes like takeout but costs a fraction of the price. Let’s get into it.

Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Bang Bang Shrimp

• It’s genuinely hands-off. No standing at the stove watching oil temperature or flipping shrimp in batches. Mix, dump, and walk away.
• The sauce does double duty. It’s rich enough for lettuce wraps, thin enough to toss with rice, and punchy enough to stand up to noodles.
• It’s ready fast. Shrimp cook quickly even on low, so this is a legitimate weeknight option, not a “start it before work” situation.
• It’s easy to adjust. More heat, less heat, extra creamy, extra tangy—the sauce bends to what your family actually likes.

What You’ll Need

For the shrimp:

• 2 pounds large shrimp (21-25 count), peeled and deveined, tails off — fresh or fully thawed if frozen
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the bang bang sauce:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (full-fat gives the creamiest texture, but light mayo works)
• 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce (found near the Asian foods aisle)
• 1-2 tablespoons sriracha, depending on your spice tolerance
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

For serving:

• Cooked white rice, or lettuce cups for a low-carb option
• Sliced green onions and sesame seeds, for topping
• Lime wedges

A few notes on ingredients: buy shrimp already peeled and deveined if your grocery store carries it—it saves real time and the cost difference is small. If you can’t find sweet chili sauce, you can sub in equal parts ketchup and honey with a splash of vinegar, though the flavor will be a touch less complex. You’ll also want a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker for this amount of shrimp; anything smaller will crowd them and they won’t cook evenly.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Make the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, rice vinegar, and garlic until smooth. It should look like a pale coral-pink sauce with no streaks of mayo left. Set aside about a third of it in a separate small bowl for serving later.
2. Season the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels—this matters, since wet shrimp will water down your sauce. Toss them with the olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper.
3. Combine in the crockpot. Add the shrimp to your slow cooker and pour the larger portion of sauce over top. Gently stir so every piece gets coated.
4. Cook on low. Cover and cook on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or on high for 25 to 30 minutes. You’re looking for shrimp that are opaque, pink, and curled into a loose “C” shape. Don’t walk away for too long here—overcooked shrimp turn rubbery fast, and slow cookers can run hotter than you’d expect once shrimp are involved.
5. Check for doneness. Cut one shrimp in half at the thickest part. It should be white all the way through with no translucent gray center.
6. Finish and serve. Spoon the shrimp and sauce over rice or into lettuce cups. Drizzle with the reserved sauce, then top with green onions, sesame seeds, and a squeeze of lime.

Pro Tips

• Don’t skip patting the shrimp dry. This is the single biggest thing that separates a thick, clingy sauce from a watery one.
• Set a timer, and check early the first time you make this. Every slow cooker runs a little differently, and shrimp go from perfect to tough in a matter of minutes.
• Use fresh garlic, not the jarred stuff, if you can. It makes a noticeable difference in a sauce this simple.
• Reserve some sauce before cooking. The sauce that cooks with the shrimp gets thinner from the liquid they release. Fresh sauce on top brings back that thick, restaurant-style texture.
• If using frozen shrimp, thaw completely and drain well. Cooking from frozen adds excess water to the pot and dilutes the sauce.

Variations to Try

• Extra spicy: Add an extra tablespoon of sriracha or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce directly into the mix.
• Budget-friendly: Medium shrimp (41-50 count) work fine and typically cost less per pound—just shorten your cook time by about 10 minutes.
• Pineapple bang bang shrimp: Stir in a cup of pineapple chunks during the last 15 minutes for a sweeter, fruitier take.
• Bang bang shrimp tacos: Serve in warm corn tortillas with shredded cabbage and extra sauce instead of over rice.

Storage and Reheating

Let leftovers cool, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Shrimp don’t hold up well beyond that—the texture starts to break down. To reheat, warm gently in a skillet over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, just until heated through. Avoid the microwave if you can, since it tends to make shrimp rubbery. This dish isn’t a great candidate for freezing, since the mayo-based sauce can separate once thawed.

FAQ

Can I make crockpot bang bang shrimp with frozen shrimp?
Yes, but thaw it fully first and pat it dry. Cooking straight from frozen adds too much extra liquid to the pot.

Why is my sauce watery?
This usually happens when the shrimp aren’t dried well before cooking, or when they release extra liquid during cooking. Reserving some fresh sauce to add after cooking fixes this every time.

Can I double this recipe?
You can, but use a larger 6 to 8-quart slow cooker so the shrimp aren’t overcrowded, which can lead to uneven cooking.

Is bang bang shrimp very spicy?
Not as written—it’s more sweet with a mild kick. You control the heat level entirely through how much sriracha you add.

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RECIPE CARD

Crockpot Bang Bang Shrimp
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs large shrimp (21-25 count), peeled and deveined
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
• 1-2 tbsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Cooked rice or lettuce cups, for serving
• Green onions, sesame seeds, lime wedges, for topping

Instructions:

1. Whisk mayo, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, vinegar, and garlic. Reserve 1/3 of sauce.
2. Pat shrimp dry; toss with oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Add shrimp to slow cooker; pour remaining sauce over and stir to coat.
4. Cook on low 45 min–1 hour (or high 25-30 min) until shrimp are opaque and curled.
5. Check doneness by cutting a shrimp in half; it should be opaque throughout.
6. Serve over rice or in lettuce cups, topped with reserved sauce, green onions, sesame seeds, and lime.