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Switching things up with Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos with Fried Avocado. Crispy pan-fried avocado stuffed into warmed tortillas and topped with extra saucy, spicy-sweet, bang bang style shrimp. A fun take on a restaurant-style favorite. And the fried avocado…well it only takes things up a notch. Quick and simple, no deep-frying, saucy, and so delicious.
Bang bang shrimp tacos have been on my to-make list for a while now, but something was holding me back. They just didn’t feel quite special enough. Something felt like it was missing.
We all know I love to recreate restaurant-style favorites at home, so I knew these had potential. And that sweet, spicy, and creamy bang bang sauce sounded pretty darn delicious. It has sweet Thai chili sauce, which is always a favorite.
But when recipes don’t feel exciting enough, I usually hold off on making them or just forget about them altogether. So sometimes they never see the light of day, but other times, I’ll finally figure out that one missing element.
And that’s what happened with these tacos.
My cousin Maggie and I were walking to dinner in Vail the other night when she mentioned that she really wanted me to make fried avocado tacos.
When she mentioned it, I dismissed the idea, because to be completely honest, I’ve never understood why you’d fry an avocado. It’s awesome just as is, you know?
But the next day, I saw bang bang shrimp on my recipe list and something about the idea of the crispy avocado with the saucy shrimp sounded like perfection. And then, I was excited. Which was awesome, because recipes have been tricky lately.
Obviously, I made the tacos, and happily, they turned out sooo good. The avocado adds just the right amount of crispiness to the saucy shrimp. It’s a different taco, but it sure is delicious.
The details
Start with the sauce. Bang bang sauce is usually mayo, sweet Thai chili sauce, and hot sauce. I doubled the sweet Thai sauce and used an avocado oil-based mayo. You could also use yogurt, but I do think mayo is probably best here.
I also added a zest of lime. This gives the bang bang sauce just the right amount of zing.
For the shrimp, it’s actually pretty simple. Traditionally, restaurants will deep fry the shrimp and then toss them with the bang bang sauce. But I really hate frying, so I simply dipped the shrimp in flour and pan-fried them. It worked pretty perfectly, with no fried taste, which we prefer.
And then the avocado. It’s coated in Panko bread crumbs and then pan-fried. Truly soo delicious. The avocado on its own is reason enough to make these. Crunchy outside, so creamy inside.
Finish them up
Layer up some shredded lettuce or cabbage, cilantro, and then the fried avocado. Add the saucy shrimp, then drizzle over extra sauce. Looks fancy, and like these tacos took hours to prepare, but in reality, there’s nothing fancy about them.
Again, these aren’t traditional. Or even made in the traditional way of bang bang style shrimp. But they are fun, and they’re pretty darn delicious!
Looking for other taco recipes, try these:
Crispy Braised Chipotle Beef Tacos
Mushroom Al Pastor Tacos with Garlic Lime Special Sauce
Crispy Chipotle Sweet Potato Tacos with Lime Crema
Lastly, if you make these Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos with Fried Avocado, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Bang Bang Shrimp and Fried Avocado Tacos
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 791 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1/2 cup olive oil mayo
- 1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce, or to taste
- 3 teaspoons hot sauce
- flaky sea salt
- 1 lime, zested + quartered
Tacos
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, or use gluten-free
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons mixed white and black sesame seeds
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 avocados, sliced
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil, or peanut oil, for cooking
- 12 warm tortillas, for serving
- shredded cabbage and cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- 1. To make the sauce. Combine mayo, chili sauce, hot sauce, and lime zest in a bowl. Season with salt. 2. To make the tacos. In a bowl, combine the flour, onion powder, and garlic powder. Dredge the shrimp through the flour to coat. Place on a plate. 3. In a bowl, combine the Panko and sesame seeds. Add the egg to another bowl. Toss the avocado slices with lime juice. Dip the avocado in the egg, then dredge through the Panko crumbs. 4. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the avocado slices, in batches if needed, and cook until golden, 1-2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining avocado. Season with salt. 5. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add the shrimp and sear until pink on both sides, 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and toss with half the sauce. 6. Stuff the greens/cilantro, fried avocado, and shrimp into the warmed tortillas. Serve with the remaining sauce.
Holy moly this was delicious! The fried avocado is a great addition, so yummy and such great texture! I fried my avocado and shrimp in coconut oil, which I recommend – lends a slightly tropical flair which goes so well. Also added mango slices along with the shredded cabbage and cilantro at the end – highly recommend. Another awesome taco recipe from HBH! 🙂
Hey Liv,
Happy Sunday!!💕 Thanks so much for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, so glad it was a hit! xx
Hi!! I’m making these this weekend! What tortillas did you use and how did you warm them? I see those nice charred edges!
Thank you!
Hey Jen,
I used corn tortillas and I heat them directly over my stove top flame for the char marks. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Huge hit with my family!
Hey Kristen,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xx
Great flavors that hit the tongue all at once. 5 out of 5.
-Per my 16 year old daughter.
Hi Kris,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it:) xTieghan
This recipe is a Must Try. I had never tried crispy avocado before. I am hooked!! This will go on my favorite recipe list. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Dana,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! xT
Hi Tieghan,
Your Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos were requested by my granddaughter, Jolie, when she was staying with us for a few days. Her mother makes them, and she thought I would love them as well. She was spot on!! The first time I made this recipe I didn’t have any Panko crumbs, so I didn’t fry the avocadoes. But it was completely delish anyway! The next time I made them I was prepared and fried the avocados…. Oh, my goodness that was amazing and well worth the extra time! This is definitely on its way to becoming a must make recipe tradition whenever Jolie visits and we want YUM overload with a whole lotta delicious sauce involved?
Hi Marla,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks so much for making it sharing your review:) Thanks for your kind message? xTieghan
Perfection! What an amazing sweet, spicy, crunch, smooth, delicious summer time taco!
Hi Shauna,
Happy Friday! Thanks for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was a winner! ? xx
My family loved this recipe!! Who would have thought to fry avocados and they were delicious!! This was our Father’s Day dinner.
Hey Emily,
Fantastic!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! ?Tieghan
AMAZING recipe! Both me and my boyfriend loved this one and it has gone into my “permanent recipes” folder.
Hey Jessica,
Thanks for your feedback! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it:) Have the best week! xxT
I completely A D O R E this recipe! It’s now the fifth time I’ve made it in the last two months and it seems to just get better everytime! The crunchy avocado is such an amazing edition and the bang bang sauce is delicious. Can’t fault it AT ALL!
Hey Ellis,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xTieghan
We made this tonight and it was delicious! We loved the crispy avocado and that sauce is YUM!
Hey Kylie,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! ?xxT
Perfect combo of flavors in this dish! We used chili paste in soybean oil (which we have on hand for Thai meals) instead of the sweet Thai chili sauce which gave us a darker sauce with a bit more zip. We loved every bite, and only thing we’d do differently is add lime wedges on the plate. Be sure to use firm avocados as they will withstand the handling needed for dredging and frying. We do a lot of tacos and shrimp here on coastal Texas, and this recipe is at the top!
Hey Missy,
Thanks for your comment! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed:) Have a great weekend! xxTieghan
These were amazing!!!!! Love the flavor profile… everything was yummy!!!
Hey Kristi,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! xTieghan
These look awesome but I’m vegetation do you think you could leave the shrimp off?
Hey Kate,
Do you want to just make the avocado tacos? Sure, just use more avocado than what the recipe calls for. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Amazing! We loved it. Such a great blend of flavors and textures!
Hey Amy,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Hi! I LOVE different takes on recipes, without all the ingredients you can’t even pronounce!! Yours are terrific! I will definitely use your site! Yes, my husband and I spent out 25rh wedding anniversary at a cute little French restaurant, with lace curtains, 35 years ago! It’s a place so special that you never forget! Thanks! Norma
Thanks so much for your kind message Norma! I hope you love the recipes:) xx
Loved it! My husband, who never cooks, made this tonight with only a little help and it was light and delicious. Definitely going in the will make again pile
Hey Erika,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it. Have the best week:) xx