Copycat Cheesecake Factory Bang Bang Shrimp
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Copycat Cheesecake Factory Bang Bang Shrimp is quick and easy to make bursting with flavor. With this copycat recipe at your fingertips, you can eat bang bang shrimp whenever the cravings strike – in your slippers – at a fraction of the price!
I am a huge fan of Cheesecake Factory. From their wonderfully long diverse menu, to their luscious cheesecakes to their Bang Bang Shrimp.
If you’ve never tried this famous entrée, it is a symphony of flavors and textures, down to the crowning sweet toasted coconut.
In my Copycat Cheesecake Factory Bang Bang Shrimp recipe, we get all the same coconut, Thai curry flavors in under 30 minutes!
How To Make Copycat Cheesecake Factory Bang Bang Shrimp
Hi all, its Jen from Carlsbad Cravings and I am excited to be with you again sharing another quick and easy dinner!
I absolutely love Thai food for its harmonious dance of savory, sweet and sour flavors and so I was super excited to recreate this this Copycat Cheesecake Factory Bang Bang Shrimp. We also have more amazing copycat recipes for you to try!
The ingredient list might look long, but keep in mind most of the ingredients are just dump and run with no time/skill required so it is actually super easy to make and tastes just as good or better (in my humble opinion) than the restaurant version.
If you are looking for more fabulous Thai recipes, be sure to check out my Panang Curry and Pad Thai – you won’t be disappointed!
Helpful Tips to make Copycat Cheesecake Factory Bang Bang Shrimp:
- This recipe calls for smooth peanut butter but if you only have crunchy peanut butter on hand, that will definitely work.
Brands such as Skippy and Jif work best in this recipe as opposed to natural peanut butters because they don’t melt as well. - If you don’t have chicken broth on hand, you can substitute with water.
- Asian Sweet Chili Sauce can be found in the Asian aisle of your grocery store.
It is a dynamic balance of tangy sweet heat derived from red Thai chilies, sugar, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger. - To toast coconut, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread coconut in an even layer on a baking sheet.
Bake for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until coconut is golden. Watch closely towards the end because it will go from golden to burnt very quickly. - You can make this Bang Bang Shrimp perfect for YOU by customizing the consistency, flavor and spice level.
I find Cheesecake Factory Bang Bang Shrimp a little on the sweet side, so I prefer 2 tablespoons Asian Sweet Chili Sauce and 1/2 teaspoon pepper but I recommend tasting first before you change/add any ingredients. - If you would like a thinner sauce, thin with additional chicken broth or water.
- For a spicier sauce, add sriracha.
- For a tangier sauce, add lime juice.
- For a sweeter sauce, add additional brown sugar (keeping in mind the coconut will add sweetness).
What you will need to make Copycat Cheesecake Factory Bang Bang Shrimp:
- Wide Stainless Steel Pan – Using a wide stainless steel pan allows you to cook your shrimp in one batch.
It also heats evenly and quickly which allows your food to cook faster and develop that pretty sear on seafood, chicken and meats that adds a lot of flavor.
Stainless steel pans also clean up beautifully with a little baking soda so they still look brand new. - Garlic Press – One of my moist used kitchen tools! I received mine as a gift years ago and I can’t imagine why I never had one. It minces garlic with one squeeze, with the peel still on!
- Microplane/Zester – This is great for zesting ginger, garlic, citrus and even potatoes. You will use it practically every day!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Copycat Cheesecake Factory Bang Bang Shrimp
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 1 pound medium uncooked shrimp, shelled, deveined, tails on
- 2 tablespoon Asian Sweet Chili Sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Coconut Curry Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, julienned and cut into 1” length pieces (1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 13.5 ounce can quality coconut milk, I like Chaokoh
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1-2 tablespoons Asian/Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, like Mae Ploy (2 for spicier)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce, may sub soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- sriracha to taste, optional
Add later
- 1 small zucchini, julienned and cut into 1” length pieces (1 cup)
- 1/2 cup frozen petite peas
Garnish
- 1/3 cup toasted sweet coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Add shrimp to a medium bowl along with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons Asian Sweet Chili Sauce and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine and set aside while you prep your veggies. (Shrimp may sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.)
- Melt one tablespoon butter over medium high heat in large skillet. Discard shrimp marinade and add shrimp to the pan in a single layer (you may need to work in 2 batches). Cook shrimp just until opaque, about 3 minutes, then flip over and cook another 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Remove shrimp to a cutting board. Chop off tails when cool enough to handle/while sauce is simmering.
- Using the now empty skillet (don’t wipe out), heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook three minutes. Add carrots, ginger, garlic and curry powder and sauté 1 minute. Turn heat to low and add coconut milk. Mix chicken broth with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and add to skillet along with all remaining Coconut Curry Sauce ingredients.
- Bring sauce to a simmer until thickened and the carrots are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini and frozen peas and cook until peas are heated through, about one minute. If you would like a thinner sauce, thin with additional chicken broth or water. For a spicier sauce, add sriracha, for tangier, add lime juice, for sweeter, add additional brown sugar (keeping in mind the coconut will add sweetness).
- Serve with rice and garnish with toasted coconut, green onions and peanuts.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published September 2018
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Why does this recipe not have any comments?! I have been wanting to make this for an embarrassingly long time and finally did last night.
I followed every step exactly as written and it turned out incredible!! Added some red pepper flakes for some extra heat. This was so good! I just had some leftovers and they were even better than yesterday.
Thanks for this yummy recipe, I’ll be sure to make it again.
It was delicious! Glad to have leftovers. Made it with spaghetti instead of rice. I could be wrong, but that's how I remember it from The Cheesecake factory. Everyone raved about it. Thanks!
I never comment on recipes but HAD to comment on this. I love Cheesecake Factory’s version of this dish and this recipe is SPOT ON. It was absolutely delicious and has been added to my list of keepers. I did cook up some chicken tenderloins and added them in as well. Thank you!
YUM
This recipe is SO GOOD. It is a great copycat of the cheesecake factory version, but much cheaper to make! Very delicious!
Holy cow, this was absolutely incredible. We used edamame instead of peas and added red pepper flakes. I’m in love. So good. Thank you!