Bang Bang Chicken Tacos

If you love bang bang chicken or shrimp, these easy, lightened Bang Bang Chicken Tacos are perfect! These sweet and spicy tacos are ready in less than 30 minutes, packed with so much flavor, and couldn’t be easier to make.

Taco Tuesday is one of my family’s favorite dinner themes, but I am always looking for ways to mix things up! While we normally go for Mexican flavors, like these Chicken Street Tacos or Baked Crispy Chicken Tacos, this week I leaned into Asian flavors with these bang bang chicken tacos inspired by one of our favorite appetizers.

And they are everything you want in a meal! Creamy sauce that’s spicy and sweet. Crispy chicken that’s ready in 10 minutes. And a crunchy, creamy slaw. Yum. And if you like these, don’t miss these Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos.

What is Bang Bang Chicken?

Bang Bang Chicken is a twist on Bang Bang Shrimp, an appetizer made famous at Bonefish Grill. Traditionally, Bang Bang Chicken (or shrimp) consists of chunks of deep-fried chicken tossed in a creamy, sweet, and spicy sauce made with mayonnaise, Thai chili sauce, Sriracha, and lime juice.

Since growing in popularity, you can find all kinds of dishes with bang bang sauce, including chicken, shrimp, fish, cauliflower, and tofu. It is also served in various ways, including as an appetizer, in tacos (like today’s recipe), and as an entree.

Ingredients and Swaps

Here is everything you need to make this delicious chicken, plus some helpful shortcuts.

• Chicken: Normally, I make these with boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins. Boneless chicken thighs would work great, too. You can also swap in shrimp, tofu, cauliflower, salmon, or pork.
• Lime juice: Lime juice helps keep the chicken nice and tender while adding a zesty, bright flavor. If you prefer, swap in lemon juice or a drizzle of vinegar.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the secret to getting a crispy coating without deep frying. The chicken won’t be breaded, but coating it in cornstarch gives it a browned, crispy exterior.
• Bang Bang sauce: This lightened-up bang bang sauce is made with light mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Thai sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha. You can make it as spicy or sweet as you like. Feel free to change up the ratio of yogurt and mayo. Typical bang bang sauce is made with all mayonnaise.
• Slaw: Add crunch to these tacos with a simple slaw made from shredded cabbage, cilantro, and green onions tossed in some of the homemade bang bang sauce. If you prefer a non-creamy slaw, simply toss the cabbage with lime juice, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Corn tortillas: Although I love these tacos with warm, toasted corn tortillas, they are also delicious with flour tortillas, low-carb tortillas, jicama tortillas, or lettuce wraps.
• Toppings: You can pile so many extras on these sweet and spicy tacos. Add fresh green onions, sesame seeds, pickled red onions, avocado, cotija cheese, chopped lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and/or hot sauce.
• Shortcuts: For a quick dinner, swap in frozen chicken nuggets, rotisserie chicken (just cut it into chunks and quickly warm in a skillet), or grilled chicken strips from the freezer section.

How to Make Bang Bang Chicken Tacos

Although the ingredient list may look long, these tacos are easy to prepare.

1. Make the bang bang sauce and slaw

Start by combining the light mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha. If you like, add a squeeze of lime juice and/or zest. Stir together and taste. Adjust the spiciness and sweetness (with honey) if needed. Some people also like to add a sprinkle of garlic powder, onion powder, or black pepper.

Set aside half of the sauce for the chicken. Use the remaining sauce to dress the cabbage slaw. Give it a good mix, and let the flavors combine while you make the chicken.

2. Cook the chicken

Start by seasoning the chicken with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Then toss it with the cornstarch until it is well coated. This helps the chicken to get crispy on the outside.

You can cook the chicken in a skillet, on the grill, or in the air fryer.

• Skillet: Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy skillet. Add the chicken chunks in a single layer and cook for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and slightly crispy. Flip the chicken and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes, being careful not to overcook.
• Grill: Heat the grill over medium-high heat, add the chicken chunks to a grill basket, thread them onto skewers, or place them on a piece of foil so they don’t fall through the grill grates, and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through.
• Air Fryer: Place the chicken chunks in the basket of an air fryer preheated to 400 degrees, and cook for 10-12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.

Note: If you prefer crispy, breaded chicken, that’s also an option. Start by setting up a breading station with whisked eggs (or egg whites) and Panko breadcrumbs. Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture and then the breadcrumbs. Cook in the air fryer or bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 4-6 minutes per side (or until cooked through) on a wire rack. Then toss with bang bang sauce right before serving. Or use your favorite chicken nuggets for an easy shortcut!

3. Assemble the tacos

Start by warming up the corn tortillas so they are pliable and slightly toasted. Once warmed, pile in the chicken, slaw, and any toppings you like. Finish with some fresh lime juice.

Side Dish Ideas

This is a meal on its own, but adding some side dishes is always fun. Here are some sides we love to serve with tacos.

• Beans: Serve these tacos with some homemade black beans, refried beans, or black bean and corn salad.
• Corn: Add some grilled corn, corn salad, or Mexican street corn.
• Rice or grains: Add some white rice, cilantro lime cauliflower rice, or quinoa.
• Salad: Double up the veggies and serve these creamy tacos with a Mexican chopped salad, watermelon avocado salad, or edamame salad.

Variations: Tostadas, Salads, Bowls, and More

Although this bang bang chicken is delicious served in tacos, there are many different ways to serve this meal.

• Tostadas: Swap in homemade baked tostada shells for the corn tortillas. Add a thin layer of refried black beans, then pile on the creamy shrimp and crunchy slaw.
• Rice bowls: Start with a layer of white or brown rice. Add the shrimp, sweet and spicy slaw, canned black beans, avocado, corn, and an extra drizzle of Sriracha.
• Salads: For a low-carb option, add a pile of greens, sliced cucumbers, and shredded carrots. Make some extra dressing to drizzle on top.
• Appetizer dip: Believe it or not, this makes such a delicious chicken salad-style dip! Chop the cooked chicken into small pieces, toss with the sauce, and serve with baked tortilla chips, wonton chips, and sliced vegetables. For this option, feel free to use shredded rotisserie chicken.

More Chicken Taco Toppings

If you are looking for more chicken taco topping ideas, try these!

• Avocado or guacamole
• Pickled red onions
• Mango, pineapple, or mango salsa
• Fresh jalapenos
• Cotija cheese or feta cheese
• Sliced radishes
• Fresh lime juice
• Green onions
• Sesame seeds
• Cashews or sliced almonds
• Corn salsa
• Hot sauce

Storage and Leftovers

These tacos are best eaten immediately when the chicken is nice and crispy. However, they do keep well in the fridge, the chicken just won’t be quite as crisp.

Store the chicken and slaw separately in airtight containers for 3-4 days. If possible, wait to toss the chicken and slaw with the bang bang sauce until just before eating.

This chicken does not freeze well since the sauce can separate.