Re-create an iconic Bonefish Grill favorite using salmon instead of shrimp with just 5 ingredients! This Bang Bang Salmon recipe consists of a crispy panko-crusted salmon bites flavored with a creamy sweet and spicy sauce.
Plus, this 5-ingredient salmon recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes and brings tons of flavor. The trick is using my 3-ingredient Bang Bang sauce as both the binder between the salmon and breadcrumbs and the finishing sauce.
Because as a mom who loves gourmet food despite a hectic schedule, I love a shortcut that saves time and effort without skimping on flavor.
The crispy bite-sized salmon with delicious sauce works great as app or with your fave sides for a drool-worthy main course. And if you’re loving this breaded crispy salmon bites, you’ve got to check out these Baked Salmon Nuggets next!
Bang Bang Salmon Ingredients & Substitutions
Here’s everything you need:
- Skinless salmon. I used fresh salmon, but you can use frozen, too! If you are using frozen salmon, make sure to allow it to defrost first. Thaw by transferring from the freezer to the refrigerator at least 24 hours beforehand or add it to a bag and submerge the bag in room temperature water for about 45 minutes.
- Panko. You can use another type of breadcrumb in a pinch, but while testing, I found that Panko gave the exterior a noticeably crunchier texture when compared to other types of breadcrumbs.
- Mayonnaise. You can use Greek Yogurt, but it adds a tangy taste that differs from the original Bang Bang shrimp you know and love.
- Thai Sweet Chili Sauce. I used Kikkoman brand.
- Sriracha. Or similar.
Salmon with Bang Bang Sauce Tips and Tricks
Toast the Panko
Panko makes for a delicious crust for fish. Pre-toasting your Panko is the best way to get a crispy breading for salmon.
Cubed salmon cooks quickly, faster than the amount of time it takes for the Panko to get golden-brown. Overcooked salmon is very dry, so we don’t want to leave it in the oven too long.
This means, the best way to get that beautiful golden brown on your bang bang salmon bites is to toast it before coating your salmon in it.
Simply preheat your oven to 400°F and spread your Panko out on a baking sheet. Then, toast the Panko on the top rack of the oven for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
I tested this recipe both with pre-toasting and without pre-toasting the Panko. There is a significant difference in texture, making the pre-toasting worth it to me.
That being said, if you’re feeling a little lazy or are strapped for time, you can skip the pre-toast and still have a relatively crispy, satisfying meal.
How to Prep Salmon for Crunchy Bite-Sized Pieces
Before you start coating and breading the salmon, it’s best to remove excess moisture to achieve an enjoyable texture on your salmon.
Place your salmon filets skin-side down and use a paper towel to lightly press down from the top to lightly pat them dry. Drying your fish is the easiest way to avoid a mushy texture.
I like to make this recipe with fresh fish, but you can also easily use frozen salmon!
Just make sure to allow the salmon to thaw overnight in the refrigerator or, for a quicker defrosting technique, add it to a plastic or reusable storage bag and submerge the bag in room temperature water for about 45 minutes to defrost.
I typically buy skinless salmon for this recipe, but you can also remove the skin from your salmon at home with a sharp knife.
How to Make 3-Ingredient Bang Bang Sauce
Once your salmon is prepped, whip up your quick and easy bang bang sauce.
Use a fork or whisk to mix together the mayonnaise, Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, and sriracha. I find that 1 tablespoon of sriracha gives the sauce the perfect balance of salty, spicy, and sweet.
However, if you’re sensitive to spice, I suggest starting with a little less. You can always add more! On the flip side, if you LOVE spicy salmon, you can add as much sriracha as you want to tailor the sauce to your taste.
How to Coat Salmon in Breading
We want to coat the salmon in the crunchy Panko to get that iconic crispy exterior you get in the original bang bang shrimp. So, we need a binder to hold the breading onto the salmon.
A common binder in something breaded like this is an egg wash, but I really wanted to keep this recipe super simple. So, i thought why not use the bang bang sauce as both the binder AND the finishing sauce?
This means less ingredients and less time required, plus more of that delicious bang bang flavor infused into the salmon!
Toss the prepped salmon in about ¼ cup of the sauce you made (save the rest for later!!), ensuring each piece is completely coated in the sauce.
Then, add the toasted Panko to the bowl with the bang bang sauced-up salmon and toss again to form the crust.
How to Get the Crispiest Panko-Crusted Salmon
Next, pour the crusted salmon onto your baking sheet—you can just use the same one you toasted the Panko on!
Bake on the top rack at 400°F for 8-10 minutes. The internal temperature of the salmon should reach 145°F.
If you would like to use your convection oven, set it to 375°F. If you would like to use an air fryer, set it to 375°F and air fry for 4-6 minutes.
Though this is optional, if you truly want to the most even crunch on the salmon, flip it halfway through.
How to Serve Salmon with Bang Bang Sauce
Once your salmon is done baking, top it with a little bit of the extra bang bang sauce. Note: the longer the salmon sits in the sauce, the more likely it is to lose some of its crunch. Always add your sauce just before serving.
This bang bang salmon can be served on its own as an appetizer, but also makes a GREAT centerpiece for your main meal.
Here are some of my favorite things to serve this crispy salmon with:
- Coconut Rice or plain Basmati Rice
- Roasted Baby Potatoes and Broccoli
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes
How to Properly Store and Reheat Bang Bang Salmon
Leftover bang bang salmon bites will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container. They can be reheated in several ways, including the oven, air-fryer, or toaster oven!
Preheat the oven (or air fryer, or toaster oven!) to 450°F and place the leftover salmon on a baking sheet. If you have a convection setting on your oven, it’s a great opportunity to use it here!
Reheat on the top rack for 4-5 minutes until heated all the way through. The internal temperature of the salmon should ideally reach 145°F.
You can also freeze leftover bang bang salmon bites for up to 3 months. It’s best to thaw them completely before reheating them by using one of the options outlined above.
Reheating them in the oven directly from the freezer is possible but will likely make them dry. You can thaw them by allowing them to sit in the fridge overnight, or by adding them to a sealed bag and allowing it to sit in tepid water for about 30-45 minutes.
5-Ingredient Crispy Bang Bang Salmon
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEEquipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 10 ounces skinless salmon
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise (or Greek Yogurt)
- 3 tablespoons Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha (or more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Spread the Panko out on a baking sheet and toast on the top rack of the oven for 2-4 minutes until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, prep your salmon. Pat dry your salmon with a paper towel (consider these bamboo paper towels for a more sustainable option!) and slice it into bite-sized cubes, about 1 cubic inch in size.
- Make your bang bang sauce by whisking together the mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, and sriracha. Separate out ¼ cup of the sauce to use now and save the rest for later.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the prepped salmon and ¼ cup of the homemade bang bang sauce and toss to coat. The sauce will act as a binder for the crust.
- Then, add the toasted Panko to the bowl and toss again to coat the salmon in the breadcrumbs to form a crust.
- Turn your salmon bites out onto your baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Optional: flip the salmon halfway through for the most even crunch.
- Add a little extra bang bang sauce on top just before serving. Try it with this coconut rice. Enjoy!
Pro Tips
- I find that 1 tablespoon of sriracha gives the sauce the perfect balance of salty, spicy, and sweet. However, if you’re sensitive to spice, start with a little less. You can always add more!
- Pre-toasting the Panko is the best way to get the outer crust of the salmon crunchy! However, if you’re feeling a little lazy or are pressed for time, you can skip this step and still get a delicious result.
- If you want to use a convection oven, set your oven to 375°F.
- If you want to use an air fryer, set the air fryer to 375°F. Toast the Panko for about 7 minutes or until golden brown, and bake the nuggets for 4-6 minutes.
2 thoughts on “5-Ingredient Crispy Bang Bang Salmon”
We really enjoyed this one and will be having it again – perhaps with extra quantity of the sauce
Hi Jenny!! I’m so glad you enjoyed! I was actually on the fence about whether or not the recipe yielded enough sauce. Based on your comment I went back and reworked it and updated the amount of sauce in the recipe! If you do try it again, please do let me know if you’re happier with the new sauce:salmon ratio! As always, thank you so much for your feedback! It really helps so much!