Bang Bang Sauce
The creamy pink sauce. Mayo, sweet chilli sauce, sriracha. Three ingredients, two minutes, infinite uses. Born in American sit-down restaurants as a dip for crispy shrimp; works on chicken tenders, fries, burgers, salads, anything that wants a sweet-spicy creamy hit.
Overview
A no-cook three-ingredient sauce. Mayo gives body, sweet chilli sauce brings the sweet-tart-mild-spice base, sriracha tops the heat to whatever level you want. Stirred together, ready immediately. Keeps for weeks in the fridge.
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole-egg mayonnaise (Kewpie excellent; Best Foods or Hellmann's also fine)
- 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce (Thai-style, the orange one)
- 1 tablespoon sriracha (adjust for heat preference)
Method
Stage 1 - Mix
- Combine all three in a small bowl or jar.
- Stir with a spoon until completely smooth and uniformly pink. About 30 seconds.
Stage 2 - Taste and adjust
- Taste. For more sweetness, add another teaspoon of sweet chilli sauce. For more heat, add another teaspoon of sriracha.
- Transfer to a sealed jar if not using straight away.
Notes
- Mayonnaise choice: whole-egg mayo gives the right richness. American salad-dressing-style mayo (Miracle Whip) is too sweet and tangy and clashes with the sweet chilli.
- No sweet chilli sauce?: 2 tablespoons of honey + ½ teaspoon of rice vinegar gives a similar profile. Less complex but workable.
- Vegan version: vegan mayo works as a direct swap. Most sweet chilli sauces and sriracha brands are already vegan.
Serving
The default: a dipping sauce for crispy fried shrimp, chicken tenders, popcorn chicken, calamari. Drizzled over: tacos (fish, shrimp), burgers, salad bowls. Smeared into: chicken wraps, brioche-bun sandwiches, sushi-style hand rolls. Stirred into: cold pasta salads as a dressing.
Storage
- In a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
- The colour deepens slightly over time; flavour stays the same.
- Don't freeze - mayonnaise separates on thawing.
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