Vegan Bang Bang Sauce

Name: Vegan Bang Bang Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Vegan Mayo; 1/4 cup Sweet Chili Sauce (see above); 1 tablespoon Hot Sauce (see above); 2 teaspoons Rice Vinegar; 1 Garlic Clove (minced); Pinch of Salt; Pinch of Black Pepper

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This Vegan Bang Bang Sauce is a sweet, spicy, creamy sauce that is best served with crispy tofu, cauliflower or vegan shrimp! It’s such a delicious and easy sauce to add to all kinds of dishes to add an insane amount of flavor. This sauce recipe comes together in under 5 minutes and is quite literally the easiest recipe ever!

Serve this spicy & sweet sauce with crispy breaded Vegan Shrimp or Tofu Nuggets!

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This copycat recipe is inspired by Bonefish Grill’s popular Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer. It’s not vegan so I’ve never had it but it’s been made very popular on the internet and I just needed to try out the vegan version! This homemade version is incredibly delicious so I wanted to share it with you!

Recipe Ingredients

This delicious easy vegan homemade sauce is sweet and savory and made with mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, hot sauce, and a little vinegar. You’re going to love this spicy sauce!

Vegan Mayo
Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
Hot Sauce or Sriracha Sauce
Rice Vinegar
Garlic Clove

Ingredient Notes

Bang bang sauce comes together in under 5 minutes and uses very simple ingredients!

Vegan Mayo: The base of our sauce! The mayo gives us a creamy, delicious base.
Sweet Chili Sauce: Brings the sweet flavor and chili flavor!
Hot Sauce: Adds a spicy kick. Use as much or as little as you like.
Rice Vinegar: A touch of an acidic ingredient to balance the sweet and spice.
Garlic Clove: Gotta have garlic!
Salt & Black Pepper: Flavor.

Bang bang sauce ingredients in small bowls.

Is Sweet Chili Sauce Vegan?

Almost 90% of store-bought sweet chili sauces are vegan-friendly. I use Thai Kitchen which has a certified vegan label. Simply read the ingredients, and you should be able to find one easily. If not, you make it from scratch!

Is Sriracha Vegan?

Some store-bought sriracha brands are vegan but some aren’t. Do some research on brands near you to find a vegan-friendly one. It shouldn’t be too hard but if you struggle to find vegan-friendly sriracha you can replace it in this recipe with Sambal Oelek, Chili Garlic Sauce or Original Tabasco.

How to Make This Recipe

When I said this recipe was easy, I wasn’t kidding. This delicious vegan sauce has only one step and takes about 1 minute!

Whisk Everything Together: Mix the vegan mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, hot sauce, rice vinegar, and garlic together in a mixing bowl. Whisk it until everything is combined. Taste and adjust the following: hot sauce, vinegar, salt and black pepper.

Vegan bang bang sauce being whisked together.

Tips & Tricks

Taste it. Once your sauce is done, do a taste test. If it is too spicy, add a little more mayo to cut some of the heat. If it’s too sweet, add a little more hot sauce. Needs more acid? Add more vinegar or maybe some lime juice.

Add maple syrup. If you like it to be a little less of a kick and a little sweeter, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of maple syrup or agave to your sauce. The original inspiration has honey but I found the sweet chili sauce to add plenty of sweetness.

Make ahead. The delicious sauce can be enjoyed right away but it is even better if you make the sauce ahead and let all the ingredients hang out together for a few hours!

Variations:

Substitutions

Vegan Mayo: You can substitute vegan mayo with unsweetened vegan greek yogurt or vegan-friendly sour cream.
Hot Sauce: If you don’t want any added heat, simply omit it. I like it with extra spice so I tend to add 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons but the spice is really up to you!
Fresh Garlic: Simply substitute with garlic powder.

Additions:

Lime Juice: Sometimes instead of rice vinegar, I add lime juice for added flavor and acidity. It’s delicious!
Maple Syrup: The original recipe inspiration contains honey but I found the chili sauce was sweet enough, if you’d like you can add 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup or vegan honey. This can also be added if you added too much hot sauce for your preference.

Serving Ideas

This homemade bang bang sauce recipe is a super tasty sauce that is creamy, sweet, spicy, savory and tasty. It can be paired with veggies or vegan chicken nuggets!

As an appetizer: Bake or fry some crispy cauliflower, tofu or vegan shrimp and serve with a side of this delicious vegan bang bang sauce.

As a meal: Bake or fry some crispy cauliflower, tofu or vegan shrimp and add to a corn or flour tortilla with slaw and a drizzle of this quick and easy bang bang sauce. Or serve drizzled over a sushi rice bowl, over grain bowls or served with vegetables or french fries! This is a very versatile sauce and is tasty and served with many different dishes.

Crispy fried vegan shrimp served with bang bang sauce and lime wedge.

Storage

Store your leftover creamy bang bang sauce in an airtight jar for up to a week. The leftover sauce tastes better when the flavors get to meld together for a few hours or days!!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I make this sauce healthier?

Use vegan unsweetened yogurt instead of mayo.

How should I serve this sauce?

This sauce is traditionally served with a crispy fried protein with a heavy drizzle of this sauce over top or on the side. I love serving it with crispy cauliflower, tofu or vegan shrimp.

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If You Make This Recipe:

I would greatly appreciate if you share your review in the comments below and leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating. I really appreciate it- it helps me out so much! Don’t forget to add if you made any fun substitutions. Thank you!