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I love making Chinese food at home, and this healthy Bang Bang Shrimp pasta is one of my favorite shrimp recipes to make.

With just the right amount of sweet, spicy, and creamy, this Instant Pot Chinese food recipe will be a hit with the whole family. Plus, this great recipe uses a lower calorie Greek yogurt instead of mayo, cream cheese, or heavy cream, so you can keep the dish creamy while making it healthier.

images and text of Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta for pinterest

My family requests that I make my Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta often, as it is one of their favorite pasta recipes. I especially love this shrimp pasta dish for busy weeknights because it’s quick and easy to make, whether you cook it in the Instant Pot, on the stove, or in a slow cooker.

Where’s the Recipe?

Readers with all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen visit My Crazy Good Life for healthy and delicious recipes. To make sure you get great results, whether you just started cooking or have made this recipe before, I like to provide a ton of helpful information in my recipes.

However, if you’d like to skip over different variations for making this dish, as well as recipe tips and healthy eating plan information, please just scroll to the bottom of the post where you’ll find an easy-to-print version of this healthier Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta recipe!

Ingredients in Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

  • Dry whole wheat spaghetti noodles: Whole wheat noodles are packed with 3x the fiber and also contain protein, iron, and zinc. You can use angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti if you like. Just note that angel hair pasta doesn’t boil as long as cooked spaghetti noodles.
  • Raw FROZEN jumbo, peeled and deveined shrimp: You’ll want to make sure you use raw frozen shrimp because using raw unfrozen or pre-cooked shrimp will affect your cooking times. Definitely make sure to use deveined and peeled shrimp, too. Do not let the frozen shrimp thaw before cooking.
  • Minced garlic: Use fresh minced garlic if you can, as it will give a great punch of flavor to this dish. If you’re out of fresh minced garlic, though, garlic powder will do in a pinch.
  • Coconut oil: Coconut oil will add a fresh, tropical flavor to this creamy pasta dish. If you don’t have coconut oil, you can swap it for olive oil (but remember that this will change the nutritional counts).
  • Honey: A little honey adds just a touch of sweetness to this delicious dish!
  • Fresno PepperA Fresno pepper is a lot like a jalapeño, but is slightly spicier with smokey undertones. It can add wonderfully complex flavor to a dish. If you prefer, though, a jalapeño will work well in this dish, too! If you don’t want your pasta too spicy or don’t have any peppers on hand, chili powder or red pepper flakes will do, but they will slightly change the flavor of the meal.
  • Lime juice: Fresh lime juice will perfectly complement the coconut oil in adding a tropical zing to your pasta.
  • Black Pepper: Fresh ground black pepper contrasts so well with the sweetness of the honey.
  • Rice vinegar: Look for unsweetened or unflavored rice vinegar to add a bit of tang to this dish.
  • Plain 2% Greek yogurt: Instead of using mayo or cream cheese, this healthy version of Bang Bang Shrimp pasta substitutes plain Greek yogurt. Be sure to purchase the 2%.
  • Sriracha sauce or other hot sauce: Sriracha sauce is easy to get at most grocery stores, but other hot sauces such as Thai sweet chili sauce will work well, too.
  • Green onion: I like using green onions to bring a bit of color and crunch to this pasta dish.
ingredients to make Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

How to Make Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta in the Instant Pot

When calculating your total cooking time, don’t forget to allow a few minutes for your pressure cooker to come to pressure!

  1. Turn the Instant Pot to sauté. Add the coconut oil and allow it to melt and heat up.
  2. Next, add the garlic and Fresno peppers. Sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Break the spaghetti noodles in half and arrange in the Instant Pot. Pour the water over the noodles.
  4. Toss in the frozen shrimp, salt, pepper, rice vinegar, honey, and lime on top of the noodles.
  5. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing.
  6. Cook on high pressure using the manual setting for 3 minutes.
  7. Release the pressure using a controlled quick release method. To do this use a utensil to open and close the pressure valve so that only a little pressure releases at a time. This will prevent liquid from sputtering out the top.
  8. Slowly mix in the Greek yogurt, sriracha, and green onions. If you like your pasta less creamy, use less yogurt.
  9. Serve while still hot.
collage of images showing steps to make Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

How to Make Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta in a Slow Cooker

  1. In the slow cooker, combine all the ingredients except the Greek yogurt and green onions.
  2. Add the lid to the slow cooker.
  3. Cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours or high heat for 1 1/2 hours.
  4. Remove the lid and stir in the Greek yogurt and green onions.
  5. Serve.

How to Make Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta on the Stove Top

  1. Cook pasta until al dente in a large pot according to the directions on the box. Drain the cooked pasta and rinse in cool water.
  2. In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil (or olive oil) on medium-high heat.
  3. Sauté the garlic and Fresno peppers. Add the shrimp, lime juice, salt and pepper to the skillet.
  4. Mix it up and allow the spices to coat the shrimp, and then cover and let cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is defrosted.
  5. Remove the lid. Mix the honey, rice vinegar, and Sriracha or other hot sauce in a small mixing bowl, and then add to the shrimp.
  6. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the shrimp are pink and opaque.
  7. Turn off the heat. Add the hot pasta noodles to the pan with the shrimp. Mix in the Greek yogurt and green onions.
  8. Garnish and serve immediately.
black bowl with Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

Recipe Tips

  • This delicious recipe has shrimp. We love to eat shrimp, however cooking shrimp can be a little tricky the first time, but you’ll quickly get the hang of it. You’ll be looking for the shrimp to turn pink and a little bit white instead of gray and translucent or “clear.” Uncooked shrimp is usually gray and translucent, so if you are still seeing that color they are not cooked enough. If your shrimp are bright white, you may have overcooked them.
  • The internal temperature of shrimp when fully cooked is 120º, as measured by a meat thermometer. You’re looking for the shrimp to form a C shape when they’re finished cooking. If you see an O shape, they’re overcooked.
  • The Fresno peppers make this a spicy dish! You can use peppers with less spice or omit the peppers entirely if you’d rather not have spice in this dish, and it won’t affect the cooking time or quality of the dish.
  • If, on the other hand, you’d rather this pasta be a bit spicier, I’d recommend using a spicer pepper like serrano instead of Fresno peppers, and adding a teaspoon or two more of red pepper flakes for some serious spice. Do note that using red pepper flakes will modify the overall flavors of the original sauce ingredients.
  • This pasta can be made gluten free by using brown rice noodles or zucchini noodles. Both have a much shorter cook time, as do zucchini noodles, so keep that in mind while you’re making this recipe. The sauce recipe will stay the same as it is gluten free already.
  • This dish is not dairy free because of the Greek yogurt. You can substitute plain greek yogurt with a dairy free yogurt if you have one that you like, or add an extra bit of olive oil for a dairy free Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta that isn’t dry.
image from above with black bowl full of Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

Healthy Eating Plans

Portion Fix & 21 Day Fix

Entire recipe: 6 yellow containers | 4 red containers | 1/2 green containers | 1 tsp | 12 sweetener teaspoons

Per serving: 1 yellow container | Just over 1/2 red container | negligible green container | negligible teaspoon | 2 sweetener teaspoons

2B Mindset

This makes a great lunch, you’ll need to add some extra veggies to make sure you hit your percentages for those.

Weight Watchers

9 2023 Points | 9 Blue Plan Points | 10 Green plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points per serving using sugar free syrup instead of honey, and fat free Greek yogurt.

bowl of Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta in front of Instant Pot

More Healthy Recipes

image from above with black bowl full of Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta
4.18 from 39 ratings
click the stars to rate!

Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

Created by: Becca Ludlum
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Approximate Serving Size: 1 cup
Servings 6 Servings
This Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta will satisfy your restaurant cravings without all of the calories you might find in Chinese takeout.

Equipment

  • Instant Pot 6 qt
  • Kitchen Knife
  • Cutting Board

Ingredients 

  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 3 tsp garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup Fresno peppers diced
  • 13 oz whole wheat pasta spaghetti noodles, dry
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 lb shrimp jumbo, raw and FROZEN, peeled & deveined
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp vinegar rice
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt plain, 2%
  • 1 tbsp sriracha or other hot sauce
  • 1/2 cup green onions

Instructions

  • Turn the Instant Pot to saute. Add the coconut oil and allow it to melt and heat up. 1 tsp coconut oil
  • Next add the garlic and Fresno peppers. Saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant. 3 tsp garlic, 1/4 cup Fresno peppers
  • Break the spaghetti noodles in half and arrange in the Instant Pot. Pour the water over the noodles. 13 oz whole wheat pasta, 4 cups water
  • Toss in the frozen shrimp, pepper, rice vinegar, honey, and lime on top of the noodles. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. 1 lb shrimp, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1/4 cup honey, 1 lime
  • Cook on high pressure using the manual setting for 3 minutes. Release the pressure using a controlled quick release method. To do this use a utensil to open and close the pressure valve so that only a little pressure releases at a time. This will prevent liquid from sputtering out the top.
  • Mix in the Greek yogurt, sriracha, and green onions. Serve while still hot. 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp sriracha , 1/2 cup green onions

Stove top:

  • Cook the spaghetti noodles according to the directions on the box. Drain and rinse in cool water. 13 oz whole wheat pasta
  • In a skillet heat to coconut oil on medium high heat. Saute the garlic and Fresno peppers. Add the shrimp, lime juice, and pepper to the skillet. Mix it up and then cover and let cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is defrosted. 1 tsp coconut oil, 3 tsp garlic, 1/4 cup Fresno peppers, 1 lb shrimp, 1 lime, 1/4 tsp pepper
  • Remove the lid. Mix in the honey, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is pink and opaque. 1/4 cup honey, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp sriracha
  • Turn off the heat. Add the noodles to the pan with the shrimp. Mix in the Greek yogurt and green onions. Garnish and serve warm. 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup green onions

Slow cooker:

  • In the slow cooker insert combine all the ingredients except the Greek yogurt and green onions. 1 tsp coconut oil, 3 tsp garlic, 1/4 cup Fresno peppers, 13 oz whole wheat pasta, 4 cups water, 1 lb shrimp, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1/4 cup honey, 1 lime, 1 tbsp sriracha
  • Add the lid to the slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours or high heat for 1 1/2 hours.
  • Remove the lid and stir in the Greek yogurt and green onions. Serve. 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup green onions

Video

Notes

Serves 6
21 Day Fix counts for the entire recipe: 6 yellow containers, 4 red containers, 1 tsp, 12 sweetener teaspoons, 1/2G  green container.
Per serving: 1 yellow container, Just over 1/2 red container, negligible teaspoon, 2 sweetener teaspoons, negligible green container.
Weight Watchers: 9 2023 Points | 9 Blue Plan Points | 10 Green plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points per serving using sugar free syrup instead of honey, and fat free Greek yogurt.
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 682mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 116IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 206mg | Iron: 3mg

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27 Comments

  1. Christina Hitchcock says:

    5 stars
    This is such a great spin on a recipe my family loves! Delicious and easy to make!

  2. Wilhelmina Wessel says:

    I could eat this everyday!

  3. 5 stars
    Boy, you covered all the bases with this one! I love my Instant Pot so I’m going to give this one a try. I mean, who wouldn’t love shrimp and pasta with a little creamy kick.

  4. 5 stars
    This recipe was superb! Everyone loved it so I will be making it again soon :)

  5. 5 stars
    So much flavor and so easy to make!

  6. Hi! Excited to make this or your orange chicken tonight! Is this pasta recipe easily doubled in the 6 Qt IP? Or do you not recommend? Thank you!!!

    1. Hey Jamie! I’ve doubled this in the 6qt but I’d be careful when you release pressure to make sure it doesn’t spit all over from the pasta.

      1. Thank you!! Sorry to be silly, but would I double the amount of water too? I’m still getting the hang of the IP! Thank you again!!

      2. Hey!! Not silly at all!!

        Normally if you’re doubling a recipe with pasta, it needs more water so the extra pasta can cook. :)

  7. Hi, I’ve tried this recipe a few weeks and it turned out amazing! But the last few times I’ve tried it the ship have turned out purple and burnt. Have you had this issue before, and do you know how I can fix it? Thanks!

    1. I haven’t, Victoria! Did you buy the shrimp in the same place? Could it be an age thing with them turning purple?

      And for the burn issue, I get that sometimes–there doesn’t seem to be too much rhyme or reason? Are you deglazing the pot, maybe making sure the shrimp is at the top?

  8. Do you think you can use non fat Greek yogurt?

    1. yes! It won’t be as creamy, but it will work.

  9. Have a question, how much is one serving?

  10. This was so yummy. What was most surprising was how tender the shrimp was.

  11. I did something wrong. Very watery. But good flavor .. help – it looks like a bad soup

  12. Can I use large shrimp versus jumbo? If so, would the pressure cook time change?

    1. I haven’t made it with large but I can’t imagine it wouldn’t be ok. I’m not sure about the time change as I haven’t tested it :)

  13. Does anyone know how many WW points this would be on the new 2022-2023 points plan?
    My mouth is watering!!
    Thanks!!

    1. Sara Anderson says:

      Hi Sheryl,
      We just updated the post with the new 2022/2023 points. There are 9 points per serving for the new plan. You can lower it by reducing the honey or using zoodles in place of the pasta :)

  14. Can you use a different pepper? I don’t get Frenso Peppers where I live.

  15. Do the leftovers freeze well or could I cut the recipe in half for the IP? There are so many diet restrictions in my house due to ASD diagnosis and Gluten intolerant that I’m starting to cook for just me.

    1. I don’t love leftover pasta, but I’ve heard this freezes well! You could also cut the recipe in half, I’ve done that before.

  16. 5 stars
    This was a great recipe. Super easy and quick to make! I may have added some more spice to add a little more burn 🔥, but the flavors were great! Will make again definitely!

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