Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

Do you love having Chinese takeout but hate all the extra calories?! This healthy bang bang shrimp pasta will satisfy those cravings without the unhealthy additives. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and spicy, and it’s Instant Pot Chinese food that you can enjoy at home. This copycat Bang Bang Shrimp recipe 21 Day Fix friendly and an awesome option for 2B Mindset at lunch if you bulk it up with extra veggies!

Why is this Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta?

I love making Chinese takeout at home. I have a popular recipe for Instant Pot orange chicken that we make quite a bit. It’s another quick and easy recipe that will satisfy the whole family. 

This skinny Bang Bang Shrimp pasta tastes creamy and spicy–and so much healthier than a deep fried shrimp pasta dish. It uses no mayo, cream cheese, or heavy cream, but instead a lower calorie Greek yogurt to make it creamy while keeping the dish healthier. 

Is Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta gluten free?

This pasta could be made gluten free by using brown rice noodles or zucchini noodles. Brown rice noodles have a much shorter cook time, as does zucchini noodles–so keep that in mine while you’re making this recipe. The sauce recipe will stay the same, as it’s gluten free already. 

Is this healthy pasta dish dairy free?

The Greek yogurt makes this dish not dairy free. You could make it without the yogurt, but it wouldn’t be creamy at all. You could use a dairy free yogurt if you have one that you like, or add a bit of extra olive oil for a dairy free Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta that isn’t dry. 

How do I know if my shrimp is cooked? 

Cooking shrimp is 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.” If your shrimp is bright white, you may have overcooked it. 

The internal temperature of shrimp when fully cooked is 165º, 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. 

Is this spicy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta?

The fresno peppers make this a spicy dish! You could 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 you’d rather this pasta be a bit spicier, I’d recommend using jalapeños instead of fresno peppers and possibly doubling the amount if you’d looking for serious spice. 

What are the Portion Fix counts for bang bang shrimp pasta?

I’m glad you asked ;) I have the breakdown right here so you can check it out!

All of the ingredients in this skinny bang bang shrimp are on the approved food list. The nutritional information (calories, carbs, etc) is located at the bottom of the printable recipe card. 

Serves 6
Container Counts for the Ultimate Portion Fix and 21 Day Fix: 12Y, 4R, 1tsp, 12 sweetener teaspoons, 1/2G

Per serving: 2Y, Just over 1/2R, negligible teaspoon, 2 sweetener teaspoons, negligible green

For 2B Mindset this makes a great lunch, you’ll need to add some extra veggies to make sure you hit your percentages for those.

Is this a Weight Watchers Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe?

It is! The Weight Watchers Freestyle SmartPoints for this recipe are 10 per serving. The modification I made to the recipe below is using fat free plain Greek yogurt instead of 2% Greek yogurt. You could also swap the pasta for zucchini noodles or reduce the amount of honey in the recipe, which will lower your points. The noodles and honey are what makes this pasta dish high in SmartPoints. 

How do I make bang bang shrimp in the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker? 

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. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing.
5) 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.
6) Slowly mix in the Greek yogurt, sriracha, and green onions. If you like your pasta less creamy, use less. Serve while still hot.

Can I make Crockpot Bang Bang Shrimp instead?

You sure can, the slow cooker directions are right here:

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

How do I make Bang Bang Shrimp on the stove?

1) Cook the spaghetti noodles according to the directions on the box. Drain and rinse is cool water.
2) In a skillet, heat to coconut oil on medium high heat. Sauté the garlic and Fresno peppers. Add the shrimp, lime juice, salt and pepper to the skillet. 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.
3) Remove the lid. Mix in the honey, rice vinegar, and sriracha or hot sauce. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is pink and translucent.
4) 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.

What ingredients are in this Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta?

dry whole wheat spaghetti noodles 
raw FROZEN jumbo shrimp (peeled & deveined) 
minced garlic
coconut oil 
honey 
fresno peppers (or jalapenos, or skip that if you’d rather not have the spice)
lime juice
pepper
rice vinegar (you’ll want unsweetened/unflavored)
plain 2% Greek yogurt
sriracha or other hot sauce
green onions 

Do you know of any other delicious and healthy shrimp recipes?

• Easy Shrimp Cakes with Creole Sauce You can easily use chicken or crab in this recipe, too! The sauce makes it–don’t skip it! 
• Baked Buffalo Shrimp with Goat Cheese Buffalo anything is my favorite–I love how easy this recipe is to put together in a casserole dish. 
• Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash Fra Diavolo  Seriously fancy but so easy!! This is one of our favorites. 
• Stuffed Avocado with Shrimp and Pineapple Lunch, anyone? This recipe is so easy and those pineapple flavors are one of my favorite. 
• Deconstructed Fish Tacos I know this isn’t shrimp, but using this recipe to make shrimp tacos is SO yummy!! 

21 Day Fix Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta Printable Recipe:

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Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

This healthy Bang Bang Shrimp pasta will satisfy your craving without all of the calories! With just the right amount of sweet and spicy, this is an healthy Instant Pot Chinese food recipe for the entire family. 21 Day Fix friendly, a perfect 2B Lunch idea when paired with extra veggies.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 405kcal

Author: Becca Ludlum

Ingredients

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

Optional: salt to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Turn the Instant Pot to saute. Add the coconut oil and allow it to melt and heat up.
• Next add the garlic and Fresno peppers. Saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Break the spaghetti noodles in half and arrange in the Instant Pot. Pour the water over the noodles.
• 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.
• 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.

Stove top:

• Cook the spaghetti noodles according to the directions on the box. Drain and rinse is cool water.
• 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.
• Remove the lid. Mix in the honey, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is pink and translucent.
• 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.

Slow cooker:

• In the slow cooker insert combine all the ingredients except the Greek yogurt and green onions.
• 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.

Video

Notes

Serves 6 Entire recipe: 12Y, 4R, 1tsp, 12 sweetener teaspoons, 1/2G Per serving: 2Y, Just over 1/2R, negligible teaspoon, 2 sweetener teaspoons, negligible green // Weight Watchers Points: 10 points per serving (using fat-free plain 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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