Looking for a dipping sauce that packs a punch? Try my mouthwatering Boom Boom Sauce! It has the perfect balance of sweetness and spiciness that will leave you craving more.
And the best part? It’s super easy to whip up in under five minutes, making it the perfect addition to any meal – especially with crispy fried chicken tenders and fried shrimp. Get ready to take your taste buds on a flavor adventure with this irresistible sauce.
What is Boom Boom Sauce?
Boom Boom Sauce is a creamy sauce made from a combination of mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, ketchup, sriracha, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. It is modeled after a dipping sauce from Sheetz Gas Stations – they used to be in North Carolina and Virginia mostly, but now they are spreading across the country more. We used to pick up breakfast burritos there on our way to go rock climbing and load them up with sauce.
This sauce is the second-best dipping sauce for all things fried and crispy – chicken tenders, onion rings, chicken nuggets, french fries – though, I will say, for fried seafood, it is my favorite dipping sauce. (The BEST dipping sauce, in my opinion, is always going to be my Copycat Raising Cane’s Sauce. I have to remain loyal to Cane’s, or my Cajun husband might divorce me 😜)
Boom Boom Sauce is also an amazing spread to put on sandwiches, burgers, and chicken and bacon wraps – it kind of works like an aioli or a sweet and spicy mayonnaise.
What does Boom Boom Sauce taste like?
The best way to describe it is – it’s a little spicy, a little tangy, and a little sweet. It has the consistency of mayonnaise but has this sweet chili flavor and subtle heat. It has the perfect balance of flavors so that people who like spicy food will love it, and people who don’t like spicy food won’t be crying. (But, if you want to make it REALLY spicy, you can add a pinch of cayenne and some extra sriracha to kick it up even more.)
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for the best boom boom sauce recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Mayonnaise – We use Blue Plate, Duke’s, or Hellman’s. Do not use Miracle Whip for this sauce as it is too sweet, and it will be a completely different taste.
- Ketchup
- Sweet Chili Sauce – This is the key ingredient. The Sweet Chili Sauce is what makes this sauce sweet. We use the chili sauce from Frank’s Red Hot or Thai Kitchen.
- Sriracha Sauce – Sriracha adds just a touch of heat to this sauce. If your family doesn’t like heat, you can cut the amount in half. It really isn’t that spicy, though! (If you want it to be even spicier, you can add a little more with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper as well.)
- Spices – Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Kosher Salt, & Black Pepper
How to Make Boom Boom Sauce
Homemade Boom Boom sauce is so easy to make. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, ketchup, sriracha, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Cover and refrigerate the sauce until you are ready to use it. The longer it sits, the better it will taste!
Make Your Sauce in Advance
Like most dipping sauces, this sauce just gets better with time, so make it a few hours before you plan on using it.
If you are anything like my husband and like your sauces at room temperature, bring the sauce out about 15 – 20 minutes before you plan on serving it.
This recipe makes a bit less than a pint-size mason jar of sauce, so about 1 cup. We usually measure out a portion or two based on what we are serving and put that in small bowls – then put the rest back in the fridge.
How to Store Boom Boom Sauce
The sauce will last for at least a week if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It is made of mostly processed ingredients, so it keeps fairly well. (If you use homemade mayonnaise, it may not last as long.)
Stir before each use.
Variations & Substitutions
- Make it SPICY. Add more sriracha and about 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne to make the sauce really spicy.
- Use Garlic Chili Sauce instead of Sriracha Sauce for a tasty spin on this fun sauce.
- Make Vegan Boom Boom Sauce by using vegan mayonnaise.
- Add a pinch of curry powder to the sauce. It sounds weird, I know. But it is actually delicious.
- Make Salad Dressing – Thin some sauce by whisking it with milk or buttermilk until it is the consistency of dressing. The spice and tang of the sauce, with just a little bit of sweetness, make for an amazing salad dressing – especially if you make a salad topped with diced bacon and chopped-up chicken tenders. Give it a try – your taste buds will thank you 😉
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Boom Boom sauce is pretty similar to Yum Yum sauce as they are both made with mayonnaise, ketchup, and garlic powder, but Boom Boom sauce is spicer and has a few more things added to it. Boom boom sauce gets most of its flavor from Sriracha sauce and sweet chili sauce, whereas yum yum sauce gets a lot of its flavor from mayonnaise and sugar. To make it easier to remember, Boom Boom = Spicy, Yum Yum = Sweet.
Yes! Boom Boom Sauce is modeled after a sauce sold at Sheetz Gas stations located in North Carolina (and I believe there are a few in surrounding states now.) It cannot be bought at the grocery store yet, but it can be purchased at all Sheetz locations. (They serve so much food at their gas stations that they are basically a grocery store anyway.)
The salad dressing company, Ken’s, also makes a Boom Boom Sauce that is a little bit different but is also delicious.
Yes. Whether store-bought or homemade, this sauce should be refrigerated. For store-bought, it is shelf-stable until opened.
No. While both names have a little bit of innuendo, they are different sauces. Bang Bang Sauce has less spices in it and uses vinegar. It is modeled after a dish from Bonefish Grill, where the shrimp are tossed in the sauce instead of just dipped in it, so it is a thinner sauce.
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Helpful Tips
- Try to make the sauce a few hours before you need it and let it sit so that the flavors can really mingle together and the sauce will get really flavorful.
- Take out a small amount of sauce before dinner so that when you are ready to eat it, it will be at room temperature. Store the rest in the fridge.
- Dip fried shrimp in this sauce – it’s so good!
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
Boom Boom Sauce
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mayonnaise I prefer Blue Plate
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together.¾ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce, 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Cover and chill for at least an hour to let flavors develop. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
How to Store It
The sauce will last for at least a week if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It is made of mostly processed ingredients, so it keeps fairly well. (If you use homemade mayonnaise, it may not last as long.) Stir before each use.Recipe Variations
- Make it SPICY. Add more sriracha and about 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne to make the sauce really spicy.
- Use Garlic Chili Sauce instead of Sriracha Sauce for a tasty spin on this fun sauce.
- Make Vegan Boom Boom Sauce by using vegan mayonnaise.
- Add a pinch of curry powder to the sauce. It sounds weird, I know. But it is actually delicious.
- Make Salad Dressing – Thin some sauce by whisking it with milk or buttermilk until it is the consistency of dressing. The spice and tang of the sauce, with just a little bit of sweetness, make for an amazing salad dressing – especially if you make a salad topped with diced bacon and chopped-up chicken tenders. Give it a try – your taste buds will thank you 😉
Special Equipment Needeed
- a whisk
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
What to Serve with Boom Boom Sauce
This sauce is such a great sauce for dipping almost everything. We love to use it as a burger sauce from time to time, but it is mostly used as a fry sauce or for dipping chicken strips because we are kids at heart. This is such a flavorful sauce, so it is great for so many other things as well!
- Fresh Vegetable Platters – We love to serve this sauce with bell peppers (red peppers, green peppers, etc), celery, carrots, and broccoli – we like to offer it alongside ranch dressing on a crudités platter.
- Deep Fried Shrimp
- Onion Rings
- Grilled Potatoes, Oven Baked Fries, or Sweet Potato Fries
- Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
- Crispy Fried Okra
- Shrimp Tacos or Fried Fish Tacos
More Delicious Dipping Sauces
This is such a great dipping sauce, but if you don’t want to stop at just one, here are some more of my favorite sauces:
