Air Fryer Shrimp
on Apr 16, 2023, Updated Sep 17, 2023
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Plump and perfectly seasoned, shrimp take only a few minutes to cook in an air fryer — and you can cook them from frozen, too!
Air fryer shrimp could not be simpler to make. Many people think that the air fryer can only be used for traditionally “fried” foods, like shrimp with breading. These shrimp, however, are not breaded, and they’re seasoned very lightly and simply. When cooked, they are more similar to oven-baked or sautéed shrimp, without any crunchy coating.
As long as you don’t overcook them, you will get shrimp that are tender and firm, perfectly cooked through, and not at all dry or rubbery. Using this cooking method and timing, you can season your shrimp any which way (remove the tails or leave them on) and then you can use them in SO many different ways. You can serve air fryer shrimp hot, or at room temperature over pasta, in pasta salads, over green or vegetable salads, or over grain bowls.
These shrimp are very simply cooked, so if you want to make a sauce to go with them, that would add a lot of interest to your dinner! Try using Dill Sauce, Remoulade Sauce, or Tartar Sauce with your shrimp to really make them sing.
Table of Contents
Air Fryer Shrimp: Plump and perfectly seasoned, these shrimp take minutes to cook in an air fryer, and you can even cook them from frozen!
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Ingredients
- Shrimp – Either frozen or fresh is fine. Just make sure you adjust your cooking time accordingly! See the Tips and FAQs below for more info on cooking frozen shrimp in the air fryer.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – To lightly coat the shrimp so the spices stick.
- Garlic powder – This is where this recipe gets its most prominent flavor. If you’re looking to get a more complex flavor with your shrimp, check out the variations below for some suggestions.
- Granulated onion – Granulated onion is a coarser, less concentrated version of onion powder. I prefer it for this recipe because it gives the shrimp a nice crunch. However, if all you have on hand is onion powder, that’s not the end of the world — just use slightly less than the recipe calls for.
Variations and Substitutions
- If you’re paring your shrimp with some grits, consider adding in 1 teaspoon of Cajun or Creole seasoning to the rub.
- For a bit of heat, you can add ½ teaspoon chili powder and ½ teaspoon paprika. Try sweet, hot, or smoked paprika to change things up.
- You can also send this shrimp in a BBQ direction by using 1 teaspoon of barbecue spice blend. (If you’re going this route, the shrimp would definitely taste great with some of my Best Barbecue Sauce slathered on top…)
- If you want to serve up these shrimp as part of a pasta dish like Shrimp fra Diavolo with Linguine, add a teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the mix.
How to Cook Shrimp in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Season your shrimp: Toss the shrimp with olive oil, sprinkle over the seasonings, and toss to coat.
- Cook the shrimp: Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 5 minutes (or 9 to 10 minutes for frozen shrimp). Remove and serve hot, or use in a recipe that calls for cooked shrimp.
FAQs
Shrimp cooks very quickly, no matter how you choose to cook them. Because the air fryer acts in many ways like a tiny convection oven, blowing very hot air around the food, large shrimp will take only about 5 minutes to cook. Larger shrimp may take another minute or two, but avoid overcooking your shrimp, as they will become tough or rubbery.
Honestly, it depends on how much time you have! I like to use my air fryer at 400 degrees for cooking shrimp because it gives you some nice wiggle room, but it’s still pretty speedy. If you set your air fryer temperature higher or lower, you just need to shift the cooking time to reflect that change.
You can cook raw shrimp at varying temperatures in an air fryer, but at 400 degrees, the shrimp will cook through (if they are thawed) in about 5 minutes. If you set your air fryer temperature higher or lower than 400 degrees, adjust the cooking time up or down accordingly. You can also reheat shrimp in an air fryer, which will take about 2 to 3 minutes.
If you don’t have time to defrost your shrimp, you can cook them frozen. Make sure to break the shrimp apart so they aren’t clumped together. Follow the recipe directions, but cook them for 9 to 10 minutes, until cooked through and hot. Leave the shells on if you have unshelled frozen shrimp. You can peel them after cooking, as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Or you can serve them in the shell and allow everyone to peel their own shrimp.
Cooking Tips
- To cook frozen shrimp in the air fryer, you’ll need to add more time. Make sure to break the shrimp apart so they aren’t clumped together. Follow the recipe directions, but cook them for 9 to 10 minutes, until cooked through and hot. Leave the shells on if you have unshelled frozen shrimp.
- You can peel them after cooking, as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Or you can serve them in the shell and allow everyone to peel their own shrimp.
What to Serve With Air Fryer Shrimp
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Air Fryer Shrimp
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound large (26/30) shrimp (see Note for frozen shrimp)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon granulated onion
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 F.
- Place the shrimp in a bowl and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle over the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and granulated onion and toss to coat the shrimp with the spices.
- Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove and serve hot or use in a recipe that calls for cooked shrimp. You can also cook them and use them in salads or other cold dishes.
Notes
- To cook frozen shrimp in the air fryer, you’ll need to add more time. Make sure to break the shrimp apart so they aren’t clumped together. Follow the recipe directions, but cook them for 9 to 10 minutes, until cooked through and hot. Leave the shells on if you have unshelled frozen shrimp.
- You can peel them after cooking, as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Or you can serve them in the shell and allow everyone to peel their own shrimp.
