Easy Air Fryer Shrimp Recipe (5 Minutes!)

by Kayla Berman on March 28, 2024 0 comments

Air Fryer Shrimp can be prepared in just about 5 minutes with simple seasonings and olive oil. Fresh or frozen shrimp – this tasty protein is quick, easy, and delicious!

Love this air fryer recipe? You’ll have to see how to make air fryer chicken sausage or chicken tenderloins in the air fryer next.

Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Shrimp

Unbelievably Quick & Easy: This is absolutely my number one selling point for shrimp made in the air fryer. It is UNBELIEVABLY quick and easy!! Like seriously this is a recipe that requires almost no time or prep, and even less brain power. It is such a game changer for when you want a simple protein in a flash!
Versatile: Air fried shrimp can do it all! Tacos, pasta, salads, as an appetizer, on its own … this yummy seafood is the way to go. It’s just one of those go-to recipes perfect to store in your back pocket for a later date. It will absolutely come in handy!

Ingredients

This recipe is so simple I struggle to even call it a recipe! All you need to whip up air fried shrimp is the shrimp itself, the seasoning of your choice, and oil. Yup, that is the complete list of ingredients folks!

Shrimp: The number one ingredient here is … shrimp! To no one’s surprise. This air fry shrimp recipe can work for any type of shrimp. I personally use smaller shrimp, but you could do large shrimp or even jumbo shrimp. You may just need to increase the cooking time a smidge! But no matter what shrimp cooks super fast, requiring just about 5 minutes.
Seasoning: I use a simple seafood seasoning mix for this recipe! I always love a good short cut option, plus it tastes delicious.
Oil: One of my favorite things about air frying shrimp is that it only requires a little oil. All you need is quick spray of olive oil or avocado oil!

Equipment Needed

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Air Fryer – Instant Slim 6Qt Air Fryer Oven
Mixing Bowl
Measuring Spoons

How Prepare Shrimp (Peel & Devein)

Peeling Shrimp

To peel shrimp, start by removing the legs. Then you can begin to peel the shell off starting from where the legs were removed. This process is very easy! The shell should come off very smoothly.

You can leave the shell on the tail or remove it. It is up to you and may depend on the dish you are making!

Deveining Shrimp

My preferred method for deveining shrimp is to use a small paring knife and cut along the back of the shrimp where you see the dark black vein.

Then remove the vein with either the tip of your knife or your fingers. It sometimes will come out nicely in one piece, but other times it may be a bit more difficult. Simply try your best to fully remove it.

Clean Shrimp

Once I have peeled and deveined the shrimp I like to run each piece under some water to remove anything unwanted that might be left. Finally, I recommend placing each shrimp you have prepared in a a bowl of cold water or ice until you are ready to begin cooking.

How To Prepare Frozen Shrimp

Preparing frozen shrimp to air fry is almost identical to preparing fresh shrimp. You just have to thaw it as well.

For thawing, you have two options. First, you could place the frozen shrimp in a bowl in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. If you don’t have the foresight to do this though, you have option two. Which is simply running the frozen shrimp under cold water for a few minutes. It should only take 2-3 minutes for you to be able to begin peeling the shell off.

Once your frozen shrimp is thawed, simply follow the above steps for how to peel, devein, and clean.

How To Air Fry Shrimp

Air frying shrimp is the best way to prepare the tasty shellfish! You’ll have juicy, crispy, and tender shrimp ready in 5 minutes or less. Talk about a quick weeknight meal?!

Step 1: Season shrimp. Add the peeled, deveined, and cleaned shrimp to a small mixing bowl. Spray with olive oil and add the seafood seasoning. Toss until each raw shrimp is evenly coated.

Step 2: Air fry shrimp. Next preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once preheated, add the seasoned shrimp to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry for 4-5 minutes. Depending on the size of your shrimp you may need to increase the cook time by 1-2 minutes.

Step 3: Serve and enjoy! I like to top with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and fresh parsley.

raw shrimp coated in olive oil and seasoning

Recipe Variations

This easy recipe is quite straightforward! It’s pretty much a 2 ingredient wonder. Which means there is not too much room for variation, but there is a bit. Here are some of my ideas:

Fresh or Frozen Shrimp: This recipe works wonderfully for both fresh or frozen shrimp! Either way you’ll just want your shrimp prepped and ready to go before you pop into the air fryer … this means thawed (if using frozen), peeled, deveined, and cleaned. Read above for how to properly prepare both types of shrimp.
Seasoning: Now this is where the fun begins! I use a seafood mix here, for ease and simplicity, but you can use any seasoning you’d like. Old bay seasoning would be my next choice, but you could also whip up a mix of your own. Like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper!
Fresh Herbs: I always love to liven up my dishes with fresh herbs. I recommend fresh parsley, but any would work. Fresh basil, dill, thyme … whatever tastes best to you!
Different Method: Don’t have an air fryer? No problem! You can try my other favorite way to prepare the seafood … pan searing. I have included all of best tips and tricks here for how to cook shrimp on the stove.

Expert Tips

Buy peeled and deveined shrimp! When dealing with shrimp this is my number one tip. It is such a lifesaver. It is a bit more costly, but every time I buy shrimp and I have to prep it myself I regret it. Peeling and deveining it is such a time consuming, and honestly annoying, process. I highly recommend buying from a seafood market or the seafood counter at your grocery store and letting them do the work for you. If this is not an option, check out my tips above for how to properly peel, devein, and clean shrimp.
Pat dry! Make sure to thoroughly pat your shrimp dry with paper towels before cooking it. This will help you get the shrimp extra crispy and golden brown.
Don’t overload the basket! For the best results, arrange the shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Overcrowding leads to uneven cooking and could prevent the shrimp from crisping up how you’d like.

Serving Suggestions

One of the many reasons why I love air fryer shrimp is because it is so versatile! The tasty shrimps can be enjoyed in countless delicious ways. My personal favorites include:

Main Dish: Serve up this air fried shrimp as the main protein source for a weeknight dinner. Add in a carb, like roasted potatoes or pasta, and a vegetable, green beans or broccoli, and you’ve got yourself a well-rounded, delicious meal.
Rice Bowl: I love myself a good rice bowl. If you do too, you have to check out my Mediterranean Chicken & Rice Bowl or Ground Turkey Teriyaki Rice Bowl next. They work perfectly for lunch, dinner, or meal prep! Anyway, back to the shrimp. Add this juicy shrimp to a bed of white or brown rice with a bunch of tasty toppings … fresh or roasted veggies, beans, crunchy slaw, avocado, etc. I suggest checking out my Shrimp Taco Bowl for some inspiration!
Pasta: One of my all time favorite pasta additions is shrimp. I love to add it to pasta dishes at restaurants for some protein! You could do the same at home with air fried shrimp and my Spicy Vodka Pasta or Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta.
Salad: This quick and easy 5-minute shrimp would be a fabulous addition to salads too. Try throwing it on my Mediterranean Chopped Salad or a caesar. YUM!
Tacos: I am obsessed with shrimp tacos. If you are too, it is your lucky day! The delightful dish is only 5 minutes away with this recipe for shrimp in the air fryer. Simply add the cooked shrimp (I suggest using taco seasoning instead of seafood seasoning) to flour or corn tortillas with shredded lettuce, black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and fresh cilantro. My Baja-Style Shrimp Tacos are a great option too!
Appetizer: This tasty shrimp works great as a low carb appetizer. Especially if you use shrimp that is on the smaller size. It’s the perfect bite! Simply serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Storing Suggestions

You can store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

It can be enjoyed cold or reheated. For reheating, I recommend doing so in a pan on the stove or in the air fryer at 300-350 degrees F until warmed through.

FAQs

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Yes! This shrimp recipe works for both fresh and frozen shrimp. You will just have the added step of thawing frozen shrimp before air frying.

How to know when shrimp is cooked?

It is very easy to tell when shrimp is cooked! Unlike other protein options, it is usually very visually obvious.

When fully cooked, shrimp will turn opaque with a pinkish, sometimes slightly orange hue. You’ll want to make sure the shrimp is no longer gray and translucent. Shrimp will also curl into a “C” shape when it is cooked.

Which air fryer should I use?

I use and recommend the Instant Slim 6Qt Air Fryer Oven. However, you can use any air fryer you have!

I do recommend doing a trial run for each new food or recipe you prepare in the air fryer. I find that each make and model will cook things slightly differently!

Simply keep your eye on the shrimp while it is cooking, perhaps checking on it once or twice throughout the five minutes. The exact cook time that works for my air fryer, might just be a little different than what works for yours.

Related Recipes

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