These Air Fryer Shrimp are plump, juicy, and perfectly seasoned! This healthy dish is ready in just 8 minutes and requires basic pantry staples to make it.
If you enjoy using your air fryer, you may also like my Garlic Parmesan Crusted Salmon recipe and the popular Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets that are always a big hit with kids!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Did you know you can make delicious shrimp in your air fryer? I have been testing this recipe for the past few weeks and I am so happy with the results! I brushed the shrimp with seasoning and oil mixture, then cooked them for 8 minutes in the air fryer. That's it! The result was juicy, plump, and tasty shrimp that pairs so well with pasta, rice, veggies and so many other side dishes!
This healthy dish is quick to make, even if you never cooked shrimp or used the air fryer before. It's really that easy!
Ingredients:
- shrimp - I recommend medium or large size shrimp. Medium shrimp will cook faster.
- oil - I used olive oil but grapeseed oil works too.
- seasoning - I used garlic powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Feel free to experiment with your favorite spices and make a mix that you like!
How to make Air Fryer Shrimp?
- Start by cleaning the shrimp. Remove shells and veins.
- Mix oil with seasoning in a small bowl.
- Brush shrimp with a seasoning mixture.
- Arrange shrimp in an air fryer basket or rack.
- Cook for 8 minutes (no need to turn them).
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Raw or frozen shrimp?
Whether you have raw shrimp or frozen shrimp, you can use both kinds in this recipe. Make sure to thaw the frozen shrimp in the fridge, rinse and tap dry with a paper towel. The seasoned oil will stick better. Also, wet shrimp can burn so you want to dry them before seasoning and cooking.
How to serve air-fried shrimp?
Serve this shrimp as a main dish with rice or pasta, as a taco filling with fresh veggie salsa, or as a salad topping for a light meal. If you read the comments, our readers cook the shrimp to serve with shrimp Alfredo pasta, seafood tacos with cilantro sauce, in rice bowls, or in salads.
Helpful tips!
- Do not spray the shrimp inside of an air fryer basket or tray. The oil spray will get on the walls of your appliance, bake in and be hard to clean. That's why I don't use a spray in this recipe, but mix olive oil with spices and brush on the shrimp. Or better yet, add oil and seasoning to a bowl, add shrimp, and toss to coat!
- Get the largest size of shrimp you can. I don't recommend popcorn shrimp or even small shrimp, as they are tiny when baked.
- The smaller the shrimp, the faster it will cook. I used large shrimp for this recipe and 8 minutes was my magic number. For medium shrimp, set the timer to 6 minutes.
- Feel free to replace the seasoning with your favorite mix: Cajun, lemon pepper, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese, etc.
- I use kosher salt in this recipe. The amount of ½ teaspoon was perfect, however, if you are using table salt, half of a teaspoon can be too much. Cut it down to ¼ teaspoon.
Common questions:
I used thawed shrimp in this recipe. I bought them frozen and thawed them in the fridge. The cooking time is stated in the recipe below as 8 minutes, no flipping needed.
If you use a parchment paper liner in your air fryer, flip the shrimp. Otherwise, the basket (which has holes) or a tray allows the air to circulate around the food so there is no need to flip it.
All leftovers should be stored in a container with a lid, in the fridge, for up to 3 days. You can reheat the shrimp in the air fryer or microwave for a couple of minutes.
If you are using cooked shrimp, you are only reheating them. Apply the seasoning with oil but cut the time to 4 minutes, then check if the shrimp is heated through.
Absolutely! I do recommend air frying the shrimp in batches, so the air can circulate properly around the food. Do not over-crowd the air fryer basket.
I used the "air fry" setting. If you are not familiar with your air fryer, check the manual for more info or simply test it with just a few shrimp.
More air fryer recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Air Fryer Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cleaning the shrimp by removing shells and veins. Run under tap water, then pat dry with paper towel.1 lb shrimp
- Mix oil with seasoning in a small bowl.2 teaspoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Brush shrimp with seasoning mixture on both sides.
- Arrange shrimp in air fryer basket or rack, in a single layer.
- Cook at 400℉ for 8 minutes (no need to turn them).
- Once the cooking cycle is done, remove shrimp from air fryer. Serve garnished with chopped parsley and your favorite side dishes.
Notes
- I recommend medium or large size shrimp.
- I used kosher salt in this recipe. If you are using table salt, decrease the amount to ¼ teaspoon.
- You can place oil and seasoning in a bowl, add shrimp and toss to coat.
- You can double the recipe, but cook the shrimp in batches so the air can circulate properly around the food. Do not crowd the air fryer basket.
- I do not recommend popcorn shrimp for this recipe.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use a calorie counter you are familiar with.
Jonnie says
Can you tell me why my shrimp are tough?
Anna says
Shrimp will be tough if they are overcooked.
Bill says
Very good but better wit a teaspoon of lemon juice blended in.
Jola says
Simple ingredients and taste like the hand of the best chef
Mindy says
Very easy to make and tastes great for such a simple ingredient line up.
Krzysztof says
I love shrimp the most in the world. Yours are great
Przyprawione sercem says
Your recipe is amazing
Jamie B says
Easy and delicious, I prefer a little less garlic and just mix my shrimp with oil and seasoning 😊😋
Linda says
I love this recipe. I substituted the Paprika with Lemon Pepper, eliminated the pepper also.Restaurant quality shrimp! And so easy!
Diane says
Excellent!!! Sweet and crunchy. Your instructions and tips for cooking are wonderful. Liked the taste of the smoked paprika on the shrimp, will definitely be making this often.