Take the guess work out of cooking shrimp with your air fryer and this amazingly simple and scrumptious recipe for Air Fryer Shrimp.
I don’t fix seafood often at home because it’s best if I leave that to the professionals. If I’m out I order fish. Especially if I’m on vacation on the coast. Shrimp was definitely not on my menu plan for many years. I notoriously over-cooked it. And I should know better! But my daughter loves shrimp. And now I am learning to love it too because of my air fryer. It totally takes the guess work out of knowing when the shrimp is done. I don’t know how the air fryer does it but these shrimp and my shrimp tacos cook up sizzling, juicy, tender and so tasty every time!
How to air fry shrimp:
Start with raw, peeled, deveined, extra large or jumbo and thawed (NOT FROZEN) shrimp. Thaw them according to package directions – usually I just rinse them under cold water because I don’t plan ahead very well. Dry the shrimp on paper towels. Be sure to preheat your air fryer and lightly oil it with vegetable oil, not cooking spray. Season the shrimp with Old Bay (or your favorite dry rub). Not a lot is needed. The flavor really comes in at the end with the buttery drizzle! Scroll down for the full recipe for temperature and timing.
What to serve with air fryer shrimp:
I’m probably biased because this happens to be one of my daughter’s favorite meals, but I think perfectly cooked and buttery shrimp belong on top of a pile of Fettuccine Alfredo. This meal is so decadent so be sure to practice portion control and serve plenty of vegetables on the side! Watch how easy it is to make this Fettuccini Alfredo:
What else to make in your air fryer:
Kitchen gadgets have to be really, really great to get my attention. The air fryer slowly made its way into my heart because my kids loved using it for after school snacks. That took me out of the equation, making me a happy Mom! So here’s my entire collection of air fryer recipes thus far (with more to come):
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- The Best Shrimp Tacos
- Air Fryer Toasted Ravioli
- Donut Bites in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Chicken Chimichangas
- Perfect Personal Pizzas
Kitchen Tips:
- This is the specific brand of shrimp I used for this recipe.
- I use this air fryer at the moment for testing my recipes.
- Purchased cooking spray (like Pam) will damage the non-stick coating of your air fryer over time. Use a mister or a silicone brush to oil your air fryer basket with vegetable oil instead.
- Always preheat your air fryer to make sure the times suggested are accurate.
- Here’s a great guide for how many shrimp to plan on per person depending on occasion.
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Air Fryer Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb frozen shrimp thawed
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 4 tbsp salted butter melted
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning
Instructions
- Be sure to purchase extra large or jumbo shrimp. Peeled, deveined and raw - not cooked. Thaw the shrimp according to package directions. Do not attempt to air fry them from frozen.
- Lightly coat the air fryer basket with vegetable oil. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Dry the thawed shrimp with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides evenly with the Old Bay seasoning.
- Place the shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket (you may need to cook them in two batches - depending on the size of your air fryer).
- Cook for 3 - 4 minutes. Use tongs to flip over the shrimp. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- While the shrimp is cooking, melt the butter and whisk in the parsley, garlic, lemon juice and Old Bay. Drizzle the butter mixture over the cooked shrimp before serving.
Sophie says
I love instant pot and air fryer recipes a lot. My sister loves shrimp and she will love this too. Will pass this recipe.
foodtasticmom says
Thank you so much!
The Panicked Foodie says
This looks like an easy and great way to prepare shrimp! I have a few family members who are always on the lookout for new air fryer recipes and I think they would enjoy this!
foodtasticmom says
Great – I hope you pass this recipe along to them!
Adrianne says
That is such a great idea making these in the air fryer! It would save heaps of time as well as being super delicious. The Old Bay Seasoning sounds like something I would like to try!
foodtasticmom says
Old Bay is such a classic with seafood – my favorite!
Iryna says
My husband loves shrimp and he would devour these in no time.
foodtasticmom says
They didn’t last long in our house for sure!
Liz says
I recently got an air fryer and it’s been so fun being able to try new recipes! My husband loves shrimp so this recipe is perfect!
foodtasticmom says
They are so fun to experiment with. Glad to give you another recipe to try!
Lola Osinkolu says
Yum! I can already feel my mouth watering!
foodtasticmom says
Yay!
Lowell says
BUT…..what temperature and cook time is right for PRECOOKED Frozen Jumbo Shrimp??
foodtasticmom says
I have never tried it with precooked shrimp. I would say just a couple of minutes. You only need to reheat the shrimp – you don’t want to cook it more as it would get rubbery.
Laura Tobin says
Great idea to cook shrimps in an air-fryer, I will definitely make them for my next seafood feast.
foodtasticmom says
Glad to hear this.
Dannii says
I bet the air fryer gets these so crispy and delicious. I can’t wait to try it.
foodtasticmom says
Honestly, they aren’t so much crispy. They are very juicy and just perfectly cooked. They exact opposite of overcooked.
Nart | Cooking with Nart says
I’ve never tried cooking shrimp in my air fryer because I always worry it will be too dry. Thanks for sharing the tips, I’ll give it a go!
foodtasticmom says
You would think that, but the air fryer does the opposite. Seals in juices, actually makes them tender and moist.
Julia says
What a great air fryer recipe and so easy to make!
foodtasticmom says
They could not be more simple – and they are perfectly cooked.