Ready for a healthy, flavor-packed dinner in less than 15 minutes? Air Fryer Shrimp is exactly the recipe you need my friend! Made with raw shrimp, then tossed with a few simple seasonings before air frying to perfection. The air fryer not only roasts the shrimp so it is tender and juicy inside but also does it quickly, which is always what we need when life is crazy busy. So, grab that air fryer, and let’s get dinner done!
Why I Love This Recipe
If you’ve been a reader for the past few months, you’ve noticed the large amount of air fryer recipes I’ve been creating. My friend, it’s for a very good reason. The air fryer is my new best friend, and I am completely serious. I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to get one, and the one I got was passed down to me by my parents. And it DIED right after I finished creating this delicious air fryer shrimp recipe. You better believe that I ordered a new one right away because our family can no longer function without one.
Especially now that my kids are stretching their culinary wings and do most of the cooking around here, the air fryer is their favorite cooking appliance. And they were in love with this recipe for air fryer shrimp. My teenage son made them for dinner last week and even he couldn’t believe how easy they were to make!
Air Fryer Shrimp Ingredients & Tools
- Peeled and deveined raw shrimp, with the tails on
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Smoked paprika
- Fresh lemon juice
- Fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
- Large bowl
- Air fryer
How to Make Air Fryer Shrimp
If you have 15 minutes, you can make the best-tasting shrimp you’ve ever had in the air fryer!
Time needed: 15 minutes.
How to Make Air Fryer Shrimp
- Thaw and drain the frozen shrimp
To let the shrimp roast instead of steam inside the air fryer, it is important to not only drain the shrimp but use a paper towel to dry them off as well. You can also use completely frozen shrimp but the texture will be slightly different and it will take longer to cook.
- Season the shrimp
This is done simply in a bowl with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, fresh lemon juice, and fresh Italian parsley. Simply toss them together until the shrimp are evenly coated.
- Cook the shrimp in the air fryer
Transfer the shrimp to the basket of your air fryer and cook at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
- Shake the shrimp inside the air fryer basket
Doing this halfway through the cooking process helps the shrimp cook evenly and get nicely roasted all the way around.
- Finish cooking the shrimp in the air fryer
Depending on the power level of your air fryer and the size of your shrimp, this can take anywhere from 2-5 more minutes. Look for milky white shrimp that has turned pink along the edges and on the tails.
Recipe FAQs
If you are cooking raw shrimp in the air fryer, it depends on the power level of your machine, as well as the size of your shrimp. For a 1500-watt air fryer that is cooking large shrimp, it will take around 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
Yes, air fryer shrimp is very healthy. Despite the name, an air fryer doesn’t fry anything. It is simply a powerful convection oven that sits on your countertop. It does an amazing job of roasting the foods it cooks, including shrimp. Air fryer shrimp has less than 100 calories per serving and is loaded with 15 grams of protein.
How to know when air fryer shrimp is fully cooked
Since there are different air fryer power levels, it is important to know what yours is. There will be a sticker on the bottom or inside of yours that will tell you. This air fryer shrimp recipe was written using a 1500-watt machine. If you have a 1300-watt machine, you will need more cooking time. If you have a 1700-watt machine, less. The shrimp is fully cooked when the color has gone from opaque to white and has turned pink on the edges and the tail.
Which Air Fryer Do You Recommend?
Yes, there are way too many air fryers on the market. So, let’s get you the perfect one for you. First, you want to check out the volume capacity of the air fryer. For us, bigger is always better so there are fewer batches you have to make.
Up next, take a look at the temperature range and power level of any air fryer you are buying. While all of them get nice and hot, not all of them have a lower temperature range. You’ll want the flexibility of one that goes as low as 250 so you can make all types of recipes, like these Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs. Also, look at the power level. I’ve found 1500 watts to be perfect since the majority of recipes you’ll find online are written for that power level.
After all that lengthy amount of information, the COSORI 5 qt air fryer. is the one I recommend. I own two of these fun appliances and it is my favorite one!
Can I make this recipe using frozen shrimp?
Yes, you can make air fryer shrimp using fully frozen ones, as long as it is raw. The only change you will need to make is to add about 5 extra minutes to the second cook time until the shrimp turns white with pink edges and tails.
Looking for More Great Air Fryer Recipes?
If this air fryer shrimp recipe was hitting all the right notes for you, be sure to check out these other delicious recipes. Go grab them now and come back to let me know what you think!
Air Fryer Shrimp
Ready in less than 15 minutes the best tasting shrimp you’ve ever had!
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on (see notes for frozen shrimp)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Drain the shrimp in a strainer to remove any liquid. Use a paper towel to gently dry the shrimp.
- Add the shrimp to a large bowl, along with the remaining ingredients. Toss to coat the shrimp evenly with the seasonings.
- Pour the shrimp into the basket of your air fryer and cook at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. (See notes for information about your air fryer power level.)
- Remove the basket and shake the shrimp around a bit.
- Cook the shrimp for another 5 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the shrimp are fully cooked. They will curl up, and turn white with pink edges and tails. Time will depend on the size of your shrimp and the power level of your air fryer. See the note below.
Notes
This recipe was written using a 1500-watt air fryer. Check the power level of your machine. If it is a 1300-watt, you will need to add more cooking time. If it is a 1700-watt, you will need less.
You can use frozen raw shrimp but will need to add additional cooking time to the second trip in the air fryer. Usually, an additional 3-5 minutes will be good.
You can use any sized shrimp or shrimp still in the shells. This recipe was written using large shrimp (26-30 count per pound) but if you use smaller shrimp, they will cook quicker. If you use larger shrimp, they will need more time.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6
- Calories: 94 kcal
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 782 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 143 mg
Keywords: Air Fryer Shrimp
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