Cook shrimp in an air fryer with this easy method! This is an easy way to cook a bag of frozen shrimp with only a few extra ingredients.
Shrimp can be added to a variety of recipes like shrimp tacos, our mushroom kale pasta, or served with cauliflower rice for a low carb option.
Easy Shrimp Recipe
There’s no need to pan-fry your shrimp. You can easily cook perfect shrimp in your air fryer and get incredible results!
- Cook them fast in an air fryer to get tender shrimp results. Use this same method for air fryer salmon.
- Serve with melted butter, garlic butter sauce, or shrimp cocktail sauce for extra flavor!
- For a healthier option add a side salad for an easy and delicious meal on busy weeknights.
- We love cooking shrimp in easy dinner dishes including our shrimp asparagus pasta, the easy seafood recipe baked shrimp and cod, or with beans in our easy shrimp one-pot dinner.
In this recipe, I use my Ninja Foodi Deluxe air fryer, but this method can be used for any brand of tray or basket air fryer (which is every air fryer). So if your air fryer looks different than mine, not to worry as the results will be the same.
Recipe Ingredients
FROZEN SHRIMP: You can use any kind of frozen shrimp available at your grocery store. Jumbo shrimp will take longer to cook. I prefer deveined shrimp with the shell removed. This will also work with fresh shrimp using less cook time.
COOKING OIL: You can use any kind of oil, avocado oil, canola oil and coconut oil will also work. I used olive oil for this recipe.
SPICES: To add flavor to the shrimp, I used a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and ground pepper.
VARIATIONS: Season shrimp with lemon pepper, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, or cajun seasoning. Try this method with coconut shrimp, larger shrimp, smaller shrimp... the options are endless!
How To Cook Shrimp In An Air Fryer
Here is an overview of how to cook shrimp in an air fryer with full detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Spray the air fryer with nonstick cooking spray. Turn on at 400°F and preheat for 5 minutes.
- Mix oil and spices in a bowl. Add the shrimp and toss together.
- Add shrimp to air fryer and cook. The time will vary depending on style of shrimp (see full recipe card below). Flip and toss halfway through. Remove and serve.
Best Way To Thaw Frozen Shrimp
There are two easy methods you can use to thaw shrimp:
- Method #1: Place the bag of shrimp into a large bowl and fill it with cold water. It's important the water is cold, not warm or hot as that can cook your shrimp. Add a heavy bowl or pot on top of the bag to weigh it down for 45-60 minutes.
- Method #2: Pour the frozen shrimp into a strainer. Rinse under cold water for 2-3 minutes to help it thaw. Pat each shrimp dry thoroughly before cooking. Excess moisture can produce soggy shrimp.
How Long To Cook Frozen Shrimp In Air Fryer
Cooking time will vary depending on if you have raw shrimp or pre-cooked shrimp. Check the package to see which one you have:
- Cook the shrimp at 400°F for 5 minutes if it's frozen cooked shrimp.
- Cook the shrimp at 400°F for 10 minutes if it's frozen raw shrimp.
Air Fryer Tips
These general rules ring true for almost every recipe I’ve cooked in the air fryer:
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes before. This will ensure even cooking.
- Spray the air fryer basket or tray with nonstick cooking spray (like olive oil spray) so that your food never sticks.
- Always add food in a single layer. Stacking food won’t produce even results as the hot air circulates around the food. You might need to cook in two batches, depending on the size of shrimp.
- Most recipes do well when flipped halfway through cooking. Any type of shrimp, potatoes, chicken wings, etc. This ensures a more even baking process.
- Always check your food in the last 1-2 minutes to make sure it isn’t overcooking. Every air fryer will cook slightly differently.
Great Air Fryer Recipes
- Frozen Fish Sticks In Air Fryer is so easy!
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks are crispy and another easy way to cook chicken.
- Crispy Air Fryer Potatoes are delicious. I will eat a whole bowl of these myself easily.
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts are crispy and the perfect side dish for chicken. You can also snack on these like kale chips.
- Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Wings taste just like wings from the pub. They’re a big hit with my family.
Did you love this air fryer shrimp recipe? Be sure to leave a rating below!
Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb thawed shrimp - shells removed and deveined
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and ground pepper. Mix together.
- Add the thawed shrimp and toss with the spice mixture so that it's evenly coated.
- Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
- Add the shrimp to the air fryer basket in a single layer (careful as the basket will be hot!).Cook the shrimp for 5 minutes if it's frozen pre-cooked shrimp.Cook for 10 minutes if it's frozen raw shrimp.
- Shake the basket and flip the shrimp halfway through cooking. Carefully remove from the air fryer (the sides will be hot), serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- The nutrition information will vary depending on the brand and size of shrimp you use. Check the side of the package you purchase for more information.
- Method #1: Place the bag of shrimp into a large bowl and fill it with cold water. It’s important the water is cold, not warm or hot as that can cook your shrimp. Add a heavy bowl or pot on top of the bag to weigh it down.
- Method #2: Pour the frozen shrimp into a strainer. Rinse under cold water for 2-3 minutes to help it thaw. Pat dry each shrimp thoroughly before cooking. Excess moisture can produce soggy shrimp.
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
