Shrimp in the Air Fryer

When you make shrimp in the air fryer, you’re getting a versatile and delicious protein option. Read on for how to use it as part of a main course or an appetizer.

Shrimp in the Air Fryer

Air fryer shrimp pairs well with a variety of side dishes as a main course. Serve it with rice, quinoa, salad, grilled vegetables or pasta — such as our shrimp scampi recipe — for a complete meal. You can also serve air fried shrimp as an appetizer with dipping sauces like cocktail sauce or garlic aioli. And if you have leftovers later on, plus some leftover chicken, such as chicken rotisserie, you can easily make this delicious shrimp and chicken fried rice recipe.

Ingredients Overview

Step-by-Step Instructions

In a bowl, combine the avocado oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper.

Add the peeled and deveined shrimp to the bowl and toss until they are evenly coated with the seasoning mixture. Let the shrimp marinate for about 10 minutes.

Preheat your air fryer to 400 F for 3-5 minutes. Once the air fryer is preheated, place the seasoned shrimp in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure they are not overlapping.

Cook the shrimp in the air fryer at 400 F for 5-6 minutes. Shake the basket halfway through the cooking time to ensure even cooking. You’ll know that the shrimp are done and cooked when they’ve shrunk in size, and they are pink and opaque.

Remove them from the air fryer and serve.

Notes

If you don’t have fresh shrimp, you can use frozen with this recipe. However, make sure to thaw them completely before seasoning and cooking in the air fryer. And be sure they are peeled and deveined before cooking.

I recommend using a high smoke point oil in this and all of my air fryer recipes. My go-to is avocado oil because it doesn’t smoke unless it reaches very high temps. Other oils or fats, like butter, will likely start smoking from the high temps you get in an air fryer, thus my choice for avocado oil.