This air fryer frozen shrimp recipe is an excellent way to get your shrimp from the freezer to your plate without waiting for it to defrost. It is the perfect dish for a quick appetizer or meal prep for busy weeknights!
If you're like me and you constantly forget to bring out your frozen shrimps the night before you need to use it, then this recipe is for you.
I love how quickly I can make this super easy frozen raw shrimp recipe. It is low carb, gluten-free, keto-friendly, and ready in about 12 minutes!
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Equipment used
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The main equipment used in this air fryer shrimp recipe is, you guessed it! An air fryer. I'm a keen air fryer enthusiast. There's almost nothing I wouldn't cook with mine. I have a ninja foodi which is my favorite type of air fryer.
There is simply no need to wait to defrost your frozen shrimps before cooking them with this recipe. The air fryer is the perfect way to get crispy and tender shrimp every time.
I sometimes forget to bring out my chicken wings too, and I use the air fryer to defrost it quickly. It is one of the best investments in my kitchen!
Check out this list of the best affordable air fryers to make easy crispy healthy dishes!
Ingredients Used
You only need a handful of ingredients for this easy shrimp recipe.
- Frozen shrimps: For this recipe, I'm going to use medium-sized peeled and deveined shrimps. You can buy any size of shrimp from the grocery store. You can also buy unpeeled shrimps and choose to peel and devein them yourself.
- Spices: I use smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Olive oil spray: Air frying requires very little oil so I like to use an olive oil spray. You can use your preferred oil spray or melted butter for even more flavor.
How To Make Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp
- First, peel and devein the shrimps if you need to. Then rinse them under running water and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. You can preheat your air fryer even if it doesn't have a dedicated 'preheat' button. Just set it to 400F and leave it on for four to five minutes.
- Place the shrimps in a large bowl, then drizzle a little olive oil over them. Put in all the spices, then mix and rub them all over the shrimps.
- Place the seasoned shrimps in a single layer in your air fryer basket or tray and spray with olive oil.
- Air fry shrimp for five minutes, then take out the basket and flip the shrimp with a pair of tongs.
- Air fry for another five minutes, and your crispy shrimp is ready!
Typically, shrimps are cooked and safe to be eaten with an internal temperature of 120F on a meat thermometer, but a meat thermometer would be kinda hard to use since shrimps are small.
Another way of checking if the shrimps are fully cooked is by looking at them. Properly cooked shrimps would change color from translucent with a grey tint to opaque white with a pink tint.
Storing and Reheating
The best way to store leftover shrimps is to put them in an airtight container in the fridge. They will remain fresh if used within three days.
You can air fry and freeze the shrimps till you need them at a later date. My favorite way to freeze them is to place the shrimps on a sheet and pop it in the freezer for about two hours.
This will allow each individual shrimp to freeze without sticking together. Then I put them into a sealable freezer bag and freeze them for months. They should remain fresh for about two to three months.
To reheat, air fry the shrimps for a few minutes and they'll be ready to go!
What can I eat this shrimps with?
This healthy and delicious frozen shrimp recipe can serve as finger food or a side dish to the main dish. I love to eat shrimps with my favorite sauce like this buffalo sauce, bbq sauce, or a simple ranch dressing. For something spicy, try this African pepper sauce.
Use fried shrimp to make these dishes:
Air fried shrimps are great with some air fryer asparagus or broccoli, or other veggies.
Shrimps are very versatile, nutritious, and can be eaten at any time of day. This recipe is great for meal prep, so you can freeze the shrimps and use them however you wish.
Tips on making this delicious shrimp recipe
- Do not crowd the air fryer basket or tray. The easiest way to air fry them crisp and juicy is to leave a little space between them. You might need to cook them in batches depending on the size of the shrimp.
- You can put the shrimps and the spices in a sealable bag and then give it a few good shakes to coat the shrimps in the spice mix.
- The actual cook time will depend on the size of shrimps you have. You may have to cook larger shrimp a little longer. This recipe is for medium raw shrimps.
Recipe Variations
- Make irresistible shrimps by adding some parmesan cheese, garlic butter, and Italian seasoning to them. You can also make a creamy garlic sauce as a dip.
- Season this juicy air fryer shrimp recipe with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and some red pepper flakes for an interesting twist. Yum!
- Mix in some unsweetened coconut, coconut flour, and low carb sweetener of your choice to make delicious sweet, crisp, and tender coconut shrimp.
Frequently asked questions
How long you air fry frozen shrimp for would depend on the size of the shrimp. For this recipe, I used medium shrimps, generally, jumbo shrimp would need a little more time to air fry properly.
It is perfectly safe to put frozen shrimps in your air fryer. Like this quick and easy air fryer recipe, the frozen shrimps did not need to be defrosted or thawed before they were air fried. The air fryer works by circulating hot air to the ingredients to cook them, so the shrimps were thawed and immediately fried in the air fryer.
Try these other delicious recipes!
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz shrimp frozen
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or olive oil spray
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400F.
- Mix spices together and rub all over shrimps.
- Place shrimp in the air fryer and spray with olive oil.
- Air fry for 10 minutes, flipping halfway.
Notes
- Do not crowd the air fryer basket or tray. The easiest way to air fry them crisp and juicy is to leave a little space between them. You might need to cook them in batches depending on the size of the shrimp.
- You can put the shrimps and the spices in a sealable bag and then give it a few good shakes to coat the shrimps in the spice mix.
- The actual cook time will depend on the size of shrimps you have. You may have to cook larger shrimp a little longer. This recipe is for medium raw shrimps.
I got so excited after reading your ingredients and d saw .y favorite pice s.oked paprika in tbe rub mix. I will be making g this tomorrow with frozen shrimp, who knew? I a. sure to love it but will rate it after actually making g it. the combi action of spices remi ds me of trips to Jamaica a ending of African and Caribbean flavors I love. Thank you for this recipe. I often have drop in guests and this is sure to be a quick a delicious protein for dinner in a flash.
I hope you enjoy the recipe, Kari! Thanks for stopping by!
If your shrimp is pink when it is frozen, it is precooked, not raw. Just an FYI!
I just found your website and I'm going to try this shrimp recipe. It looks great, but I'm so excited to try your African recipes and your spice blends. Everything looks amazing!
Thank you so much, Rhonda!
I'm a bit confused the recipe says 8 oz frozen shrimp, but the notes say medium raw shrimp. What is the correct way to cook the shrimp from frozen or raw?
Hi Tracy, I used raw frozen shrimp for this recipe.
This was excellent! Even my children loved it, so I had to make a second batch. Thankfully it comes together super quickly. Thanks so much!
You're so welcome, Lindsey!
I think the protein count is incorrect in this recipe…it should be more than 1 gram of protein for 12 shrimp.
Thanks Brandi. You're right and I fixed it.