You’ve got to start making air fryer frozen shrimp! This quick and easy recipe requires no thawing, and it gives you juicy, perfectly seasoned shrimp in under 15 minutes total.
Why We Love It
The air fryer is my favorite kitchen appliance, saving time and allowing me to cook everything from “boiled” eggs to juicy pork chops to crispy kielbasa, and more!
But did you know you can save even more time by cooking hash browns, french fries, tilapia, and even shrimp directly from frozen in the air fryer? Well, you can!
Here’s why you’ll love this tasty, quick, and easy air fryer shrimp recipe:
- Absolutely delicious: The shrimp is well seasoned and comes out juicy and tender. Say goodbye to chewy, overcooked shrimp!
- No thawing required: You don’t need to defrost or thaw shrimp before air frying! Cooking shrimp from frozen saves you time and actually leads to more properly cooked shrimp, since it’s so easy to accidentally overcook it.
- Good for you: Shrimp is a healthy choice because it’s high in protein and low in fat and calories. The entire recipe is made with simple, whole ingredients, making it Paleo, Whole30, and Low Carb/Keto friendly.
- Versatile for serving: Serve the finished shrimp with cocktail sauce for a delicious appetizer, or use the shrimp as the protein in your main course at dinner.
🦐 Ingredients
Ingredients Notes:
- Use large, raw, peeled and deveined shrimp with tails either on or off. I prefer wild-caught rather than farmed shrimp, but whatever you have will work great!
- If you don’t have Old Bay seasoning, mix together 1/2 teaspoon celery salt, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon ground bay leaves, and a pinch of ground ginger.
- Easily modify the flavor of the shrimp by omitting the Old Bay seasoning and swapping a different seasoning blend. I recommend using Greek seasoning, Ranch seasoning, or BBQ seasoning for a burst of fun flavor!
- For spicy shrimp (optional), add 1-2 tablespoons of hot sauce when tossing with the oil and seasonings mixture.
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C). Meanwhile, juice the lemon and mince the garlic.
In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, seasoning, lemon juice, and minced garlic.
Gently tap any shrimp that are frozen together to break them apart. Add the frozen shrimp to the bowl and toss to combine and coat evenly.
Step 2: Once the air fryer is preheated, transfer the frozen shrimp to the air fryer basket, making sure they are in a single layer. It’s okay if the pieces touch a little, but there should be enough room for air to circulate between each shrimp.
Close the air fryer basket and cook for 8-10 minutes, stopping halfway to shake the basket and rotate the shrimp around a bit.
👉 Near the end of cooking time, check the shrimp for doneness and remove them as soon as they’re done cooking. They should be light pink in color, opaque, and form a “c” shape.
Transfer the shrimp to a serving plate and serve with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce or any other dipping sauce you enjoy. Horseradish aioli is a personal favorite!
Variations
Cooking pre-cooked frozen shrimp: Follow the same instructions, but cook for 5-6 minutes total.
Using defrosted raw shrimp: Raw shrimp cooks quickly, so follow this recipe but only cook for 4-5 minutes total.
To cook in a skillet: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer, and sauté over medium heat for 7-9 minutes, stopping halfway to flip. Once the shrimp are cooked through, remove from the heat and serve.
Expert Tips
- You do not need to defrost the shrimp before cooking!
- To ensure even cooking, break apart any stuck-together shrimp before cooking.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. It’s better to cook the shrimp in batches than to overcrowd the basket. If you don’t leave room for the air to circulate between each shrimp, it will lead to unevenly cooked shrimp.
- To avoid chewy, tough, overcooked shrimp, stop the cooking process as soon as the shrimp are cooked through.
FAQ
Serve with lemon slices and cocktail sauce or any of your favorite dipping sauces. Top any salad with shrimp for an easy lunch, or serve with air fryer side dishes like baby potatoes, green beans, beets, carrots, or zucchini.
Yes, frozen shrimp cook beautifully! Because raw shrimp can become overcooked so quickly, cooking from freezing builds in a bit of protection for it to cook without drying out.
Frozen raw shrimp takes about 8-10 minutes total to cook in the air fryer. Frozen pre-cooked shrimp takes about 5-6 minuets to cook in the air fryer. If raw shrimp has been defrosted, cook in the air fryer for 4-5 minutes total.
Shrimp is fully cooked when it becomes opaque and slightly pink in color, forming a “c” shape.
Shrimp becomes tough when it’s overcooked. Next time, watch closely near the end of cooking time and stop the cooking process as soon as the shrimp are fully cooked.
More Healthy Shrimp Recipes
I’d love to hear about your experience making this recipe!
Please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.
Easy Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp (No Thaw!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lbs. frozen large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon old bay seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice about 1/2 lemon, plus more for serving.
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C). Meanwhile, juice the lemon and mince the garlic. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, seasoning, lemon juice, and minced garlic in a large bowl. Add the frozen shrimp to the bowl and toss to coat each piece evenly.
- Transfer the frozen shrimp to the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving room for air to circulate between each shrimp. Close the air fryer basket and cook for 8-10 minutes, stopping halfway to shake the basket and rotate the shrimp around a bit. Check the shrimp near the end of cooking time and remove them as soon as they’re done cooking. They should be light pink and opaque.
Notes
-
- If you don’t have Old Bay seasoning, mix together 1/2 teaspoon celery salt, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon ground bay leaves, and a pinch of ground ginger.
- Easily modify the flavor of the shrimp by omitting the Old Bay seasoning and swapping a different seasoning blend or simple salt and pepper.
- For evenly cooked shrimp, break apart any stuck-together shrimp before cooking.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. It’s better to cook the shrimp in batches than to overcrowd the basket.
- Shrimp are cooked when they become opaque, turn light pink in color, and form a “c” shape. Stop the cooking process as soon as the shrimp are fully cooked.
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