Air fryer frozen shrimp are the best shrimp ever! They come out perfectly tender and have hints of lemon, garlic, salt and pepper. They are so easy to make and are ready in just 10 minutes. You'll never want to cook shrimp any other way again.
Why you will love this recipe:
- Frozen shrimp in the air fryer turn out so tender and full of flavour. Never dry or overcooked they turn out perfect every time.
- You will love how easy air fry shrimp are to make. You only need 6 ingredients and the shrimp will be ready in just 10 minutes!
- You've probably had popcorn shrimp, butterfly shrimp, breaded shrimp and battered shrimp before but air fried frozen shrimp are another fun and easy way to cook frozen shrimp!
- I've added a delicious lemon garlic butter sauce to take these shrimp to the next level and make them taste even better.
- Shrimp are a healthy protein source that are quick and easy to make and are great if you are on a low carb, keto, paleo or gluten free diet.
- Looking for other air fryer fish recipes? Try my air fryer Mahi Mahi recipe!
Taste and texture:
These shrimp, even though they are cooked from frozen, turn out so juicy and tender. They are not dry or chewy. The lemon, garlic butter adds even more delicious flavour and richness to this shrimp recipe that even the pickiest eaters will love.
Key ingredients and substitutions:
- Frozen raw shrimp - as an alternative you could also use frozen breaded shrimp instead.
- Butter or coconut oil - for the base of the delicious lemon butter sauce that tops this air fryer shrimp recipe.
- Garlic - to help give these shrimp the most delicious flavour.
- Lemon - fresh lemon and shrimp are a match made in heaven.
How to cook:
Step one:
First, add the melted butter, crushed garlic, and lemon juice to a bowl and stir well to combine.
Step two:
Next, dunk each frozen shrimp into the lemon garlic butter, ensuring you coat both sides of the shrimp.
Step three:
Then place the frozen shrimp on the racks of your air fryer and cook them for 5 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Flip the shrimp and cook them for another 5-6 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, until the shrimp are cooked.
Step four:
Once cooked, sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper to taste and remove the shell and tails from the shrimp. If you prefer you can also devein the shrimp at the point. Then enjoy!
How to cook in a basket style air fryer:
Coat the frozen shrimp in the lemon butter and then place the frozen shrimp in the air fryer basket, in a single layer, and cook for 5 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit if they are pre-cooked shrimp, or 10 minutes if they are raw shrimp.
Chef's tips:
- This recipe uses frozen raw shrimp. If you use frozen cooked shrimp decrease the cooking time to 5-6 minutes.
- You could also use frozen breaded shrimp instead.
- The cooking times for this recipe will vary depending on the type of air fryer you have and the size of the shrimp you are using.
- Leave the shell and tails on these shrimp when making them in the air fryer to help protect them and then remove them after they have cooked (see the instructions below if you aren't sure how to do this).
- Don't overcrowd the shrimp on the racks of your air fryer or they won't cook as well - be sure to put them on a single layer in your air fryer basket or trays.
- Don’t add the salt until after the shrimp are cooked! The shrimp stay more tender if you add the salt after they are cooked.
- Feel free to make a double or triple batch if you are feeding a crowd.
Variations and add ins:
- Feel free to add other seasonings to the shrimp to give them a different flavour such as garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper etc.
- You can either use melted butter or coconut oil for this recipe.
How to serve:
These shrimp are delicious served as is but I love squeezing a bit of fresh lemon juice on them just before I serve them to give them even more flavour. You can eat shrimp as a main dish, appetizer or snack.
You could also serve shrimp with a dipping sauce such as seafood sauce or tartar sauce. You can even use cooked shrimp to add to pasta or rice dishes, or serve then with steak for the perfect surf and turf meal!
How to store:
Store any leftover cooked shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Frequently asked questions:
To remove the shell: Put your thumb on the underbelly of the shrimp, where the legs are attached. Release the shell with your thumb. Hold the tail while removing the shell by simply pulling it off. I don't recommend doing this until the shrimp is cooked. It would be very challenging with frozen shrimp.
To remove the tail: It's really easy to remove the tail! Pinch the tail at the bottom, where it connects with the shrimp’s body. Pull it. The tail should come off easily.
Nope! This is a matter of personal preference. The vein is safe to eat. And it's actually not a vein at all. It's the shrimp's digestive tract.
For this recipe you do not need to preheat your air fryer.
Other air fryer recipes you will love:
- Air fryer salmon cakes with lemon dill aioli
- Air fryer salt and pepper chicken wings
- Air fryer BBQ ribs
- Air fryer frozen chicken wings
- Air fryer carrots
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Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb frozen raw shrimp
- 1/3 cup melted butter or coconut oil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- Juice from one lemon
- sea salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Add the melted butter, crushed garlic and lemon juice to a bowl and stir well to combine.
- Dunk each shrimp into the lemon garlic butter, coating both sides of the shrimp.
- Place the shrimp on the racks of your air fryer and cook for 5 minutes at 400F. Flip the shrimp and cook for another 5-6 minutes at 400F, until the shrimp is cooked.
- Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper to taste and remove the shell and tails from the shrimp. If you prefer you can also devein the shrimp.
Notes
- The cooking times for this recipe are for using frozen raw shrimp. If you use frozen cooked shrimp decrease the cooking time to 5 minutes.
- Cooking times may vary depending on the air fryer you use.
- Don't overcrowd the shrimp on the rack of your air fryer.
- Remove the shell and tails after the shrimp have cooked.
- Don't add the salt until after the shrimp has cooked.
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