Air Fryer breaded shrimp are seasoned, breaded and then cooked until golden, crispy and seriously delicious! Serve with cocktail sauce, tartar sauce or warm marinara for a tasty appetizer everyone will love.
Anyone else feel like the Air Fryer was made just for them?
I don't love fried foods - the grease, the heaviness, the oil and splatters - but I DO love that super crunchy texture on some foods.
And so when the Air Fryer hit the shelves and was all the rage, I jumped right in.
And now I love air frying all the things to get that fried food fix without any of the mess or unhealthfulness.
Air Fryer mozzarella sticks are a favorite appetizer, as are Air Fryer zucchini sticks for a veggie app. And my kids adore these Air Fryer fried ravioli, which can be served as appetizers or as part of a main meal.
Or for some protein, these Air Fryer BBQ chicken legs are simply divine, and everyone devours Air Fryer chicken tenders.
Today, we’re coating our shrimp in a flavorful and thick breading that gets so crispy in the Air Fryer, with tons of little browned bits all over for major crunch.
Yes, breading stations can be a bit of a pain, but it’s so worth it! Just line up your bowls and you’ll knock these out in no time.
That crunchy coating on the outside is seriously spectacular!
Then they are golden brown, hot and ready to serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Everyone will go crazy for these!
Recipe Notes:
Shrimp: I used a pound of extra large shrimp, which come 26-30 a pound. You can substitute another size shrimp, but you’ll need to adjust your cooking time.
Frozen shrimp: The shrimp need to be completely thawed as well as peeled and deveined for this recipe. Please plan accordingly. (You can ask your seafood counter to prep these for you if needed. Or buy the deveined easy-peel frozen shrimp that are almost ready to go.)
Breadcrumbs: Using the Panko breadcrumbs is what makes these get ultra crispy, so I don’t recommend substituting regular breadcrumbs.
Spicy: Like it spicy? You can add a pinch of cayenne to the seasonings and/or serve this with a spicy dipping sauce.
How long do you cook shrimp in an Air Fryer?
Large and extra large shrimp, such as the 26-30 size, will take about 6-8 minutes in the Air Fryer at 400 degrees F. You want them cooked through, but not overdone.
Smaller shrimp, such as the medium 36-40 size, will be done in 5-6 minutes.
Check at the earlier side of the time and add an extra minute or two if needed.
And in case you are in the market for an Air Fryer, I highly recommend this one (it’s usually on sale, which is nice) and I’ve loved it. It’s a great fit for families with children, or just if you’re cooking for bigger groups.
OK, common problem: Only have frozen shrimp? Me too most of the time.
Here's my quick thaw method for frozen shrimp when I haven't planned ahead to defrost them overnight in the fridge:
Thaw frozen shrimp quickly by placing them, frozen, in a colander and rinsing them in the sink with cold water for 2-3 minutes, until they are completely defrosted. Toss regularly so they get evenly defrosted, but it's that quick and easy!
For serving, these shrimp are just begging for a delicious dipping sauce.
Cocktail sauce, tartar sauce and warm marinara are all great options. Or pick your favorite seafood dipping sauce.
There you have it, crispy fried shrimp made in your Air Fryer. So much easier and so much healthier!
I hope you give them a try soon! (And if you love them like we do, leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram; I love hearing from you!)
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Air Fryer Breaded Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb. peeled, deveined shrimp (large or extra large, such as 26-30 size), thawed if frozen
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the flour in a low shallow bowl. Add ½ tablespoon of the seafood seasoning, ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper and mix well.
- Crack the eggs into a second low shallow bowl and beat lightly.
- Place the breadcrumbs in a third low shallow bowl and add the remaining seafood seasoning, salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
- Dredge a shrimp in the flour mixture and coat on both sides. Move to the eggs and coat on both sides. Finally, transfer the shrimp to the Panko breadcrumb mixture and press to help the breadcrumbs adhere on all sides. Place the shrimp in the tray of the Air Fryer. Repeat with the remaining shrimp until you have a full, even layer in the Air Fryer tray. Spray the tops of the shrimp lightly with cooking spray.
- Cook in the Air Fryer on 400 for 6-8 minutes, until golden brown. Repeat with a second batch of the remaining shrimp.
- Serve immediately with cocktail sauce, tartar sauce or warm marinara for dipping.
MomMD
Easy. Too salt for us. Will cut back to 1 tsp of Old Bay, divided and no additional salt.