Air fryer frozen shrimp are the perfect solution to your busy weeknight meal problems! Ready from frozen in just 10 minutes, frozen shrimp are so easy to cook in your air fryer! You can change the flavor by changing the seasonings!
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Why you will love this recipe
- Quick and easy – Plump and tender shrimp ready in just 10 minutes with no prep time needed! Simply open the bag and turn on the air fryer! You can put together a spice blend while the shrimp cook or simply use something you already have on hand!
- Healthy lunch or dinner option! Shrimp are packed with protein and are lower in calories so they are the perfect addition to any meal! Great for appetizers too! Air fryer frozen shrimp are low in calories, Whole30, keto, low carb and paleo friendly!
- Great way to add protein to any meal! You can change the flavor of these shrimp to go with just about any meal! Italian seasoning to go with pasta, cajun seasoning to go with rice and beans, tacos seasoning to go on taco salads or in tacos! The ideas are endless!
Ingredients
- Frozen shrimp – Because I like my shrimp to be ready to eat, I prefer to buy shrimp that has already been peeled and deveined. Typically I buy large Argentian shrimp from Trader Joe’s. They are raw shrimp that have been peeled, deveined and tails removed and are sold frozen. You can buy any large shrimp (with or without the peel and tail removed). If you decide to buy shrimp with the peel on, you will need to peel the shrimp before adding the spices for them to stick to the shrimp.
- Olive oil (optional)– olive oil helps to keep the shrimp moist as they cook in the air fryer. This is optional but I prefer the texture of the shrimp with a little added olive oil.
- Spices: Smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt, red pepper flakes – these spices help to add a smoky, spicy, savory quality to the shrimp once they are cooked and makes them irresistible. This flavor combination goes well with almost any meal so this is the default shrimp seasoning I use and recommend.
How to make frozen shrimp in the air fryer
Start by opening the bag of frozen shrimp and adding them to the air fryer basket. If you notice any shrimp are stuck together, try to break them up without breaking the shrimp.
Drizzle the shrimp with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Turn on the air fryer to 400F for 10 minutes.
While the shrimp are cooking, combine the ingredients for the spice mixture in a small bowl.
After 9 minutes of cooking (1 minute left), pause the air fryer and sprinkle the shrimp with the seasoning.
Cook 1 more minute and check for doneness of the largest shrimp.
Top tips
- Cooking time will depend on the size of the shrimp. Smaller shrimp will need 1-2 minutes less than large/jumbo shrimp.
- If you buy frozen cooked shrimp, the cooking time will be about 5 minutes.
- Wait until the last 1-2 minutes to add spices/seasoning as the water will melt off the shrimp as it cooks and it will stick the best if you wait to add the spices.
- I prefer to buy shrimp with shells removed and already deveined so it’s easy to eat/prepare. You can follow the same instructions with frozen uncooked shrimp with shell and tail intact but wait to remove the shell and tail until after cooking at the 9 minute mark. Once shells are removed, add seasoning and cook 1 more minute.
- If you choose to serve these air fryer frozen shrimp as an appetizer, you may want to consider buying shrimp with the tail on, as it helps to have something to hold onto.
- No need to shake the basket or flip the shrimp during the time it cooks in the air fryer. Just be sure that the shrimp aren’t stuck together when you put them in the basket.
Other flavor combinations
- Italian – replace the spices with 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning.
- Za’atar seasoning – replace oregano with Za’atar spice blend.
- Mexican – replace spice seasoning with 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- Sundried tomato – omit smoked paprika. Add 3 tbsp. chopped sundried tomatoes and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
- Greek – add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and add 3 tbsp. chopped kalamata olives. Squeeze lemon juice over shrimp after cooking.
- Cajun – replace the spice seasoning with 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
How to serve air fryer frozen shrimp
- Tacos – serve with cilantro lime slaw or
- Over salad with French dressing or homemade creamy basil dressing
- Dip shrimp in pesto or roasted red pepper sauce
- Serve with pasta and lemon tahini sauce
- Add to Tuscan White Beans and Rice Skillet
- Serve with creamy alfredo sauce with butternut squash noodles
Storing leftovers
- Fridge: Store leftover air fryer frozen shrimp in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat in shrimp in the air fryer at 400F for 1-2 minutes until warm. Don’t overcook or the shrimp can get rubbery.
Substitutions
- Olive oil: you can also use avocado oil, melted coconut oil or melted ghee in place of the olive oil.
- Spices: See the other flavor combination ideas above for other spices you can use.
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Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp
$11.31 Recipe/$2.83 ServingAir fryer frozen shrimp is ready in just 10 minutes and so easy to make! Perfect for quick and simple weeknight meals! The shrimp is plump and tender and is Whole30, paleo, keto and low carb friendly!
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen shrimp (large or jumbo) - $10.99
- 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil - $0.11
- 3/4 tsp. salt - $0.04
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika - $0.05
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder - $0.05
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano - $0.05
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes - $0.02
Instructions
- Add frozen shrimp to the air fryer basket. Add olive oil and 1/2 tsp. salt
- Turn on the air fryer to 400F for 10 minutes.
- While the shrimp are cooking in the air fryer, combine the rest of the salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano and crushed red pepper flakes.
- After 9 minutes of cooking, pause the air fryer. Sprinkle the shrimp with the shrimp seasoning.
- Finish cooking the shrimp 400F for 1 minute.
Equipment
Notes
Top tips
- Cooking time will depend on the size of the shrimp. Smaller shrimp will need 1-2 minutes less than large/jumbo shrimp.
- If you buy frozen cooked shrimp, the cooking time will be about 5 minutes.
- Wait until the last 1-2 minutes to add spices/seasoning as the water will melt off the shrimp as it cooks and it will stick the best if you wait to add the spices.
- I prefer to buy shrimp with shells removed and already deveined so it’s easy to eat/prepare. You can follow the same instructions with frozen uncooked shrimp with shell and tail intact but wait to remove the shell and tail until after cooking at the 9 minute mark. Once shells are removed, add seasoning and cook 1 more minute.
- If you choose to serve these shrimp as an appetizer, you may want to consider buying shrimp with the tail on, as it helps to have something to hold onto.
- No need to shake the basket or flip the shrimp during the time it cooks in the air fryer. Just be sure that the shrimp aren’t stuck together when you put them in the basket.
- Fridge: Store leftover air fryer shrimp in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat in air fryer 400F for 1-2 minutes until warm. Don’t overcook or the shrimp can get rubbery.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
103
Fat
3
g
Carbohydrates
2
g
Fiber
1
g
Sugar
1
g
Protein
16
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?Let others know by rating and leaving a comment below!
Catherine Thomas
Thursday 19th of January 2023
Sounds very good.I will try.