Have you ever wanted to cook Shrimp in the air fryer? This is How to cook Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer so that it turns out delicious every time! I’ll also show you how NOT to cook it!
RECIPE IS BELOW IN PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BUT BLOG POST IS FULL OF “HOW TO MAKE IT”, TIPS, INFORMATION AND FAQ
My Air Fryer ranks pretty high on my favorite kitchen appliance list in my kitchen. We have the Ninja Foodi which is an Air Fryer, Instant Pot and Slow Cooker all in one, so it stays out on the counter and gets used quite a lot. I find myself using the air fryer feature a lot for my son’s lunches for things like homemade fries, mini burgers and chicken nuggets, however, I also LOVE using it for things like corn on the cob and shrimp straight from the freezer!
Well, I wasn’t sure how I wanted to put this post in order because I want to tell you how to cook shrimp in the air fryer but I also want to tell you how I messed up and how NOT to cook shrimp in the air fryer when it’s frozen. So I think I’ll start off with how to cook frozen shrimp on the air fyer and then tell you how NOT to do it!
If you don’t want to know the details on how to cook and how NOT to cook the shrimp you can just use the button below to jump to the recipe on how to correctly cook shrimp in the air fryer.
Why You Should Cook Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer…
- Quick to cook since it only takes about 8 minutes
- No need to completely thaw the shrimp before cooking
- Can be flavored with any seasoning you like
QUICK GLANCE AT what you need FOR Cooking Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer:
- Air Fryer
- Raw, Unpeeled Frozen Shrimp – I used Medium Count Shrimp (41-50) for this post
- Old Bay Seasoning
(AMOUNTS IN RECIPE CARD BELOW)
How to cook Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer:
Time needed: 18 minutes
- Get Shrimp Ready
Remove frozen shrimp from freezer.
To break the shrimp apart, either run the bag until hot water for a minute or smack it onto the counter.
Pour shrimp into a bowl and break apart chunks of shrimp the best you can. - Add Seasoning
Sprinkle on Old Bay Seasoning.
Let sit for about 5 minutes. You don’t need to thaw the shrimp but you want some of the ice to melt so the seasoning gets the shrimp. - Into the Air Fryer!
Pour Shrimp into air fryer basket.
Set Air fryer to 375F and cook for 8 minutes, tossing at the 4 minute mark. - All done!
Shrimp should be curled and pink when done.
How NOT to cook Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer:
So, I’ve told you how to cook frozen shrimp in the air fryer, now let me have just a few minutes to tell you how NOT to cook them. At least these are the ways that I failed at cooking shrimp in the air fryer and I don’t want you to make the same mistake. It’s no fun to waste food and I don’t know about y’all shrimp prices but around here, shrimp isn’t something that I consider cheap.
Attempt/Fail #1 – Cooking Frozen Shrimp directly from the freezer in a single layer in the air fryer.
I started out following some directions that I had found online and it was a total fail. So, I laid out a single layer of just a few shrimp that were frozen but not attached to the other frozen shrimp in the bag.
For this attempt, I cooked them at 375F for 10 minutes. It was a major fail. They came out crispy burnt and rubbery.
It was bad. Super Bad. Almost impossible to peel.
Attempt/Fail #2 – Cooking Frozen Shrimp directly from the freezer in the frozen ball they form into while in the bag
My second attempt to cook frozen shrimp in the air fryer was to cook them in the large chunk that they normally end up in. We all know that when we open a bag of shrimp right from the freezer that most of the time 90% of the shrimp are frozen into one chunk of ice.
So I popped that frozen ball of shrimp over into the air fryer and tossed some Old Bay seasoning onto them.
These cooked at 350F for 8 minutes, tossing at the 5 minute mark. These were better! Much better.
They had a good flavor and the shells were pretty easy to get off. The shells were still a bit burnt but not bad. Still though, I thought that if I was going to cook shrimp in the air fryer then they needed to be REALLY good, not just ok.
So maybe the 2nd attempt want a complete fail but you know… haha
Other Seasoning ideas for shrimp:
Frequently Asked Questions
You cook frozen shrimp in the air fryer for about 8 minutes at 350F.
No. Not for this method. This method uses raw, unpeeled shrimp.
Shrimp and Prawns are NOT the same thing. Although they can be used interchangeably in the most recipes, I haven’t tested prawns in the air fryer.
I have a few air fryers but the one I use the most and the one I used for these air fryer shrimp was the Ninja Foodi.
I’m sure you can but I haven’t tested it with peeled shrimp.
I make my air fryer shrimp without oil!
What to serve with Air Fryer Shrimp:
- Corn on the Cob
- Ham and Cheese Pasta Salad
- Cheesy Skillet Au Gratin Potatoes
- Grilled Corn with Herb Butter
- Garlic Butter Grilled Vegetable Skewers
More Amazing Air Fryer Recipes
How to Cook Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer
How to cook Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer
Have you ever wanted to cook Shrimp in the air fryer? This is How to cook Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer so that it turns out delicious every time! I'll also show you how NOT to cook it!
Ingredients
- Air Fryer
- 40 medium count Raw, Unpeeled Frozen Shrimp*
- 3 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
Instructions
- Remove frozen shrimp from freezer.
- To break the shrimp apart, either run the bag until hot water for a minute or smack it onto the counter.
- Pour shrimp into a bowl and break apart chunks of shrimp the best you can.
- Sprinkle on Old Bay Seasoning.
- Let sit for about 5 minutes. You don't need to thaw the shrimp but you want some of the ice to melt so the seasoning gets the shrimp.
- Pour Shrimp into air fryer basket.
- Set Air fryer to 375F and cook for 8 minutes, tossing at the 4 minute mark.
- Shrimp should be curled and pink when done.
Notes
* I used Medium Count Shrimp (41-50) for this post
You may want to air fry the entire bag in 1 batches.
Cooking time will change if you use smaller or larger shrimp.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 40 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 139mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 6/15/2021- numbers may vary depending on brand and amounts.
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