We absolutely love fried shrimp, but we’re also looking for healthier alternatives to fried food. So, I breaded fresh shrimp as I normally would, but used the air fryer instead of pan frying in oil. They came out golden brown and delicious. I served Crunchy Air Fryer Shrimp with tangy coleslaw and roasted potato wedges for a meal that makes the whole family happy!
I have been experimenting with my air fryer recently and the results have been surprising. Only because I never really expect the foods to get golden brown and crunchy, as they do in the oven. But they do! The circulating air gets hot enough to brown the foods and often cooks them in a fraction of the time it would take in the oven. I also like the fact that my air fryer cooks a smaller amount of food. Sometimes I just don’t want leftovers, especially when making fish and shellfish, as it is best eaten when originally cooked.
How to make Crunchy Air Fryer Shrimp?
For this recipe, I prepare the Shrimp in exactly the same way as I would when frying them in oil. But instead of deep frying, I use the air fryer. Here are some tips:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Make sure the shrimp are placed in the basket in a SINGLE layer, as you want all sides to get golden brown.
- Lightly spray with cooking spray before air frying. Very little is needed. I have also cooked them without cooking spray (because I forgot) and they still get browned. However, they tend to dry out a bit while cooking without cooking spray. So, I prefer to spray just a bit of oil on them to keep them moist, yet crunchy.
- Set the length of cooking time according to the size of the shrimp. I used large shrimp and cooked each batch, 10 shrimp at a time, for about 7-8 minutes. YES, they do get golden brown and crispy in that amount of time. Smaller shrimp will obviously take less time to cook.
We ate these delicious shrimp with spicy cocktail sauce, coleslaw and roasted potato wedges for the win! We love seafood, so this was an easy, flavorful way to satisfy our cravings for seafood.
For more fish and seafood recipes, check out these family favorites:
- Beer Battered Fish
- Herb Crusted Grilled Grouper
- Honey Garlic Lime Salmon
- Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya
The printable recipe card below gives all the details and specific measurements for making this recipe for Crunchy Air Fryer Shrimp.
Crunchy Air Fryer Shrimp
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pound large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
- Peel and devein the shrimp, if not already done. Rinse and pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Set aside. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Place the flour on a plate. Place the egg in a bowl and whisk in the milk. Place the bread crumbs and garlic salt on a separate plate and mix.
- Coat each shrimp with flour, dip in the egg wash, then coat with the bread crumb mixture. Repeat until all shrimp are breaded.
- Place shrimp in the air fryer basket in a SINGLE layer. Lightly spray shrimp with cooking spray. I was able to cook 10 shrimp in one batch. Cook for 7-8 minutes at 400 degrees. Check shrimp after 6 minutes, continue cooking if needed.
- Remove the shrimp from the air fryer basket and place on a plate lined with a paper towel. Serve the crunchy shrimp with cocktail sauce and your favorite sides.
Notes
- Make sure the shrimp are placed in the basket in a SINGLE layer, as you want all sides to get golden brown.
- Lightly spray with cooking spray before air frying. Very little is needed. I have also cooked them without cooking spray (because I forgot) and they still get browned. However, they tend to dry out a bit while cooking without cooking spray. So, I prefer to spray just a bit of oil on them to keep them moist, yet crunchy.
- Set the length of cooking time according to the size of the shrimp. I used large shrimp and cooked each batch, 10 shrimp at a time, for about 7-8 minutes. YES, they do get golden brown and crispy in that amount of time. Smaller shrimp will obviously take less time to cook.