Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp

If you are looking for an easy main dish that can cook in under 10 minutes you are in the right place! This air fryer frozen shrimp can go from frozen to the dinner table in no time! And the best part is this is naturally low carb, keto, gluten free, grain free, paleo, and whole30.

Air fryers are becoming more and more mainstream. As the market expands, the number of air fryer recipes is increasing. We tried air frying frozen shrimp, and are reporting back on the end result. If you can't tell by the first photo it was a success!

Oven baking any frozen shrimp recipe is the usual method we use, but it keeps your house smelling for hours. Air frying does the same thing in just minutes, perfect for busy weeknights.

Healthy, tasty, and easy to make! This air fryer technique is the BEST way to prepare shrimp at home. You can enjoy air fryer shrimp with your family or friends in less than 10 minutes as an appetizer or main course. And then when you have more time on your hands try our smoked shrimp.

How to Make Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp

This is one of the easiest low carb recipes we have on either of our sites. It really does take under 10 minutes to cook frozen shrimp and you only need 2 ingredients. I used my Instant Pot with the air fryer lid but this should work in any air fryer. If you have a small air fryer you may need to cook it in two batches.

Step One: Preheat your air fryer to 400 and spray the basket with olive oil spray or another nonstick cooking spray.

Step Two: Put the frozen shrimp in a large bowl and toss with the seasoning.

Expert Tip: Alternatively, you can place them in a gallon bag with the seasoning and shake until they are coated.

Step Three: Place the seasoned shrimp in the air fryer basket in a single layer. It's ok if they touch a little bit.

Step Four: Cook for 6 minutes or until the air fried frozen shrimp have curled up, are deep orange-pink and are opaque instead of translucent. The internal temperature for shrimp should be 145 degrees when checked inside the thickest part with a meat thermometer.

Common Questions

Can you fry shrimp from frozen?

Yup! That's why you are here. We experiment with cooking frozen shrimp in the air fryer and are here sharing our results. We took the shrimp out of the freezer and cooked immediately without any thawing at all.

How long do you put frozen shrimp in the air fryer?

Medium tail-on shrimp took 6 minutes to cook in the air fryer. If you have smaller or larger shrimp such as jumbo shrimp or large butterfly shrimp you will need to adjust the cooking time.

How do you thaw frozen shrimp?

For this air fry shrimp recipe, you do not have to thaw the shrimp. We normally just put it in a large bowl of cold water to thaw it for other recipes such as this shrimp curry or coconut shrimp.

Can I use frozen cooked shrimp?

Sorry, cooked shrimp won't work with this method. I really recommend buying raw shrimp.

Variations & Ways to Serve

Dipping Sauce - You can dip this air fried shrimp in cocktail sauce, ketchup, this tartar sauce recipe, or even ranch dressing like a few of my kids do!

Tacos - After you cook the shrimp remove the tails and serve these as a base for shrimp tacos! Just add some lettuce leaves or tortillas, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and cheese.

Salad - One of our favorite ways to serve shrimp is on top of a salad. My favorite combination is baby spinach, fresh tomatoes, a few red onions, and a simple balsamic vinaigrette.

Seasoning - The easiest way to change up this recipe is to vary the seasoning you put on your shrimp. We used lemon pepper seasoning but you can use any seasoning you like. Garlic, cumin, chili powder, Italian seasoning, etc. are all fine. Or keep it simple and just drizzle with good olive oil, some lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

Expert Tip: If the seasoning you choose does not have salt make sure to add a little salt to the shrimp too.

Leftovers

Anytime I make shrimp in my house we eat them all. But if you wind up with leftovers put them in an airtight container in the fridge and store them for 1-2 days. Seafood tends to spoil quickly so I recommend eating leftovers the day after you cook.

You can warm up the leftover shrimp in the microwave or put them back into the air fryer for just 1-2 minutes. That is all they need to be hot again. Or toss them in some soup. We love this Shrimp and Corn Bisque. 

For more great air fryer recipes try our Air Fryer Roast Pork, Air Fryer Spare Ribs, and Air Fryer Sausage Balls.