As Bubba from Forrest Gump famously is aware of, there’s multiple solution to prepare dinner shrimp. He lists 21 methods to be exact, however he forgot one up to date model…Air Fryer Fried Shrimp! This contemporary twist on a traditional provides you all of the crispy, golden goodness of deep-fried shrimp with out the mess of scorching oil. It’s straightforward, reasonably priced, and utterly irresistible. Belief me, this straightforward fried shrimp recipe deserves a spot as quantity 22 on Bubba’s record—air fryer shrimp is a complete game-changer!

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Crispy Fried Shrimp within the Air Fryer
It solely takes about quarter-hour to prepare dinner two batches of fried shrimp within the air fryer, they usually come out completely crisp each time. I bread the shrimp in a easy mixture of seasoned flour, egg wash, and Italian breadcrumbs, they usually grow to be golden and SO satisfying. It’s critically one of many best methods to get your fried shrimp repair with out making a giant, greasy mess within the kitchen. Dunk these air fryer breaded shrimp in some cocktail sauce, and also you’ve received a budget-friendly appetizer that also looks like a complete deal with!
I used to be fortunate to buy the shrimp for this recipe with my Kroger membership and saved $1.01. The shrimp had been initially $5.00, however I received them for $3.99! It’s price checking the weekly offers, memberships, or loyalty applications at your native shops, as a result of little financial savings like this actually add up!
Air Fryer Fried Shrimp


- ½ cup all-purpose flour (60g, $0.16)
- 1 Tbsp Previous Bay seasoning ($0.35)
- 1 tsp garlic powder ($0.06)
- 1 tsp dried parsley ($0.05)
- ½ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.08)
- 1 egg (overwhelmed, $0.33*)
- 1 Tbsp water ($0.00)
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs (30g, $0.33**)
- cooking spray ($0.01)
- 10 oz. frozen shrimp (massive, thawed, (31-40 per lb., 283g) $3.99***)
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Collect and put together all components.
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Seize 4 medium bowls or shallow dishes. Within the first bowl, mix the flour, Previous Bay seasoning, garlic powder, dried parsley, and pepper. Within the second bowl, whisk collectively the egg and 1 Tbsp of water. Within the third bowl, add the breadcrumbs. The final bowl can be for putting the breaded shrimp.
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Toss the thawed shrimp within the flour, coating all sides, then dip within the egg combination to utterly cowl. Lastly, press the shrimp into breadcrumbs on either side. Work in batches if wanted, and place breaded shrimp within the closing bowl till able to air fry.
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Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Prepare the breaded shrimp in a single layer. You’ll have to work in batches. Spray with nonstick spray and prepare dinner for 3-4 minutes.
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Utilizing tongs, rigorously flip and spray the shrimp once more, then prepare dinner for an additional 3-4 minutes.
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Take away the fried shrimp and repeat the method till all of the shrimp are performed.
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**As an alternative of Italian breadcrumbs, you should use common breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs.
***I used frozen massive peeled and deveined shrimp (31-40 per lb, with about 20-22 shrimp complete in a ten ozbag), which I thawed myself. Recent shrimp may also work. You’ll be able to thaw the shrimp in just a few methods. I like to position them within the fridge and allow them to thaw in a single day. You may also run them underneath chilly water for about 10 minutes. By no means thaw them on the countertop, within the microwave, or underneath scorching water.
Serving: 1servingEnergy: 490kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 34gFats: 7gSodium: 1638mgFiber: 4g
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learn how to make Air Fryer Fried Shrimp step-by-step images


Collect your entire components.


Put together the breading station: Seize 4 medium-sized bowls or shallow dishes. Within the first bowl (high left), add ½ cup flour, 1 Tbsp Previous Bay seasoning, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried parsley, and ½ tsp black pepper. Combine to mix. Then within the second bowl (high proper), beat 1 egg with 1 Tbsp water. Pour 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs into a 3rd bowl (backside left). Depart the final bowl empty.


Bread the shrimp: Toss 10 oz. massive shrimp (thawed) within the flour combination, ensuring to coat all sides. Then dip the flour-coated shrimp within the egg wash, then into the breadcrumbs. Press the shrimp into the breadcrumbs on either side. Place the breaded shrimp within the empty bowl and repeat till all shrimp are coated.


Air fry the shrimp: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Place a single layer of breaded shrimp throughout the underside of your air fryer basket. You’ll possible have to work in batches relying on the scale of your air fryer. Spray the shrimp with nonstick cooking spray and prepare dinner for 3-4 minutes.


Use kitchen tongs to rigorously flip the shrimp over. Prepare dinner for an extra 3-4 minutes.


As soon as cooked and golden, take away the air fryer fried shrimp and repeat the method till all of the shrimp are performed. Serve and revel in!


- I exploit massive shrimp (31–40 per pound), they usually prepare dinner up completely in 6–8 minutes per batch. You should use any dimension shrimp you want, however needless to say smaller shrimp will prepare dinner quicker, whereas bigger shrimp might take a bit longer. Air fryer fried shrimp is absolutely cooked as soon as the breading is golden and crispy, and the shrimp inside are opaque and agency to the contact (with a 145°F inner temp on a meat thermometer).
- Preheat the air fryer. I preheated my air fryer for a couple of minutes to assist the breading get crispy proper from the beginning.
- Prepare dinner your fried shrimp in batches! I cooked mine in two batches, preserving them in a single layer so the breading received additional crispy. Every batch took about 6–8 minutes, so I had two servings of completely golden shrimp in 16 minutes complete.
- Flip your air fried breaded shrimp over midway by cooking for even crispness throughout!
- You should use frozen or contemporary shrimp, with the tail on or off. I went with frozen tail-off shrimp, which I thawed myself following the package deal instructions. My shrimp was additionally already peeled and deveined for comfort. Should you decide up shell-on shrimp, you’ll need to peel and devein them your self.
- I went with coastal traditional flavors on the shrimp seasoning and selected Previous Bay, however have enjoyable, and raid your cupboards and season with what you will have readily available! Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, or a smoky chipotle powder could be scrumptious twists!
Serving Ideas
I am going straight for my home made cocktail sauce at any time when I make this shrimp recipe…it’s the BEST dip for crispy fried shrimp (for my part 🙂). However a tartar sauce could be simply as tasty if that’s extra your type. You may also skip the dip and serve the shrimp proper on high of a crisp Caesar salad, or toss them right into a easy pasta like spaghetti aglio e olio. Or use them to make a shrimp po’ boy, piled excessive on a toasted roll with lettuce, tomato, and remoulade sauce!
Storage & Reheating
These air fryer fried shrimp are positively at their greatest contemporary, when the breading is tremendous crispy and the shrimp are cooked excellent. Should you do have leftovers, stash them within the fridge for 2-3 days in an hermetic container. If you’re able to reheat, pop them again within the air fryer for about 5 minutes, flipping midway, till they’re scorching and crispy once more and the interior temp reaches 165°F. Simply watch out to not overdo it since shrimp can dry out quick.


