Air Fryer Crispy Breaded Shrimp

Laura Lynch

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This Air Fryer Crispy Breaded Shrimp is so easy to make in the air fryer and it turns out perfectly crispy and delicious in just 6 minutes.

These crispy shrimp have come to the rescue for me many times. They can be a simple and delicious appetizer or they can be the star of shrimp tacos. How do you serve crispy shrimp? Let us know in the comments down below.

Why You’ll Love It

• Fried foods are no longer daunting, and say goodbye to the lingering oily fish smell associated with deep frying. The air fryer comes to the rescue! Enjoy deliciously crunchy shrimp whenever you crave them.
• Air fryer shrimp are super versatile and they are the perfect protein to add to so many recipes. Tender shrimp with a crispy breading, what’s not to love?

»You will love this Air Fryer Frozen Fish Fillets or Easy Air Fryer Halibut.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Shrimp – 1 pound of shelled, cleaned, and deveined shrimp.
• Flour – All-purpose flour
• Salt & ground black pepper
• Egg
• Bread crumbs – You can use regular bread crumbs or panko. I would stay away from the Italian bread crumbs since they have herbs and spices added.

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Expert Tips to Follow

• As seasoned air fryer veterans may know, you shouldn’t use normal non-stick cooking spray. It contains additives that can mess with the non-stick finish of your cooking basket. In order for these to not stick to the air fryer basket you need to spray the basket with oil. A light spray will do.
• Since every air fryer is different you should consult your models instructions on cooking times. This recipe was cooked in a 1500 watt air fryer.
• You may need to adjust your cooking time for the size of shrimp you are using. Shrimp tend to get rubbery when overcooked, so you really don’t want to overdo it. In this recipe we are using large-sized shrimp.
• Be careful when you flip the shrimp. The basket can burn you.
• Don’t shake the basket. It can knock the breading off the shrimp.

Why Use an Air Fryer

An air fryer is an incredibly easy way to cook just about anything. You place the food in a fryer-style basket and hot air rapidly circulates all around the food, making the food crisp – much like deep-frying, but without the oil. You can cook anything you’d make in the oven.

• I use a Ninja MaxXL air fryer (pictured left). If you don’t have an air fryer yet, check out these options to find one that fits your needs.
• See reviews and prices for air fryers on Amazon.
• Here’s a printable Air Fryer Cooking Times Cheat Sheet to get you started.
• Click to find more recipes to make in your Air Fryer.
• Learn how to make fun things in the air fryer, like potato wedges, pork belly bites, and chicken wings.

How to Make Air Fryer Crispy Breaded Shrimp

Step 1: Prep the shrimp

If you are using frozen shrimp make sure they are fully thawed. Clean, devein, and shell the shrimp. Then pat them somewhat dry.

Step 2: Set up a dredging station

Mix the flour with salt and pepper to create a dredge, then crack the egg into a bowl and scramble it. Pour the Panko onto a plate. Your seasoning could be just about anything. We used plain old salt and pepper but lemon pepper, old bay seasoning, Cajun seasoning or this dry rub would work great.

Step 3: Bread the shrimp

Preheat the air fryer at 400° F(204°C) for 3-5 minutes.

For each shrimp coat them in flour, dip in the egg, and roll to coat in Panko. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray before adding them to the air fryer basket. Give the tops another light spray of cooking oil.

Step 4: Air fry

Air fry at 400° F(204°C) for 6 minutes flipping the shrimp half way through cooking.

Then you’re finished!

These shrimp go great with just about any sauce you can dream up. We recommend bang bang sauce or honey sriracha sauce.

What Shrimp To Use

I like to use a large sized shrimp so that you get a nice big bite. Extra large or jumbo may require an added minute or two of cooking time.

I buy fresh raw shrimp that are already shelled and cleaned (who has the time for that!) If you do have that time, it’s totally fine to get shrimp with the shells on and do the shelling and cleaning yourself.

You can use frozen shrimp, but you’ll have to thaw it first in order to bread them properly. The flour, egg and breadcrumbs won’t adhere to the shrimp when they’re frozen.

Here is a list of the number of shrimp by size:

• Jumbo (21/25 count per pound)
• Extra Large (26/30 count per pound)
• Large (31/35 count per pound)
• Medium (41/50 count per pound)

How To Thaw Frozen Shrimp

Thawing frozen shrimp safely is important to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Here are some of the best and safest ways to thaw frozen shrimp:

• In the refrigerator: The best way to thaw frozen shrimp is to transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator and let them thaw slowly overnight. Place the bag of frozen shrimp in a bowl or on a plate to catch any drips. This method can take several hours, so it requires some foresight, but it is the safest way to thaw shrimp as it keeps the shrimp at a consistent, safe temperature.
• Under cold running water: If you need to thaw shrimp quickly, you can place them in a colander or strainer and run cold water over them for several minutes until they are fully thawed. Make sure to keep the shrimp in their packaging or in a sealed plastic bag during this process to prevent any contamination.
• In a bowl of cold water: Fill a large bowl with cold water and place the bag of frozen shrimp in the water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the shrimp are fully thawed. This method can take longer than running water over the shrimp, but it’s still faster than thawing them in the refrigerator.

How To Store And Reheat

If you have any leftovers wait until they have cooled to room temperature and then store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Reheat them in the air fryer at 350° F for 2-3 minutes. You don’t want them to become rubbery.

What Oil & Oil Sprayer is Best for the Air Fryer?

The biggest issue most air fryer lovers face is finding the right oil and oil sprayer to use on food cooked in the air fryer. A fine mist of oil will help the entire piece of food crisp evenly, so it’s very important.

My personal preference is to use canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, or avocado oil. I use both a refillable spray bottle like the Evo one pictured below and non-propellant extra virgin olive oil, which has no harmful aerosols or chemicals.

Questions About the Recipe

Before You Go

Since you’ve made it this far, you might want to see more shrimp recipes. Here are a few more articles we think you might enjoy.

• Air Fryer Shrimp Recipes
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Air Fryer Breaded Shrimp

Air Fryer Breaded Shrimp is so easy to make in the air fryer and it turns out perfectly crispy and delicious in just 6 minutes.

4.8 from 14 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 minutes mins

Total Time 21 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 187 kcal

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1 pound (454 g) shrimp shelled, cleaned and deveined
• 1/4 cup (31 g) flour
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup (30 g) panko bread crumbs

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Instructions

 

• Clean and dry shrimp.
• You need three shallow bowls. Add flour, salt, and pepper to one bowl, egg to another bowl, and breadcrumbs to the third bowl. Start by coating the shrimp in flour, then dip it in the egg mixture, then coat it with breadcrumbs. Bread all the shrimp this way.
• Preheat the air fryer to 400° F(204°C) for 3-5 minutes.
• Lightly spray air fryer basket with oil and place shrimp in the basket leaving space between each shrimp. Lightly spray the tops of the shrimp.
• Cook for 6 minutes. Flip shrimp over half way through cooking. Cook for 4 minutes per side for larger shrimp. Continue in small batches until all shrimp are cooked.

Notes

• As seasoned air fryer veterans may know, you shouldn’t use normal non-stick cooking spray. It contains additives that can mess with the non-stick finish of your cooking basket.
• In order for these to not stick to the air fryer basket you need to spray the basket with oil. A light spray will do.
• Since every air fryer is different you should consult your models instructions on cooking times. This recipe was cooked in a 1500 watt air fryer.
• You may need to adjust your cooking time for the size of shrimp you are using. Shrimp tend to get rubbery when overcooked, so you really don’t want to overdo it. In this recipe we are using large-sized shrimp.
• Be careful when you flip the shrimp. The basket can burn you. Don’t shake the basket. It can knock the breading off the shrimp.

All air fryers have different wattage and may cook at different rates. You may need to adjust the time or temp for the best results.

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 26gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 327mgSodium: 1242mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 59IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 186mgIron: 3mg

Keyword Air Fryer, Shrimp

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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• 6 Benefits of An Air Fryer: Why You Need One
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Laura Lynch

Laura is a passionate foodie and owner of Air Fry Anytime She is dedicated to sharing delicious recipes and helpful tips for using air fryers at home. With years of experience in the kitchen and a love for healthy, flavorful cooking, Laura has become an expert at using air fryers to create amazing meals that are both nutritious and delicious.