Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp

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This Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp recipe will show you just how easy it is to make tasty low-carb shrimp straight from the freezer in only 8 minutes.

Air fryer shrimp on a plate with lemon and cocktail sauce

Whenever I’m in a hurry, but want to add a simple protein to my meal, I go straight to that bag of frozen shrimp I keep in the freezer. It doesn’t get any easier than air fryer frozen shrimp.

We tend to buy frozen shrimp in a large bag from Costco. Since each individual shrimp is flash frozen, it’s so easy to just grab the amount needed from the bag. I use them on salads and in soups – so easy!

» Also try cooking frozen salmon, frozen pizza, or frozen chicken wings, no thawing required.

A shrimp on a fork dipped into cocktail sauce

Is it Okay to Cook Frozen Shrimp?

Yes! There’s no need to defrost the shrimp before putting them in the air fryer. That means you can skip the tedious task of pulling them out of the freezer long before you’re ready to use them, so they can defrost.

Cooking it this way actually improves the texture. If you’ve ever defrosted shrimp the lazy way (by soaking them in cold water), you know that can lead to a strange rubbery texture when cooked. That doesn’t happen in the air fryer.

The shrimp get cooked to the perfect doneness, retaining their juicy plumpness. They’re perfect for serving in a shrimp cocktail, on salads, or as a main dish with rice. Now, it’s not so easy to make battered shrimp or breaded shrimp from frozen, but you can cook pre breaded frozen shrimp in the air fryer.

Air fryer shrimp on a plate with lemon

Ingredients Needed

  • Frozen shrimp – You can use whatever size shrimp you want. You can also use shell on or off. I tend to go for anywhere from 21-25 up to 35-40 sized shrimp in the air fryer.
  • Salt & pepper – You can season your shrimp with just salt and pepper.
  • Seasoning – This is optional, but you might want to season your cooked shrimp with something a little extra other than salt and pepper. See our suggestions below.

Tips and Notes

  • You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if you’re cooking extra large shrimp.  I used medium shrimp and 8 minutes was perfect. Likewise, smaller shrimp will take less time.
  • If you are adding a seasoning to the shrimp you can easily do that when you shake the basket half way through.  By then the shrimp are thawed and the seasoning will stick to the shrimp.
  • There’s no need to thaw in advance or spray the shrimp with oil before cooking.

How to Make Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp

There’s not much to it, honestly. You just need to place the frozen shrimp into the air fryer basket. Be sure not to crowd them or stack them too much. A full basket won’t cook evenly and the final product won’t be as good.

If you need to, make them in batches, rather than stacking them on top of each other.

frozen shrimp in the air fryer basket

Cook the shrimp at 400° F for 8 minutes. Make sure to give the basket a shake half way through. This is if the shrimp is raw to begin with. If it’s already cooked frozen shrimp, it will only take 5 minutes to heat it up to the proper temperature.

The size of your shrimp may vary, so it might be necessary to cook larger shrimp for a minute or two longer.

cooked shrimp in the air fryer basket

Seasoning for Air Fryer Shrimp

If you want to add extra flavor, you can sprinkle the shrimp with a flavorful seasoning once it’s cooked. Trying to add the seasoning before cooking is a bit futile, since they’re frozen solid. Try one of these flavor combinations.

  • Lemon pepper – Either use a pre-mixed seasoning blend or add fresh squeezed lemon juice and black pepper.
  • Cajun seasoning – Try this spicy and savory blend of spices to add tremendous flavor.
  • Taco seasoning – Turn these shrimp into shrimp tacos or add them to a taco bowl by adding homemade taco seasoning. Throw in some rice, avocado, and a spicy sauce and you’ve got a healthy, easy meal. It’s one of the easiest ways to cook shrimp for tacos.
Air fryer shrimp on a plate with lemon
Cosori air fryer

OUR FAVORITE AIR FRYER

COSORI PRO LE 5-QT AIR FRYER

There are a lot of features to love about this air fryer, but top of our list are the tempered glass display, super easy to clean basket, and ability to add shake reminders.

How to Cook Air Fryer Breaded Shrimp

If you’ve got frozen breaded shrimp that you bought in a box or bag, you can easily cook it in the air fryer too. Just put as many shrimp into the air fryer basket as you want. Cook at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through

It’s important to note that cooking times may vary depending on the size and thickness of the shrimp, as well as the specific model of the air fryer.

What Side Dishes to Serve?

You can serve some really easy side dishes with your main dish cooked in the Air Fryer. Sometimes, you can cook them together in the air fryer to make it even faster.

Some of our favorite side dishes to serve include:

Here are 30 more air fryer side dishes to try

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Air fryer shrimp on a plate with lemon

Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp

This Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp recipe will show you just how easy it is to make tasty low-carb shrimp straight from the freezer in only 8 minutes.
5 from 63 votes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 8 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2 Servings
Calories 181 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound frozen shrimp
  • 1 tablespoon seasoning of choice optional

Instructions
 

  • Add frozen shrimp to the air fryer basket in a single layer.
  • Cook at 400° F for 8 minutes, Shake the basket half way through. Add seasoning after 4 minutes, if desired.

Notes

  • Depending on the size of the shrimp you may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time.  I used medium shrimp and 8 minutes was perfect.
  • If you are adding a seasoning to the shrimp you can easily do that when you shake the basket half way through.  By then the shrimp are thawed and the seasoning will stick to 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: 181kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 32gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 286mgSodium: 1286mgPotassium: 349mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 534IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 241mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Shrimp
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13 thoughts on “Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp

  1. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says:

    5 stars
    I love shrimp and especially love it in the air fryer! I love to add a little seasoning once they have been cooked!

    • Laura Lynch says:

      If you like garlic, a little garlic salt and black pepper is a great subtle seasoning for shrimp. You could also use a seasoning salt, like Mrs. Dash or Lawry’s.

5 from 63 votes (60 ratings without comment)

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