These easy, crispy, and juicy air fryer shrimp are one of my favorite recipes and they’re even paired with an Old Bay cocktail sauce recipe! You’re going to be surprised by how easy it is to get restaurant-quality fried shrimp from home!
Air fryer fried shrimp is delicious and one of my favorite ways to cook shrimp but my classic fried shrimp recipe will always be a staple! And shrimp isn’t the only seafood I’m swooning over, I find myself making air fryer salmon patties over and over again!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Since this air fryer shrimp recipe is quick and easy, it’s perfect for busy weeknights! I know how easy it is to forget to plan dinner… I would be lost without my air fryer and my air fryer recipes! Being able to make dinner in a flash helps me and my family avoid fast food.
- These crispy shrimp can be used in different recipes. Some examples are shrimp tacos, a shrimp salad, shrimp fried rice, or even topped on pasta! There are so many creative ways to enjoy these juicy shrimp.
- They’re healthier than traditional fried shrimp! Because these are fried in an air fryer, instead of oil, these shrimp are healthier than classic fried shrimp. If you’re looking for a healthy side dish, I would suggest roasted Brussels sprouts, green beans, and/or air fryer asparagus.
Ingredient Checklist
- 1.5 – 2 lb bag Frozen Shrimp (Unthawed, XL, and Peeled)
- 2 cups Seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- ½ tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- ½ tbsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ cups of Water
Step by Step directions
- Prepare shrimp: Make sure they are thawed, peeled, washed, and dried.
- Preheat Air Fryer to 375 degrees.
- Put the Panko Bread Crumbs in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, Old Bay, Garlic Powder, and Cornstarch.
- Add the egg and water to the bowl.
- Whisk until it’s all thoroughly combined. You should have a thick and wet batter.
- Holding the shrimp by the tail, dip the shrimp individually into the beaten egg batter. Let any excess batter drip off into the bowl (Image 1).
- Then dip the shrimp into the Panko bread crumbs. Covering every spot except for the tail (Image 2).
- Place shrimp in the Air Fryer basket in a single layer. Shrimp should not touch in the basket of your air fryer (Image 3).
- Place basket in Air Fryer. Close. Set time for about 6-8 minutes. Shrimp do not take long to cook.
- When the coating is golden brown, that’s when they’re ready! (Image 4).
- Repeat until you’ve cooked all shrimp.
Old Bay Cocktail Sauce
If you’re serving this air fryer fried shrimp as an appetizer, you have to have cocktail sauce! If you’ve never made homemade cocktail sauce before, you’re going to be surprised by how easy it is.
Dunking juicy shrimp or air frier salmon patties into cocktail sauce is one of my favorite things to do!
Cocktail Sauce ingredients checklist
- 1/4 Cup Ketchup
- 2 Tsp Horseradish
- ¾ Tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ Tsp Lemon Juice
- ½ Tsp Smoked paprika
Cocktail Sauce Directions
- In a small bowl combine Ketchup, Horseradish, Old Bay Seasoning, Worcestershire, Lemon Juice, and Smoked Paprika.
- Mix well until thoroughly combined.
- Garnish with fresh Thyme if desired.
- Store in the fridge covered and/or in an air-tight container.
What kind of shrimp should I use?
I like to use jumbo or extra-large shrimp because they shrink while cooking. Using bigger shrimp will ensure they are a decent size when they’re ready to eat. You can use a smaller size, but do note that the cooking time may be faster.
I find that it’s easier for me to use frozen shrimp and let it thaw rather than buying fresh shrimp. I only prefer that out of convenience and you can use fresh shrimp if desired. The important thing is that your shrimp are uncooked, peeled, with the tail on!
What Side Dishes for Shrimp
If you’re looking for easy side dishes that pair well with this shrimp recipe, you’ll love:
Expert tips and FAQS
Yes, you can store air fryer shrimp in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for no more than one day. For best results, reheat them in the air fryer or the oven. I would highly recommend eating these shrimp fresh because the breading will not be as crispy when reheated.
The spices in this recipe are absolutely delicious but feel free to customize them in any way you’d like. Onion powder, smoked paprika, dried green onion, and cajun seasoning are all great options. Just add a ½ Tsp
or so.
I’ve found that seasoned Panko bread crumbs work best for this recipe but you can use plain or Italian seasoned Panko bread crumbs. For the perfect shrimp, I would suggest using Panko bread crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs.
How to keep shrimp from sticking to the air fryer basket
Depending on what air fryer you use, you may have trouble with your shrimp sticking to the basket of the air fryer. To solve this problem, all you have to do is add a little bit of olive oil spray to the basket before cooking. This will help prevent your shrimp from sticking!
Related Recipes
My husband and I love to use the air fryer for all kinds of easy recipes. Using the air fryer for a quick and easy dinner is not uncommon at our house! Here are a few of our favorite air fryer dinner recipes!
- Turkey Burgers in the Air Fryer
- Air fryer salmon patties
- Frozen chicken wings in the air fryer
- Air fryer brats
Air Fryer Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
Air fryer shrimp
- 1.5-2 lb frozen shrimp
- 2 cups seasoned Panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tbsp old bay seasoning
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups water
Old Bay Cocktail Sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp horseradish
- 3/4 tsp old bay seasoning
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
Air Fryer Shrimp
- Prepare shrimp: Make sure they are thawed, peeled, washed, and dried.
- Preheat Air Fryer to 375 degrees.
- Put the Panko Bread Crumbs in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, Old Bay, Garlic Powder, and Cornstarch.
- Add the egg and water to the bowl. Whisk until it’s all thoroughly combined. You should have a thick and wet batter.
- Holding the shrimp by the tail, dip the shrimp individually into the batter. Let any excess batter drip off into the bowl.
- Then dip the shrimp into the Panko bread crumbs. Covering every spot except for the tail.
- Place shrimp in the Air Fryer basket. Shrimp should not touch in the basket of your air fryer.
- Place basket in Air Fryer. Close. Set time for about 6-8 minutes. Shrimp do not take long to cook.
- When the coating is golden brown, that’s when they’re ready!
- Repeat until you’ve cooked all shrimp.
Old Bay Cocktail Sauce
- In a small bowl combine Ketchup, Horseradish, Old Bay Seasoning, Worcestershire, Lemon Juice, and Smoked Paprika.
- Mix well until thoroughly combined.
- Garnish with fresh Thyme if desired.
- Store in the fridge covered and/or in an air-tight container.
Notes
or so. Can I use different bread crumbs? I’ve found that seasoned Panko bread crumbs work best for this recipe but you can use plain or Italian seasoned Panko bread crumbs. For the perfect shrimp, I would suggest using Panko bread crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs.
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