This perfectly crispy Air Fryer Tempura Shrimp recipe is truly extraordinary. You will love the golden-brown, crunchy exterior and succulent, juicy shrimp within. This recipe makes it easy to whip up a restaurant-quality dish in less than 10 minutes with minimal effort! Perfect for an appetizer or main course, this is one dish your whole family will love!
Love tempura shrimp? Me too! This is one of my favorite dishes to order in Japanese restaurants!
And I'm so excited to share with you my new tempura shrimp air fryer recipe! The air fryer makes this a delicious and healthier alternative to traditional deep-fried tempura, without sacrificing on the deep-fried flavor or crunch.
This makes a quick meal as the crispy shrimp are ready in less than 10 minutes with minimal effort. It's the perfect dish for when you're looking for something light and tasty.
Serve it as an appetizer or main course. It's perfect for busy weeknights and is great for dipping!
These shrimp are delicious and can be used in fish tacos, sushi rolls, on top of salads, or on their own. Dip it in your favorite dipping sauce (I like sweet and sour sauce or Hoisin Peanut Sauce) or enjoy it as is.
Add this delicious shrimp to your must-make list—you won't regret it!
If you are looking for more tasty shrimp recipes, try my Creamy Coconut Shrimp Recipe, Smoked Shrimp or Easy Frozen Shrimp in Air Fryer.
And if you would like a fancy but easy restaurant-style dish, try my Air Fryer Filet Mignon with Bacon or Air Fryer Halibut with Crispy Parmesan Crust!
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❤️ Why You Will Love This Crispy Tempura Recipe
- This is an easy air fryer recipe; it is ready in less than 10 minutes with minimal effort.
- The tempura batter is light and crispy, creating a delicious coating for the juicy shrimp.
- Light yet flavorful dish that can be served as an appetizer or main course - perfect for parties or family gatherings!
- No need to mess with hot oil - the air fryer makes fried shrimp without all the fuss of a deep fryer.
- You can customize the seasoning to suit your tastes – try adding red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick!
- Perfect for game days, special occasions, or busy weeknights!
- You can prepare the shrimp ahead of time, then cook it when you are ready to eat!
- Leftovers also reheat really well the next day!
🦐 Ingredient Notes
This delicious crunchy shrimp is made with simple ingredients you can easily find at your local grocery store.
- Shrimp. I used pre-cooked large shrimp, but any shrimp, including raw shrimp, will work in this recipe. I prefer tail-on shrimp as the tail makes it easy to handle. I recommend medium to jumbo shrimp, keeping in mind that larger shrimp will take longer to cook.
- Panko breadcrumbs. These are a must for super crunchy tempura. You could even use seasoned Panko for even more flavor.
- Cornstarch. This is my secret ingredient. I made the shrimp with and without cornstarch, and they turned out much puffier and crunchier with the cornstarch.
- Egg. This is also a must-have ingredient. Depending on how much shrimp you are cooking and how much egg clings to the shrimp, you may need more than 2 eggs.
- Parmesan. This adds extra flavor to the Panko batter. If you are not a fan, leave it out.
- Avocado oil. I use this in spray form to get extra crispy shrimp. You could also use olive oil or canola oil. If you don't have a spray, you can brush it on carefully.
See the printable recipe card for quantities and a full list of ingredients.
♨️ How To Make Shrimp Tempura in Air Fryer
First, prepare an egg wash by whisking together eggs, cornstarch, and cold water in a shallow bowl.
Next, combine the Panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, seasoning salt, and parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl.
Next, add the flour to a small bowl.
You now have 3 separate stations.
Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F.
Now comes the messy part. 🙂
Lifting the shrimp by the tail, dredge it in the all-purpose flour mixture until fully covered. Shake off any excess flour.
Next, dip it in the egg mixture, being sure to coat all sides, including the top end of the shrimp.
Then, dredge shrimp in the Panko mixture, pressing the breadcrumb mixture into the shrimp. Place raw shrimp on a baking sheet or plate until you are ready to cook it.
Expert Tip: To reduce batter buildup on your fingers, use shallow bowls that are large enough to hold one batch of shrimp. Dredge all the shrimp in the flour first, dredge them in the egg wash, then roll them all in the Panko.
Place the battered shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray the shrimp lightly with a thin layer of avocado oil. Cook shrimp for 8-9 minutes.
Flip the shrimp halfway through the cooking time, making sure to spray lightly with avocado oil again. The avocado oil really helps the shrimp crisp up and turn golden brown.
Depending on the size of your air fryer, you will need to cook the shrimp in small batches. It is very important to leave space between the shrimp to allow for the hot air to circulate.
Allow the shrimp to cool for a couple of minutes before taking a bite; they are hot!
Serve with your favorite dipping sauces or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Enjoy!
⏲️ Make Ahead Directions
- Prepare the shrimp according to the recipe, but instead of cooking them, place them in an airtight container, or in a dish and cover them with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, remove from the fridge and cook according to the recipe.
- If layering the shrimp in a container, separate each layer with parchment paper.
💭 Expert Tips
- Make sure the shrimp is fully thawed before you start. The batter will not stick to frozen shrimp properly.
- You can use a light coating of avocado oil on the bottom of your air fryer basket to prevent sticking, or use a piece of parchment paper.
- For best results, preheat your air fryer for a few minutes before adding the shrimp. This will help cook them evenly and achieve maximum crunchiness.
- Don’t overcrowd your air fryer basket, as this could lead to uneven cooking or undercooked shrimp.
- Check the shrimp after 8 minutes - they should be golden brown and crispy when done.
- Depending on the size of your shrimp, the cooking time may need to be increased or decreased. Smaller shrimp may cook quicker, and larger shrimp may take longer.
❓Recipe FAQs
Cook the tempura shrimp at 360 degrees F in the air fryer.
It only takes about 8 minutes to cook shrimp tempura in the air fryer. Depending on the size of your shrimp, the cooking time may have to be increased or decreased by a couple of extra minutes.
To reheat shrimp, place it in the air fryer at 360 degrees F for a couple of minutes, until heated through.
To store leftover air fryer shrimp tempura, place it in an airtight container and place it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
👩🏻🍳 More Air Fryer Recipes You'll Love
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📋 Recipe
The BEST Crispy Air Fryer Shrimp Tempura
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds shrimp peeled, deveined, tail-on - medium to jumbo recommended
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons cold water
- 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil spray or olive oil spray
Instructions
- First, prepare an egg wash by whisking together eggs, cornstarch, and cold water in a shallow bowl.
- Next, combine the Panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, seasoning salt, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl.
- Add the all-purpose flour to a small bowl.
- Lifting the shrimp by the tail, dredge it in the all-purpose flour mixture until fully covered. Shake off any excess flour.
- Next, dip it in the egg mixture, being sure to coat all sides, including the top end of the shrimp.
- Then, dredge shrimp in the Panko mixture, pressing the breadcrumb mixture into the shrimp. Place raw shrimp on a baking sheet or plate until you are ready to air fry.
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F.
- Place the battered shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray the shrimp lightly with a thin layer of avocado oil.
- Cook shrimp for 8-9 minutes. Flip the shrimp halfway through the cooking time, making sure to spray lightly with avocado oil again. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you will need to cook the shrimp in small batches.
- Allow the shrimp to cool for a couple of minutes before taking a bite; they are hot!
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauces or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Prepare the shrimp according to the recipe, but instead of cooking them, place them in an airtight container, or in a dish and cover them with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, remove from the fridge and cook according to the recipe.
- If layering the shrimp in a container, separate each layer with parchment paper.
- Make sure the shrimp is fully thawed before you start. The batter will not stick to frozen shrimp properly.
- To reduce batter buildup on your fingers, use shallow bowls large enough to hold one batch of shrimp. Dredge all the shrimp in the flour first, dredge them in the egg wash, then roll them all in the Panko mixture.
- You can use a light coating of avocado oil on the bottom of your air fryer basket to prevent sticking, or use a piece of parchment paper.
- For best results, preheat your air fryer for a few minutes before adding the shrimp. This will help cook them evenly and achieve maximum crunchiness.
- Don’t overcrowd your air fryer basket, as this could lead to uneven cooking or undercooked shrimp.
- Check the shrimp after 8 minutes - they should be golden brown and crispy when done.
- Depending on the size of your shrimp, the cooking time may need to be increased or decreased. Smaller shrimp may cook quicker, and larger shrimp may take longer.
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