Cooking Pre-Cooked Shrimp in Air Fryer is a quick and easy way to get perfectly cooked shrimp that is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside in just a few minutes. Whether using fresh or frozen shrimp, they make a delicious appetizer or simple meal on busy weeknights!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- You don't need to thaw or defrost the shrimp first.
- The juicy shrimp cooks quickly, making it perfect for a quick weeknight meal.
- Shrimp is low-carb, making it an excellent option if following the keto diet.
- You get perfect shrimp every time - no more rubbery shrimp!
- It can be used in many dishes, from main dishes to appetizers.
Ingredient Notes
The ingredients for making air fryer frozen shrimp are:
- Precooked shrimp: I used frozen pre-cooked shrimp that was deveined. When looking at frozen shrimp, ice crystals should not be present; they must smell fresh (if they don't, then leave them out). You can use tail-on or tail-off shrimp. You can also use fresh shrimp - just reduce the cooking time by 1 minute.
- Lemon pepper seasoning. You can also use Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, or your favorite seasoning.
See the printable recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Pre-Cooked Shrimp In Air Fryer
Step 1: Remove the desired amount of shrimp from the package.
Step 2: Place the shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket. No need to preheat the air fryer.
Step 3: Season the shrimp with lemon-pepper seasoning or your favorite seasoning.
Step 4: Place the air fryer tray back in. Air fry shrimp at 390 degrees F for 3-4 minutes (for pre-cooked frozen shrimp) or until cooked through.
Fresh shrimp will take 2-3 minutes, and frozen raw shrimp will take approximately 6-8 minutes.
Step 5: Remove shrimp from the air fryer basket when fully cooked. The shrimp should be a light pink color with some golden brown. If you want crispier shrimp, cook for an extra minute.
Step 6: Serve the seasoned shrimp immediately with a squeeze of lemon juice, your favorite dipping sauce, and your favorite sides.
Storage
If you have leftover shrimp, store them in the fridge in an airtight container or wrap them in plastic wrap. They will stay fresh for up to 2 days.
I don't recommend refreezing them after they are cooked.
Expert Tips
- Make sure the shrimp is in a single layer.
- Shake the basket occasionally for even cooking.
- Adjust the cooking time for larger shrimp by a minute or two. The actual cooking time will depend on the kind of shrimp, the size of the shrimp, and how fast your air fryer cooks. Jumbo shrimp or large shrimp will take longer to cook than smaller shrimp.
- For extra crispy shrimp, spray with cooking spray or olive oil spray before air frying.
How To Serve Air Fryer Shrimp
- Appetizer: Serve with your favorite sauce.
- In a salad: Toss the shrimp with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and your favorite dressing.
- Taco: Make shrimp tacos with 3-ingredient Flatbread.
- Side dish: Serve shrimp alongside grilled meat.
- Pasta: Toss shrimp with linguine and Homemade Alfredo Sauce for shrimp alfredo.
- Rice: Serve on a bed of Instant Pot Jasmine Rice with sliced avocado and soy sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cooking time for frozen shrimp in an air fryer will vary depending on the shrimp's size and the air fryer's power. However, with my recipe using pre-cooked frozen shrimp, the shrimp cooked in about 3-4 minutes.
It depends on the size of the shrimp and the size of your air fryer basket. On average, you can cook up to approximately 12 shrimp at a time in the air fryer. Just make sure they're not too crowded, or they'll cook unevenly.
The number of calories in frozen shrimp varies depending on the size and weight of the shrimp. However, on average, a 3-ounce serving of frozen shrimp contains about 90 calories.
Some popular dipping sauces for shrimp include cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, garlic butter sauce, and sweet chili sauce.
More Shrimp Recipes
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Printable Recipe
Pre-Cooked Shrimp in Air Fryer
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp fresh or frozen
- ½ tablespoon lemon-pepper seasoning or your favorite seasoning
Instructions
- Remove the desired amount of shrimp from the package.1 pound shrimp
- Place the fresh or frozen shrimp in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Season the fresh or frozen shrimp with lemon-pepper seasoning or your favorite seasoning.½ tablespoon lemon-pepper seasoning
- Place the air fryer tray back in. Air fry shrimp at 390 degrees F for 3-4 minutes (for frozen pre-cooked shrimp), or until they are cooked through. (Fresh shrimp will take about 2-3 minutes, and frozen raw shrimp will take about 6-8 minutes). Shake the air fryer basket halfway through the cooking time.
- Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.
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Notes
- Make sure the shrimp is in a single layer.
- Shake the basket occasionally for even cooking.
- Adjust the cooking time for larger shrimp by a minute or two. The actual cooking time will depend on the kind of shrimp, the size of the shrimp, and how fast your air fryer cooks. Jumbo shrimp or large shrimp will take longer to cook than smaller shrimp.
- For extra crispy shrimp, spray with cooking spray or olive oil spray before air frying.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Amy Liu Dong says
Super easy and a tasty recipe to make for my family for tonight's dinner.
Yum!
Kristina says
I love making shrimp in my air fryer and it's even better when I can cook it from frozen when I forget to defrost it. Thanks for the reminder that it works!
Marcellina says
I didn't know I could use the AF to cook shrimps from frozen. This is going to change my life! So easy and a great weeknight meal!
Jan says
Thank heavens for the air fryer, they came out fabulous. The tips were very helpful. Great for quick week night meal.
Jeri says
Isn't the air fryer great? I'm so happy you liked it! 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
Rob says
Such a simple, healthy and delicious meal! Love how quick this recipe is, especially on a busy weeknight.
Jeri says
Yes! It doesn't get much easier! 🙂
Jere says
Perfect. I have not had luck using frozen shrimp before, it always seems to come out soggy from being frozen. The AF is definitely the way to go.
Jeri says
The shrimp is definitely not soggy when it's cooked in the AF. It's the only way I cook it now! 🙂