Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: With a satisfying crunchy bite, air fryer breaded shrimp will make you so happy you bought an air fryer! These breaded shrimp are unbelievably crispy and not deep fried.
How long it takes: 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: air fryer, whisk, bowls, tongs
Servings: 4
Crispy Breaded Shrimp
Better than deep frying. Usually a thick coating of crunchy batter on breaded shrimp carries a payload of oil and fat. And that means a bunch of calories and fat grams, a no-no for most of us. Try “frying” your shrimp in your air fryer and you’ll get crispy battered shrimp without any of the guilt. Bring it on! It’s pure genius.
Battered AND breaded! You heard it right: this tasty shrimp is battered and breaded. Wow! No wonder it’s so good. It’s a two step process but it’s easy to do and the pay-off is worth it.
Versatile. These air fryer shrimp make a delicious main course. Serve them with a simple lemon arugula salad and roasted sweet potatoes. Shrimp always is a popular appetizer too. Don’t forget your favorite dipping sauces. I like this lemon dill tartar sauce or homemade homemade Thousand Island dressing. Yum yum sauce and bang bang sauce are always popular, too.
How To Thaw Frozen Shrimp
Frozen shrimp can be such a life-saver when it comes to meal time. It thaws in a matter of minutes and cooks so quickly. (Keep reading for more shrimp recipes.)
Thaw the shrimp if it’s still frozen. This can be easily accomplished by putting it in a colander, setting the colander in the sink, and running cold water over it until it’s thawed, about 5 minutes or so, depending on the size of the shrimp.
If you plan ahead, you can thaw the shrimp overnight in the refrigerator. Rinse before cooking to remove any frost and to make sure it’s thawed completely.
Never thaw shrimp at room temperature or in warm water.
Ingredient Notes
- Shrimp: Look for large or jumbo (16/20) raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, with the tails on.
- Batter: You’ll need all-purpose flour, to which you’ll add Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, and a dash of cornstarch. An egg, lightly beaten and mixed with water, is added to the flour mixture to make a light batter.
- Panko Bread Crumbs: Panko, with its large airy crumbs, makes a better breading for the shrimp than regular bread crumbs.
What's Old Bay Seasoning?
This classic blend of 18 different spices has been around for years and is often used in seafood recipes. Currently produced by McCormick, you can also make your own similar blend. Try this recipe by The Spruce Eats.
How to make Air Fryer Breaded Shrimp
Prepare the two stations you’ll need to batter and bread the shrimp. Find two fairly large shallow bowls. Mixing bowls, pasta, or salad bowls work great.
Make the batter. In the first bowl, mix the flour with the seasonings. Add the egg and water and whisk until combined.
Make the breading. In the second bowl, mix the panko with a little Old Bay seasoning.
Batter the shrimp. Grab a shrimp by the tail and dip it into the batter, letting the excess drip off. If the batter seems a little thick, add a bit more water. If it’s too thin, whisk in a little more flour.
Bread the shrimp. Still holding on to the tail, gently roll the shrimp in the bread crumbs, making sure the shrimp is well-coated, with crumbs adhering to all sides (except the tail).
Discard any leftover batter or breading when all the shrimp have been coated.
Arrange in air fryer. Arrange the shrimp on the rack of your air fryer (spray it with a little oil first). They can be close together but not touching. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to do them in batches.
Air fry the shrimp until they are golden brown, curled and firm. It only takes five minutes or so, depending on the size of the shrimp. Large or jumbo shrimp will be ready in about five minutes but smaller shrimp will cook faster.
Serve. Serve the shrimp immediately. They taste best hot out of the air fryer.
Need a great air fryer?
We’ve tried a couple and this one is one of our favorites. It has a fairly large capacity and is very user friendly.
Recipe Variations
- Add your favorite seasonings! Onion powder, smoked paprika, dried green onion, and Cajun seasoning are all great options. Just add a ½ teaspoon to the flour mixture.
- Don’t have panko? Use regular bread crumbs or make your own panko. Learn how to make homemade breadcrumbs or panko. It’s super easy and you can use day-old bread.
- Add coconut. If you’re a fan of coconut shrimp, try my air fryer coconut shrimp. It’s really good!
- Make tempura fried shrimp. Skip the panko and fry the shrimp with just the batter coating.
Refrigerate before cooking. Prepare the shrimp except for frying. Arrange them in a single layer on a plate or tray, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 hours.
Freeze before cooking. If you prefer, instead of refrigerating the prepared shrimp, freeze them in a single layer. Once they’re frozen, put them in a tightly sealed container with parchment between layers. Cook as directed, adding a couple minutes for frozen shrimp.
Refrigerate: Cooked breaded shrimp are really best eaten right away. If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge for one day.
Reheat: Put them back into the air fryer for a couple of minutes. You can also reheat them in the oven or toaster oven. Microwaving is not recommended because the breading will be soft and the shrimp can get tough.
More Shrimp Recipes
Air Fryer Breaded Shrimp
Ingredients
- 16 ounces large or jumbo shrimp (16/20) (peeled, deveined, tail-on raw shrimp)
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning, divided
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup water
Instructions
- Thaw shrimp under cold running water, if frozen. Pat dry with paper towels; set aside.16 ounces large or jumbo shrimp (16/20)
- Preheat air fryer to 375°F.
- In shallow bowl, combine panko and ¾ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning.1 cup panko bread crumbs
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, remaining ¾ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, and cornstarch. Add the egg and water to the bowl; whisk until smooth. You should have a thick, wet batter.1 cup all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon cornstarch, 1 large egg, ¾ cup water
- Holding the shrimp by the tail, dip each shrimp individually into the batter. Batter should cover entire shrimp but not the tail. Let excess batter drip off into the bowl. Immediately dip the shrimp into the panko, making sure it’s covered well, except for the tail.
- Lightly spray air fryer basket with avocado spray. Place shrimp in air fryer basket, arranging them in a single layer, not touching. You will have to fry them in batches. Air fry for 5 to 7 minutes, or until breading is golden brown and shrimp is curled.
- Repeat with remaining shrimp. Air fryer breaded shrimp is best served immediately.
Notes
- Make ahead: Prepare the shrimp except for frying. Arrange them in a single layer on a plate or tray, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 hours. If you prefer, freeze them in a single layer. Once they’re frozen, put them in a tightly sealed container with parchment between layers. Cook as directed, adding a couple minutes for frozen shrimp.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Did the first batch per recipe, delish. Second batch with coconut instead of panko, awesome! Some stuck to the rack a little, I suspect sugar in the coconut. I used long strand coconut. Pretty, but I think finer coconut would stick better
Glad you liked it! We have a coconut shrimp recipe and we do make the coconut a little more fine – https://www.rachelcooks.com/air-fryer-coconut-shrimp/
This recipe is amazing! So easy to make and got me hooked on my air fryer – will definitely be making again!
Woohoo! I’ve been thinking about making these again ever since I posted the recipe… they’re so yummy!