Air Fryer Shrimp

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Fast, easy, and delicious! This Air Fryer shrimp is ready in under ten minutes and full of flavor from simple spices and a yummy garlic butter drizzle. A great addition for your next party, for dinner, or even for meal prep!

Close up of Air Fryer Shrimp on a white platter with fresh herbs.

While I am not a fan of traditional cold, boiled shrimp cocktail, I love serving roasted shrimp cocktail as an appetizer or even main dish when I am entertaining. I also love it for a quick and delicious protein option for weeknight meals.

And while my go-to method for cooking shrimp has always been roasting them in the oven, once I tried making shrimp in the Air Fryer for my Air Fryer Shrimp Taco Recipe, I was instantly hooked.

Take this perfectly cooked, juicy shrimp and drizzle on some garlic butter sauce, and you have the perfect protein packed party food!

Still need an Air Fryer? Check out my Best Air Fryers for 2022 post with update info on all my favorite Air Fryer models!

Festive platter of cooked shrimp with toothpicks and pretty matte black forks nearby.

Table of Contents

Why I love this recipe

Cooking shrimp in the Air Fryer is for sure my new favorite way to cook shrimp for many reasons!

Shrimp cooks SO fast in the Air Fryer – like in minutes – making this the perfect easy appetizer idea or an easy weeknight dinner.
No need to buy tasteless, rubbery shrimp cocktail from the store when you can make it yourself for less money.
This juicy shrimp is perfectly seasoned with simple, pantry ingredients.
It’s delicious alone, on a salad, on your favorite pasta, or dipped in your favorite cocktail sauce.
The garlic butter sauce is the perfect way to elevate to this delicious shrimp for a party, but it’s super tasty even without it!
This healthy dish is a great way to add protein to any meal or holiday spread.

My Favorite Air Fryer

Air Fryer

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Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Raw shrimp with the tail on next to seasonings, lemon, and fresh parsley.

For the Shrimp

1 pound raw shrimp – large, peeled and deveined, but tail on. You can use fresh shrimp or previously frozen shrimp, but for best results, thaw first.
cooking spray – I use avocado oil spray, but extra-virgin olive oil spray works great, too
kosher salt or your favorite coarse salt
paprika or smoked paprika
garlic powder
zest of one lemon
fresh herbs for garnish

Garlic Butter Sauce

butter (I used dairy free)
splash of fresh lemon juice
1 clove of sliced fresh garlic

How to Make Shrimp in the Air Fryer

Raw shrimp on a white plate seasoned with paprika, garlic powder, and salt.

Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. Pat shrimp dry with clean paper towels.
Spray shrimp generously with avocado oil spray, then coat well with salt and seasonings.
Place shrimp in the hot air fryer basket in a single layer and cook 3-4 minutes per side, shaking the basket or flipping halfway through cook time.
While your shrimp is air frying, melt butter in a small microwave safe bowl. Add in garlic slices and lemon juice. Let flavors meld together while the shrimp is cooking. Before drizzling over shrimp, remove the garlic slices (or not if you love garlic!)
After shrimp is fully cooked, transfer to a serving platter, then drizzle with garlic butter sauce. Finish with lemon zest and fresh herbs for color.

Overhead shot of Air Fryer Shrimp on a pretty white platter with scalloped edges.

Substitutions and Variations

I love this irresistible shrimp recipe as written, but feel free to season it in different ways to suit your taste!

For a little spice, add some chili powder to the mix
Switch it up with Lemon pepper or Italian Seasoning
For a little crunch, sprinkle on some seasoned panko or gluten free panko breadcrumbs
For a Maryland spin, shake on some old bay seasoning
Dip in in some cocktail sauce or your favorite sauce (I see you, yum-yum sauce)

Meal Prep and Storage

To prep: I love this shrimp best right after it’s been cooked, but to make things easier, I will mix up the seasonings and slice the garlic in advance. You could also toss the seasoning on the shrimp several hours before making it. If you want to prep the shrimp ahead of time for a meal prep protein, follow the steps below.

To store: Store leftover shrimp in an air tight container for 2-3 days.

To freeze: You can freeze your cooked shrimp for a quick and easy protein option. Just place in a freezer safe container and store for up to 3 months. For best results,

To reheat: I despise reheated shrimp. Like with a passion. I would much rather eat it cold than risk heating it up and making it tough and rubbery. But if you want to reheat shrimp, do so cautiously and at a very low temperature. Do not microwave. The best way to reheat it is in a pan. Heat up some butter or olive oil over medium low heat, then toss in your shrimp and warm just until the shrimp are hot to the touch.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use frozen shrimp for this recipe?

I always prefer cooking shrimp that has been thawed (and it’s really quick to thaw it by running it under cold water for a few minutes), but if you want to use frozen shrimp, you will need to add a minute or two to the cook time.

Can I use small shrimp?

Again, this is personal preference, as I love using large shrimp and prefer the texture of it to small or even extra large/jumbo shrimp. But if you only have small shrimp on hand, just keep in mind it will cook faster. Be sure to check it after two minutes and then shake and repeat.

Can I wrap shrimp in aluminum foil packets in the air fryer?

Yes! Aluminum foil is perfectly safe for the Air Fryer, and you could make a foil packet with the seasoned shrimp and the garlic butter sauce and enjoy this shrimp that way if you wish. The shrimp will be more steamed than Air fried, but it will still be yummy.