Air Fryer Shrimp, Frozen

This 5-star, reader-rated air fryer frozen shrimp recipe is exactly what you need when you’re short on time but don’t want to sacrifice flavor. It’s a quick, satisfying dinner that is done in under 15 minutes. You don’t even need to thaw the frozen shrimp! The method is terrific when you need a fast meal or a quick appetizer. And it works with all types of frozen shrimp!

Air Fry Frozen Shrimp

This straightforward air fryer shrimp recipe has saved dinner for us more than a few times. It’s one of the quickest ways to get frozen shrimp on your table. And you don’t even need to wait for the shrimp to thaw before cooking! You don’t need to worry about forgetting to take the shrimp out of the freezer ever again! The method is the secret to making great shrimp without having to thaw them.

This fast and satisfying recipe is a life-saver when you’re short on time. And it’s been given 5 stars by our readers and our family alike. Use the finished shrimp in po’boy sandwiches, for shrimp tacos or fajitas, or serve them as a quick and plain party appetizer. And a house favorite part, you can use this recipe method for ANY kind of frozen shrimp!

Make this air fryer frozen shrimp for:

• Breaded shrimp and unbreaded shrimp
• Tails on and tails off
• Precooked or raw frozen shrimp
• Butterflied shrimp
• Any size shrimp, even popcorn and jumbo
• Coconut shrimp
• Fresh shrimp

And better yet? There’s no need to thaw before cooking. You are going to love how straightforward it is!

Love shrimp? Try our Air fryer popcorn shrimp And Air fryer coconut shrimp.

Why Recipe For Air Fry Shrimp (Frozen) stays in the rotation

We're not kidding when we say this is going to be your new favorite way to cook shrimp. It’s the easiest way to get soft shrimp cooked for a quick meal.

• It’s straightforward and quick. It’s ready in less than 10 minutes and you don’t have to stand over a skillet the whole time.
• Shrimp is always a great weeknight supper or quick lunch.
• You can make it with any kind of frozen shrimp.
• It’s a great main dish for busy weeknights with a short cook time
• A great way to use up a bag of frozen shrimp you have sitting in the freezer

Products used to make air fryer frozen shrimp

Air fryer

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Glass mixing bowls

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Tongs

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Air Fryer Shrimp (Frozen) Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to put this straightforward air fryer recipe together:

• Frozen shrimp: Any size, and any kind of shrimp. They can be breaded or not, tails on or off, precooked or raw, butterflied, coconut, whatever!
• Avocado oil or melted butter
• Seasoning of choice: You can go nuts here. Lemon pepper seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, and Taco seasoning Are all great. You can also use garlic powder, chili powder, black pepper, or red pepper flakes.

Best seasoning for shrimp

Shrimp is tasty with a plain seasoning of salt and pepper, but there’s so much you can do with shrimp.

• Old Bay Seasoning is a classic for seafood dishes.
• If you make shrimp a lot, you may want to keep your own from-scratch shrimp seasoning on hand at all times.
• Citrus goes especially well with shrimp, so you can try adding lemon zest or lime zest or even using lemon pepper.
• You can also cook by cuisine. For Italian dishes, try this Tuscan herb blend. For Greek dishes, use Greek seasoning.
• For Mexican and Latin dishes, use Fajita seasoning.

How to Air Fry Frozen Shrimp (Step by Step)

Now, let’s get to air fryin’!

1. Start by adding the frozen shrimp to a mixing bowl along with the avocado oil or melted butter (make sure it is slightly cooled) and your seasoning of choice.

1. Mix them all together until all of the shrimp are coated in both the oil and seasoning.

1. Place the shrimp in the air fryer basket. Arrange them in a single layer with no overlapping. This is so that the air fryer can cook each piece evenly. (You may have to cook in batches if you are cooking a lot of shrimp.)

1. Cook at 370ºF for 4 minutes. Open the basket and shake everything up.

1. Place the basket back in the air fryer and cook again:

• For Precooked shrimp, set the timer for 3 minutes.
• For Raw shrimp, cook them for 6 minutes.
• Larger shrimp may need additional cooking time.

1. Test your shrimp with a digital read meat thermometer. Shrimp should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F.

Air Fryer Shrimp Frozen Tips & Tricks

This method works with Any type of frozen shrimp Including coconut, butterflied, popcorn, and jumbo. We love how versatile it is!

There is No need to thaw Before cooking.

It is absolutely key that the Shrimp be in a single layer In the air fryer basket to cook evenly and avoid overcooking.

What to Serve with Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp

• Shrimp goes with so many dishes and cuisines. One of our favorite dinners is this Creamy garlic shrimp with white sauce Or this Creamy shrimp pasta recipe.
• Spoon them in tortillas (with the tail off) with your favorite toppings for Shrimp tacos Or on bread for a shrimp po’boy .
• Serve them up with your favorite dipping sauce, like remoulade, cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, or Pineapple sauce For an appetizer.
• Add them to your favorite pasta dishes like Shrimp orzo Or Bowties with shrimp.
• You can also enjoy shrimp on a salad like this Rainbow chopped salad.
• Add them to a bowl with white rice, avocado, cucumbers, and nori. Drizzle it with spicy mayo for a sushi-inspired bowl.
• Serve it as a plain meal with a squeeze of lemon juice and a side of some air fryer asparagus for a great low-carb option.
• Let us show you How to cook frozen green beans Because they also go great with this!

Frozen Shrimp Air Fryer Recipe FAQs

Leftover Shrimp

If you have leftover shrimp, allow them to cool completely and then place them in an airtight container. They will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can use the leftover cooked shrimp on top of a salad, in shrimp tacos, or in a deli-style shrimp salad.

Prep 5 minutesCook 10 minutesMakes 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen shrimp large/jumbo size
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil or melted butter
• 1 tablespoon seasoning of choice lemon pepper, old bay, italian seasoning

Method

1. Add the frozen shrimp to a mixing bowl along with the avocado oil (or butter) and seasoning.
2. Mix together until all of the shrimp are coated in the oil and seasoning.
3. Place the shrimp in the air fryer basket in a single layer with no overlapping.
4. Cook at 375ºF for 4 minutes. Open the basket and shake.
5. Place the basket back in the air fryer and cook an additional 3-6 minutes – 3 minutes for precooked shrimp and 6 minutes for raw shrimp.

Notes

• This method works with any type of frozen breaded shrimp including coconut, popcorn, and butterflied
• May need additional minutes for large shrimp