I'm a huge fan of shrimp and always order them if they're on a menu, but I've always assumed they'd be too difficult to cook at home. Especially because I like them to be soft, succulent and full of flavor, and I didn't trust my cooking skills to achieve that.
However, while testing the best air fryers, I recently discovered an air fryer shrimp recipe that not only looked simple enough for even my often-questionable skills, but was packed full of spices and flavor.
Below, I show how to make breaded shrimp at home – the best part is that they take just 10 minutes in the air fryer. Quick, easy and delicious.
Air fryer shrimp
The air fryer shrimp recipe I have followed is from @chefgenevieve – aka Genevieve LaMonaca – via her TikTok channel. It's already been watched by 386k people, and counting.
@chefgenevieve ♬ Sunshine - WIRA
Air fryer shrimp: ingredients
- 1/2lb shrimp
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp onion powder/granules
- 1/2 tsp pepper
I don't like a lot of spice so I used smoky paprika for my air fryer shrimp. You can dial up the heat by swapping it for hot paprika in the breadcrumb mixture, or use any herbs or spices you want.
Similarly, any breadcrumbs will work, but Panko breadcrumbs give the shrimp a nice crunch.
To make air fryer shrimp you will need the following equipment:
- Air fryer – I used the Tower Vortx 9 Litre Duo Capacity Basket Air Fryer with Smart Finish 5.2L and 3.3L
- Three separate bowls for the flour, whisked egg, and breadcrumbs
- Tongs
Air fryer shrimp: method
Step 1: Whisk the eggs into your first bowl. Add flour to the second bowl, and in the third bowl, add the breadcrumbs.
Step 2: Add the spices and seasoning to the breadcrumbs and mix well.
Step 3: Dip the shrimp in the flour, then into the egg. Finally coat each shrimp with breadcrumbs. You can use your fingers or the back of a fork to press the crumbs onto the shrimp.
I recommend coating each shrimp individually, or in small groups, to avoid creating a soggy mess and to guarantee you get better coverage.
Step 4: Place the shrimp in a row in your air fryer basket.
Step 5: Set the air fryer to 375°F / 190°C and cook the shrimp for 10 minutes.
Step 6: After 5 minutes, flip each shrimp over. This is where a pair of tongs comes in useful.
Step 7: Once cooked, remove from the air fryer and serve.
The original video added a Bang Bang sauce to the shrimp after the first five minutes, but I prefer to dip my shrimp straight into sweet chilli dipping sauce once cooked.
Air fryer shrimp: verdict
These air fryer shrimp are delicious. Not only are they soft, succulent and perfectly cooked but the breadcrumbs add texture, and the different spices add a huge hit of flavor.
My Panko breadcrumbs were a little uneven in shape and size and, while this didn't impact the taste, it did make the coverage a little patchy so they could have looked prettier.
This didn't seem to put my friends off from devouring the lot though, and one even asked where I'd bought them from. High praise indeed.
If you're still sitting on the fence and wondering whether to buy an air fryer, you may want to read our article to decide whether air fryers are worth it?
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