We love making air fryer breaded shrimp anytime of the week. It’s a great snack, appetizer or main meal. Homemade crunchy air fryer crispy shrimp is so easy to make. There’s no reason to buy it.

air fryer breaded shrimp in basket

Quick and Easy Air Fryer Breaded Shrimp

After making your first batch of air fryer crispy shrimp homemade, you won’t want to buy it frozen again. Seriously, air frying shrimp is so easy in the air fryer and you can customize the spices and flavors. It takes about less than 15 minutes to air fry the shrimp. What you have is a wonderful homemade batch of warm crispy shrimp to snack on or to eat as part of your main meal.

Can you use frozen shrimp?

Sure, you can buy the shrimp frozen. Thaw it first, then squeeze out all the excess water and moisture. This will ensure that the batter will stick to the shrimp. Fresh shrimp works too but of course, it’s a little more expensive. Also, you have to remove the shell and veins before breading the shrimp.

holding air fryer breaded shrimp in dip

Different Seasonings for the Shrimp

You can have alot of fun with flavors with this air fried breaded shrimp. Before breading, season the shrimp with your favorite seasonings. Even meat marinades or steak rubs are great on shrimp. Experiment with curry, ground cumin and our favorite, lemon pepper.

Video: Air Fryer Breaded Shrimp

Tips for Air Frying Breaded Shrimp

  • What size of shrimp: Medium to large shrimp is always delicious and meaty with every bite. 31-40 size or larger are perfect. But if you want to use smaller shrimp, definitely go for it. It will take a little more time to air fry smaller shrimp but it’s still worth the effort.
  • We love using fresh shrimp. The flavor and texture of the shrimp tastes so much better when you air fry with fresh shrimp.
  • Check your timing: Shrimp varies so much in size, so your timing will vary too! Check the shrimp to make sure it’s cooked through and the crust isn’t burnt.
  • After you make your first batch, you’ll know what the best timing is for the shrimp you bought.
  • Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.
air fryer breaded shrimp in basket

Air Fryer Crispy Breaded Shrimp

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
For the shrimp, we like to use the 31/40 size range (here is a great article on understanding shrimp sizes and types), but feel free to use whatever shrimp size you prefer. Of course, larger shrimp make take a little longer to air fry, and smaller my cook quicker.
Different sized shrimp may also use more or less egg and bread crumbs (or other breading of choice). Adjust as needed.
We barely season the shrimp with salt, because most shrimp usually have a natural saltiness to them, but adjust to your personal preference.
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. (454 g) large shrimp , peeled and deveined
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt , or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) black pepper , or to taste
  • 1/3 cup (42 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup (80 g) bread crumbs (or breading of choice) panko, crushed pork rinds, almond flour etc.
  • oil spray , for coating the breaded shrimp

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Rinse and pat dry the shrimp. Lightly oil the shrimp then season all sides with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
    Raw shrimp seasoned in a bowl
  • You’ll need 3 bowls: In first bowl, add the flour. In second bowl, whisk together eggs. In third bowl add bread crumbs. Coat shrimp in flour mixture, then dip in egg mixture, then coat the shrimp with bread crumbs.
    Shrimp in flour, in egg, then in bread crumbs.
  • Lay the coated shrimp in air fryer in a single layer (cook in batches if needed). Spray shrimp with oil, flip and spray other side to completely coat (make sure to coat both sides).
    Spraying uncooked breaded shrimp in air fryer
  • Air Fry at 380°F/193°C for 8 minutes. Flip the shrimp.
    Spraying uncooked breaded shrimp in air fryer
  • Continue to Air Fry at 380°F/193°C for another 2-6 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and shrimp is cooked through. Air frying time will vary depending on shrimp size. Serve with your favorite sauce.
    Breaded shrimp on a plate with dipping sauce

If your air fryer is preheated or if you are cooking multiple batches, you may need to reduce timing by a few minutes (unless preheating is called for in the recipe).

Video

YouTube video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 259kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 234mg, Sodium: 450mg, Potassium: 375mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 75IU, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 120mg, Iron: 2mg
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 259

How to Make Breaded Shrimp Low Carb or Keto Friendly

Instead of using regular bread crumbs or Japanese panko bread crumbs, there’s other options that are low carb and keto friendly. Use these for the crust and coating on the air fryer crispy shrimp:

  • crushed pork rinds are great for making fish keto friendly.
  • almond flour is another alternative that’s more plant based friendly. If you don’t like pork, then use almond flour
  • sesame seeds are low carb and make a nice crust with sesame flavor
air fryer breaded shrimp in basket cooked

Storing Leftover Shrimp

Just store the any leftovers in air tight ziplock bags or containers. Freeze the shrimp for up to 3 months. We don’t like to freeze seafood for longer than that because it starts to use it’s freshness and can easily get freezer burn.

Different Dipping Sauces

What is your favorite dip for the breaded shrimp? We have so many, it’s hard to nail one favorite. Here’s a list of the different dipping sauces we will choose to dunk the yummy shrimp in:

  • shrimp cocktail sauce
  • sweet and sour sauce
  • Teriyaki sauce
  • hot sauce or chili crunch
  • honey mustard sauce
  • tarter sauce

Best Air Fryer Shrimp Recipes:

We love air frying shrimp and have great shrimp recipes in the air fryer here.

More Easy Air Fryer Recipes: