Have you got shrimp that you want to cook in an air fryer but are wondering how to season them? We know cooking things in an air fryer can sometimes be tricky because air fryer recipes usually differ slightly from usual recipes. Moreover, not everything goes in an air fryer.
If you are wondering how to season your shrimp for an air fryer, then you are in the right place!
To season your shrimp for an air fryer, clean your shrimp out, then add olive oil over them. Once covered with oil properly, add seasonings such as salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, etc. However, make sure not to use a wet better because it will drop down in the air fryer and make a huge mess.
Method to season shrimp for an air fryer
Follow the steps mentioned below to make shrimp in an air fryer:
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
- Clean the shrimp out by removing the veins and shells.
- With the help of a paper towel, pat the shrimp dry. Doing this makes the oil and seasonings stick well to the shrimps.
- Take a separate bowl and add in your seasonings. You can add whatever seasonings you like, salt, pepper, cajun seasoning, taco seasoning, Italian seasoning; you name it.
- Apply a layer of olive oil to the shrimp. Then, sprinkle the seasonings onto the shrimp and toss them to coat properly.
- Place the shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket, and cook at 400°F for 8 minutes.
The cooking time may vary for different sizes of shrimp; this recipe works well for medium or jumbo-sized shrimps.
If you want to cook frozen shrimp in the air fryer, you can do so by following the exact same recipe; however, you will need a few extra minutes to thaw the frozen shrimp in the air fryer.
Also, check out our article on how to season drumsticks in an air fryer.
Tips for making the best shrimp in an air fryer
- Buy deveined, peeled shrimp for quicker meal prep.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. Place the shrimp in one layer in the air fryer. Cook in batches if needed.
- You can keep the tails or remove them, depending on how you like them.
- If you’re planning to serve the shrimp as an appetizer with a dipping sauce, you might want to leave the tails on.
- If you are planning to use them in salad or tacos, or pasta, you may want to remove the tails.
Conclusion
Any questions that you might have about cooking and seasoning shrimp in an air fryer are answered in this article. You are free to use whatever seasonings you like. Just don’t use a wet batter to coat your shrimp thickly with batter, as it will make a mess in the air fryer. Happy cooking!