Name: Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound raw frozen jumbo shrimp (can use frozen cooked shrimp but adjust time as indicated in the chart above.); 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Jump to Recipe

Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp is a tasty solution when you need a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Especially when you want something simple and good for you. Cooking with the air fryer makes it so easy to cook healthy foods! (Here’s my favorite air fryer.)

Why I Love This Recipe

Frozen shrimp is one of those things I have on hand all the time. It’s such an easy way to get a light, healthy dinner on the table in just a few minutes.

air fryer frozen shrimp cooked with tomatoes

And it’s so versatile. Air fried frozen shrimp is perfect for everything from pastas to salads to tacos and so much more! Be sure to check out my other air fryer recipes – air fryer tilapia, sweet potato fries, and roasted chick peas!

I prefer to buy the uncooked, deveined, tail-off shrimp to keep things simple for the frozen shrimp in the air fryer. But you can also get great results if you use pre-cooked frozen shrimp.

Is Shrimp Good For You?

Healthy eating has become a way of life for me since I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease several years ago. I focus on an anti-inflammatory diet and make sure I get lots of good-for-me nutrients in everything I eat.

And air fryer shrimp is one of my favorite ways to make a nutritious, satisfying, tasty meal. I love serving it with my Sous Vide Carrots (those take a little longer, though, so plan accordingly.)

The Science Behind The Food

So why is shrimp good for you? Lots of reasons. Shrimp is nutrient dense and low in calories. Let’s take a look at a few of these high-quality nutrients to see what they actually do for your body.

Protein – Shrimp is a great source of protein that is easily used by your body. Protein molecules are the building blocks of many important bodily functions. It is required for muscle and bone repair. And is used in many hormones and enzymes. The human body will not function properly without protein.
Potassium – Potassium is essential for maintaining proper fluid levels within our cells. It is necessary for blood pressure regulation and normal muscle contraction. Shrimp in the air fryer is a healthy and easy source of potassium.
Iodine – Brain health and normal thyroid function require iodine. Many of use choose to use sea salt when cooking (rather than iodized salt), so it is essential to consume iodine elsewhere. Shrimp is one of the best food sources for iodine.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids – There are so many bodily functions that require omega 3 fatty acids. Everything from maintaining cellular structure to lowering triglycerides to raising your “good” cholesterol to lowering your risk of some cancers. There’s even evidence that consuming Omega 3 fatty acids will lower your risk of dementia. All of this and the body can’t make enough on its own so you must consume it from outside sources. Shrimp is a very good source of this critical nutirent.

Now that you know all of the amazing health benefits shrimp provides, let’s get to one of the best and easiest air fryer recipes I have.

Can You Cook Frozen Shrimp In An Air Fryer?

One of my favorite thing about this recipe is that you can throw your frozen shrimp right into your air fryer basket and just press cook. No need to thaw it first!

This will work whether you use raw frozen shrimp or pre cooked frozen shrimp. (See the time differences below.) I use raw large or jumbo shrimp that has been peeled, deveined, and tails removed.

Note: If you use shrimp with the shell still on, you will need to remove the shell and devein the shrimp after it is cooked. This is not my favorite method but can be done.

Ingredients In This Recipe

Frozen Shrimp – My preference is uncooked, peeled, deveined and tail off but you can also use pre-cooked or tail on. I don’t recommend using the shell on variety for this recipe. Do not thaw. (See full recipe below.)
Olive Oil – A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil will give the shrimp an extra layer of flavor and prevent the shrimp from drying out.
Garlic Powder – Optional but really adds a nice pop to the air fryer shrimp.
Salt and Pepper – To taste
Cayenne Pepper – Also optional. I love just a little kick on my shrimp.

How To Make Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp

Preheat your air fryer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Some recommend preheating and some do not. (See below for times and temperatures.)
Toss the frozen shrimp with the olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.
Wipe or spray a thin layer of olive or avocado oil onto your air fryer basket and add frozen shrimp to the basket in a single layer.
Cook for 8-10 minutes (if using raw shrimp), shaking the basket halfway through the cooking process. (Cook for 5-6 minutes if using pre-cooked frozen shrimp).
Remove from the basket and add more salt or pepper if needed.

Watch me make this on YouTube here:

How Long Should You Cook Frozen Shrimp In An Air Fryer?

Raw, frozen jumbo (21-25 shrimp per pound) shell off shrimp: 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Frozen cooked jumbo shell off shrimp: 400 degrees 5-6 minutes.
Thawed or fresh raw jumbo shell off shrimp: 350 degrees 6-7 minutes.
Thawed pre-cooked jumbo shell off shrimp: 350 degrees 3-4 minutes.

Always give your basket a good shake mid-way through the cooking process and check for doneness at the end of the cooking cycle. The air fryer frozen shrimp should be light pink with a little char on the outside and opaque all the way through.

I love using this shrimp in all kinds of healthy, anti-inflammatory dinners. It’s great in a salad or tossed in a flavorful curry. Be sure to check out my Top 10 Anti-Inflammatory foods to eat and avoid.

Enjoy all the wonderful health benefits that come with this quick and easy weeknight air fryer frozen shrimp! It doesn’t get much easier (or tastier) than this!