Easy Chili Garlic Frozen Shrimp in Air Fryer Recipe

One of our favourite quick & easy meals to make at home is Frozen Shrimp in an Air Fryer.

Grab a bag of frozen shrimp from your freezer and cook it quickly in your air fryer until it’s perfectly juicy and tender. There’s no need to thaw shrimp in advance!

This Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp recipe is one of our favourite meals to make when a craving for seafood hits!

The simple Air Fryer recipe takes less than 20 minutes to make. We love serving it as an appetizer or with a salad for a light lunch or dinner.

It also tastes delicious tossed with your favourite creamy pasta sauce, topped on a fresh salad, as part of a healthy Asian noodle bowl or stuffed into spicy Mexican tacos.

This Frozen Shrimp in Air Fryer recipe features affordable and flavourful ingredients like shrimp, butter, garlic, chili flakes, salt and pepper, parsley and lemon.

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Can You Cook Frozen Shrimp in Air Fryer?

Are you a shrimp lover who’s just bought a trendy new air fryer?

Whether you’re a newbie or seasoned air fryer extraordinaire, we’re sure you’ll love this quick & easy Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp recipe!

You can easily cook shrimp in an air fryer from fresh or frozen.

There is no need to thaw shrimp before air frying. In fact, you can just pull them straight from the freezer and scatter them across your air fryer basket.

When we cook frozen shrimp in an air fryer we like to season the dish in the Spanish-style, with parsley, garlic and spicy chili flakes.

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Easy Frozen Shrimp in Air Fryer recipe ingredients.
Easy Frozen Shrimp in Air Fryer recipe ingredients.

Best Air Fryers

An air fryer is a small countertop convection oven designed to simulate deep frying without submerging the food in oil. A fan circulates hot air at high speed, producing a crisp layer via browning reactions.

In 2010, Philips introduced the Airfryer brand of convection oven at a consumer electronics fair in Berlin. It used the patented Rapid Air technology, though the term air fryer is now used generically.

Early air fryers were barrel-shaped, though more recently, many have come to resemble toaster ovens and pressure cookers, offering additional functions like toasting, baking, dehydrating and rotisserie.

A decade after their launch, Air Fryers are now one of the trendiest kitchen appliance. They are particularly popular with gourmands living in condos or apartments in big cities like Toronto as they reduce the number of appliances taking up space in your kitchen.

  • Hamilton Beach: I tested this recipe with a Hamilton Beach toaster oven-style air fryer. They are an excellent option for those looking for an affordable air fryer and I particularly like mine as it allowed me to replace my toaster, dehydrator and rotisserie. It’s also easier to spread food out and make it crispy by using a baking tray rather than a basket.
  • Instant Vortex: This popular air fryer is brought to you by the inventors of the popular Instant Pot. It’s 6 quart capacity features an easy to clean tray that air frys, roasts and bakes.
  • COSORI: This 5.8 quart air fryer is an 11-in-1 cooker featuring a nonstick basket and helpful shake reminder setting.
  • Ninja: This premium brand is the perfect option for those looking to invest in a heavy duty stainless steel air fryer. The product has been designed to look similar to an Instant Pot, with the top of the air fryer flipping backwards so you can easily lower a basket filled with food.
  • NuWave: This sleek digital air fryer features a traditional removable basket and reaches temperatures up to 390 F.
Cook Frozen Shrimp in an Air Fryer basket.
Cook Frozen Shrimp in an Air Fryer basket.

My Family Loves Chili Garlic Shrimp

I love cooking seafood for my friends and family.

Now that we’ve upgraded our kitchen with the trendiest new gadget we love making Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp. This dish is particularly popular on busy weeknights when we need to get a tasty meal on the table in under 15 minutes!

Cooking Frozen Shrimp in an Air Fryer is a modern day marvel for home cooks who have a penchant for serving a mouth-watering plump and juicy shrimp feast. Air Fryers cook food much quicker than a traditional oven. The cooking method ensures your frozen shrimp will turn out crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Once our new air fryer arrived I spent months testing out some of our families favourite homemade recipes. I had to adjust the portion size for each recipe to ensure all of the ingredients fit on the air fryer basket without crowding. I also tweaked the cooking time of each recipe as air fryers cook food much quicker than a traditional oven.

I knew my family would love this easy air fryer recipe because they enjoy easy shrimp dishes, loads of garlic and fresh herbs.

We often serve this dish as an appetizer, or with a salad as a light lunch or dinner idea.

Once the Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp is cooked you can also use it to top salads, toss with your favourite pasta or Asian noodles.

Toss cooked Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp in butter, garlic, chili and chopped parsley.
Toss cooked Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp in butter, garlic, chili and chopped parsley.

How To Make Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp

It’s easy to make frozen shrimp in an air fryer! You’ll have crispy, juicy and plump shrimp ready to eat in under 20 minutes!

There are two methods to making frozen shrimp in an air fryer, which depends on the style of device you are using.

  • Traditional Basket: air fryers with a removable basket are still the most common. In order to make Air Fryer frozen shrimp in these machines, simply dump the shrimp into the basket. Ensure the shrimp aren’t crowded and don’t touch. This will ensure the exterior is crispy and meat is uniformly cooked.
  • Toaster Oven Tray: modern air fryers featuring a glass door and tray configuration make it easy to prepare frozen shrimp in an air fryer at home. Simply scatter the frozen shrimp on the air fryer tray and watch them brown and get crispy through the glass door.

Read our recipe below and you’ll notice we cook the frozen shrimp in 3 simple steps:

  1. Thaw Frozen Shrimp: Dump the frozen shrimp in the basket and cook until they have thawed and are beginning to turn pink.
  2. Seasoning: Dump the thawed shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss with melted butter, parsley, chili, garlic and salt and pepper.
  3. Final Cook: Return the seasoned shrimp to the air fryer and cook for a few more minutes until crispy on the outside.
Return chili garlic shrimp to the air fryer until fully cooked.
Return chili garlic shrimp to the air fryer until fully cooked.

Frozen Shrimp in Air Fryer Recipe Tips

  • When buying frozen shrimp at the grocery store, make sure to double-check the label on the bag. You can buy cooked or uncooked frozen shrimp with or without the tail.
  • Place the frozen shrimp in one flat layer without any overlap or touching, otherwise you’ll end up with an unevenly cooked and potentially soggy product.
  • We’ve used raw frozen shrimp in this recipe that we toss in butter, parsley, chili and garlic. You can use your favourite prepared seasoning or spices instead such as Cajun seasoning for a spicy kick. Just make sure you toss the shrimp in a fat like butter or olive oil to ensure they get crispy when cooking.
  • Enjoy Garlic Parmesan Shrimp by tossing the cooked shrimp in finely grated parmesan cheese before serving.
  • You can make Lemon Pepper Shrimp by tossing the cooked shrimp in lemon zest and a few cracks of freshly ground black peppercorns.
  • You can cook shrimp from fresh or frozen in an air fryer. If you’re cooking fresh shrimp in an air fryer be sure to watch them closely and reduce the cooking time by 5-7 minutes so they don’t overcook or burn.
  • While this dish is traditionally served as an appetizer you can get creative by adding the cooked shrimp to a creamy pasta sauce, stir fry, Asian noodles or garnish for a fresh salad.
Serve Frozen Shrimp Cooked in an Air Fryer with fresh parsley and lemon slices.
Serve Frozen Shrimp Cooked in an Air Fryer with fresh parsley and lemon slices.

What To Serve With Chili Garlic Shrimp

Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp is a quick & easy meal to prepare last minute. It can be simply enjoyed all on its own or with a fresh salad. It pairs perfectly with a cold glass of white wine.

We also love to add the cooked shrimp to homemade salads, Asian noodle bowls, creamy pasta sauces and inside tacos.

You May Also Enjoy These Shrimp Recipes…

This quick & easy Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp is the perfect last minute meal to make for seafood lovers.
This quick & easy Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp is the perfect last minute meal to make for seafood lovers.

Health Benefits

Our easy frozen shrimp recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!

Seafood is a high-protein food that is low in calories, total fat, and saturated fat. High in vitamins and minerals, seafood has been shown to have numerous health benefits including decreasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, obesity, and hypertension.

It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.

Chili are an incredible source of vitamins C and A, which support your skin and immune system. They also provide beneficial carotenoid compounds such as beta-carotene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers.

An excellent source of vitamin K, as well as vitamin C, folate, and iron, parsley helps keep your bones and blood healthy, and protects your skin from damage by free radicals.

A rich source of phytochemicals and vitamin C, lemons help boost your immune system and neutralize free radicals that cause disease and skin aging. Lemons also protect against heart disease and help improve blood flow to the brain.

Serve chili garlic shrimp as an appetizer or light lunch with a fresh salad.
Serve chili garlic shrimp as an appetizer or light lunch with a fresh salad.

You May Also Enjoy These Air Fryer Recipes…

Now you're an expert on how to make the best frozen shrimp in air fryer recipe!
Now you’re an expert on how to make the best frozen shrimp in air fryer recipe!

How To Make Easy Frozen Shrimp in Air Fryer

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Frozen Shrimp in Air Fryer

How to make frozen shrimp in an Air Fryer. Our quick & easy recipe features frozen shrimp, butter, lemon, parsley, garlic and chili.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: frozen shrimp in air fryer
Servings: 4
Calories: 173kcal

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • mixing bowl
  • French knife
  • measuring spoons

Ingredients

  • 400 g Frozen Shrimp
  • 2 tbsp Melted Butter
  • 2 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1/2 tsp Chili Flakes
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice

Instructions

  • Ideally if you have the time, remove frozen shrimp from the freezer 20-30 minutes before you want to start cooking them.
  • Preheat air fryer to 400 F.
  • Place frozen shrimp in air fryer basket, spaced apart so they don't touch. Cook for 7-8 minutes.
  • Remove semi-cooked frozen shrimp from the air fryer and scrape into a mixing bowl. Drizzle over melted butter, lemon juice, parsley, minced garlic, chili flakes and salt and pepper. Using a spatula to toss the shrimp so they are fully incorporated.
  • Return shrimp to the air fryer basket, ensuring they are not touching. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy.
  • Remove cooked shrimp from the air fryer and return to the mixing bowl. Toss in the remaining sauce to coast and serve hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.1g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 7.5g | Saturated Fat: 4.2g | Cholesterol: 226mg | Sodium: 286mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Calcium: 96mg

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