Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp

These Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp (No Thaw) are perfect for weeknight dinners and meals when you are strapped for time. Enjoy these with your favorite spices served juicy or breaded and fried!

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A huge perk when using the air fryer is you can cook a lot of things from frozen! Cooking shrimp from frozen actually helps prevent overcooking, leading to juicer, more tender shrimp.

What Type of Shrimp to Use

Shrimp can be found at the grocery store in a few different ways. There is raw, pre-cooked, raw and frozen, deveined, tails on, tails off, etc.

I never use pre-cooked shrimp. There is an obvious difference in taste due to the lack of quality. The shrimp is cooked and then frozen and you have to cook it/warm it up again. This usually overcooks the shrimp.

Always look for deveined, that’s my preference. The black vein that runs along the back of the shrimp is the digestive intestinal tract. Is this shrimp poop, yes. You can buy it with the vein and remove it using a sharp paring knife to make a slit along the back and lift out the vein with the tip of the knife.

I recommend large shrimp. Baby shrimp are meant to go in things like soups.

How to Prepare

How you plan to eat the shrimp will determine if you need to do any prep beforehand. If you purchase shrimp with the shells intact you may want to remove those first. This is optional and is not required. It just makes it easier to dive right into the shrimp once they are cooked. I recommend peeled and deveined shrimp for this process.

You will also need to consider whether or not the shrimp are already deveined. If you purchased deveined shrimp, you’re likely fine! If your shrimp haven’t been deveined you may want to remove this.

My favorite method is to remove the shells, tails, etc immediately when I buy the shrimp and bring it home. Then I freeze it. That way, when it’s time to air fry, I can grab it from the freezer and it’s already prepped and ready.

How to Make Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer

Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Add the frozen shrimp to the air fryer.
2. Air fry.
3. Open the air fryer and season the shrimp.
4. Air fry until the shrimp is cooked through.

Air Fryer Temperature

I recommend 400 degrees.

Cook Time and How Long to Cook

The shrimp will need to cook for 8-10 minutes.

Will the Shrimp Drip Water?

Mine don’t. There wasn’t much frozen ice on the shrimp when I air-fried them. If you have shrimp that is packed in ice you may notice water drip into the bottom of the air fryer. Drain the water as you check in on the shrimp if this is the case.

Is it Safe to Cook Frozen Shrimp?

Shrimp are safe to cook from frozen. Due to their small size, they don’t require much of a difference in cook time in comparison to raw, thawed shrimp.

Can You Air Fry Other Frozen Food and Meat?

Yes. The key is to just check in and watch the food as it cooks. When air frying frozen meat, you want to be sure you check in on it frequently. You want to season the meat before it starts to brown so that the spices and seasoning are cooked into the meat and adds flavor.

Some of my other favorite frozen foods to cook are veggies. Check out my Air Fryer Frozen Burgers, Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings Air Fryer Broccoli and Air Fryer Green Beans.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• In general, I find it easier to use fresh or thawed shrimp, but these taste just as good and still get just as juicy in the air fryer.
• When using frozen shrimp, you can’t marinate the shrimp. I love to do this occasionally for added flavor. Keep in mind that won’t work here.
• It’s a tad bit harder to get the spices and seasoning to stick. If necessary, after the shrimp has cooked for 3-4 minutes, remove them from the air fryer and add them to a bowl. Toss in the seasoning and ensure both sides are fully coated. Add the shrimp back to the air fryer.
• Every air fryer will cook at varying speeds. During your first experience, get to know what works for your air fryer by constantly checking in and monitoring the results.

Pair With These Recipes

Roasted Ranch Potatoes
Zucchini Au Gratin
Air Fryer Baked Potato
Purple Sweet Potato
Southern Collard Greens
Air Fryer Green Beans
Air Fryer Asparagus
Air Fryer Broccoli
Air Fryer Corn on the Cob

More Shrimp and Seafood Recipes

Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp
Seafood Stuffed Shells
Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Shrimp and Crab Quiche
Shrimp Egg Rolls
Seafood and Shrimp Chili
Buffalo Shrimp Recipe
Air Fryer Lobster Tails
Jerk Shrimp Recipe
Shrimp Parmesan (Parmigiana)