Air Fryer Shrimp

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Most people only ever really eat shrimp at restaurants, as they imagine it too difficult to prepare properly at home. However, thanks to the use of a handy air fryer, making some simple shrimp couldn’t be easier.

Seasonings always taste better when they’re homemade, so make sure to make your own Shrimp Seasoning using this recipe! Don’t forget also to try using your air fryer to make Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp as well.

Air Fryer Shrimp

The idea of cooking shrimp as the main part of your meal likely isn’t something that most people would really consider.

Shrimp is merely an ingredient, something that gets added to other dishes to make them into a meal, right?

Well, thanks to the use of an air fryer, cooking some shrimp at home as part of a filling, nutritious meal has now become a whole lot easier.

Alongside needing less fat and other flavorings to crisp the shrimp up perfectly, the air fryer makes the whole thing cook incredibly quickly, making this a perfect way to prepare a quick weeknight meal.

Could You Use Frozen, Ready Prepared Shrimp?

Whenever you cook with seafood, there is always a good piece of advice to consider – wherever possible, use only the freshest seafood that you can get your hands on.

This is great advice for those that live near the coast, as some fresh seafood is usually never more than a trip to a grocery store away.

However, for those that live more inland, not only is fresh seafood hard to come by, but it is probably also a little risky – you never know just how fresh they really are!

Instead of relying on the honesty of your local fishmonger, feel free to use some frozen, already-prepared shrimp instead. While there will always be a small amount of quality lost to the freezing process, using frozen shrimp that are thawed in this recipe won’t be a problem at all.  

How To Easily Remove The Shells And Veins From The Shrimp

If you do get your hands on some fresh shrimp, learning to peel and de-vein it is surprisingly easy and doesn’t require the skills of a fishmonger at all.

To break the shells, you just need to peel back the shell from the belly of each shrimp, something easily down with your fingers. Just make sure to try and avoid separating the tail from the rest of the shrimp as you go.

The vein is a little bit more tricky; the thin, slightly dark line running along the back of your shrimp is actually the shrimp’s digestive tract, so you need to be really careful not to accidentally break it open.

Just run your knife underneath it, separating it from the shrimp in one fluid motion.

So long as you are careful and methodical, you should be able to easily separate it from the rest of the shrimp without breaking it. Feel free to give the shrimp a bit of a wash in some cold, clean water afterwards just in case, though.

Can You Use Melted Butter In Place Of Olive Oil?

Olive oil is often recommended as the cooking fat of choice for a good reason. Not only does it have an incredibly unique and delicious flavor, but it is also one of the healthier fats, potentially being beneficial for heart health, as well as just generally a better option than many other cooking oils.

For most people, however, melted butter is… just a bit better. Not only is it more flavorful, but if you cook it just right, it starts to brown and get even more caramelized.

So, could you swap to butter instead?

Well, you certainly could use butter instead of olive oil, so long as you don’t mind the risk of the butter burning ever so slightly. If you watch your temperature, and maybe even lower it by about 25° Fahrenheit, your butter should be fine, but there is always the slight risk of ending up with burnt-tasting butter.

What To Serve With Your Shrimp

• Warm Bread

The ultimate pairing with any kind of rich, oily seafood, just a little bit of warm bread with these shrimp would be the perfect pairing. Not only would it provide some necessary carbs, but it helps to mop up any leftover fat and seasoning that drips off of the shrimp, ensuring it doesn’t go to waste.

• Air Fryer Kale Crisps

Though a bit more complicated than some of the other options, some simple kale crisps, made in the very same air fryer you just cooked your shrimp in, would be a great, nutritionally-dense side dish.

• Caesar Salad

Salads aren’t just a decorative thing you put on the table to look pretty with your meal – they also help compliment the flavors of the shrimp, provide a little bit of crunch, and even give you some vegetables!

Though it is a bit basic, just a simple salad can turn these air fryer shrimp into a full meal all on their own.

Looking for more delicious Air Fryer recipes? Try these out:

• Zesty Ranch Air Fryer Fish Fillets

• Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs

• Air Fryer Corn Dogs

Happy Cooking

Love,

Karlynn

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