How to Make Perfect Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp

So much less oil than deep-frying, but still has all the great crunch you’d expect from fried shrimp. In just 10 minutes, the air fryer makes crispy and juicy fried popcorn shrimp. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will enjoy!.

This Air Fryer Fried Shrimp recipe is great for a quick weeknight dinner! We love simple seafood dishes like my Honey Lime Shrimp and Tuscan Salmon. This is one of my Dinner recipes you’ll definitely want in your recipe rotation!.

Air fryers are revolutionizing home cooking, allowing you to enjoy deliciously crispy favorites like popcorn shrimp with a fraction of the oil. Follow this easy guide to learn how to cook breaded popcorn shrimp to crispy, golden perfection in your air fryer.

What is Popcorn Shrimp?

Popcorn shrimp are bite-sized shrimp coated in a light, crispy breading. Key features include

Made with small shrimp like rock shrimp or broken pieces.
Coating has a cornmeal based breading that “pops” when cooked.
Breading includes flour and seasonings for flavor.
The breaded coating is very light and thin.
Sold pre-breaded frozen or you can bread them yourself

The air fryer yields the same satisfying crunch without deep frying.

Benefits of Cooking Popcorn Shrimp in an Air Fryer

Air frying popcorn shrimp has many advantages over deep frying:

Uses up to 75% less oil for much lower calories.
Does not heat up the entire kitchen like a pot of oil.
Gives an evenly crispy coating all over with no flipping needed.
Allows batch cooking more shrimp at once unlike pan frying.
Far less messy and splattering than deep frying on the stovetop.

You get all the crispy breaded joy without the oil slick aftermath!

Selecting Shrimp for Air Frying

When selecting raw shrimp to coat and air fry yourself, opt for:

Rock shrimp, bay shrimp or shrimp pieces work best.
Ensure they are peeled, tails removed, and deveined.
Medium or large shrimp may not cook evenly – go for small.
Raw, shell on shrimp will not cook correctly.

Get the smallest shrimp available for the right popcorn shrimp texture.

Breading & Seasoning Suggestions

To add flavor, try coating the shrimp in:

Standard breadcrumbs, panko, cornmeal or tempura batter.
Seasonings like Old Bay, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper.
Grated parmesan, cajun seasoning or italian herbs.
For spicy, include cayenne, chili powder or red pepper flakes.
Basic flour, egg, and breadcrumb coating works perfectly.

Season the coating to suit the flavors you enjoy most!

How to Cook Frozen Popcorn Shrimp in an Air Fryer

Here is a simple process for perfect air fried frozen popcorn shrimp:

Use fully cooked, breaded frozen popcorn shrimp.
Preheat air fryer to 400°F.
Add frozen shrimp in a single layer, no overlap.
Cook for 6-8 minutes, shaking basket halfway through.
Cook until shrimp reach an internal temp of 145°F.
Let sit 2 minutes before serving with dipping sauce.

That’s it! Crispy, delicious popcorn shrimp with just a few minutes of air frying.

How to Make Homemade Popcorn Shrimp in an Air Fryer

To cook your own breaded shrimp:

Prep shrimp by peeling, deveining and patting very dry.
Set up station with flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumb coating.
Coat raw shrimp in flour first, then egg wash, then breading.
Let coated shrimp rest 5 minutes so coating adheres.
Preheat air fryer to 400F and spray basket with oil.
Cook in batches for 4-5 minutes until shrimp reach 145°F.

Fully prepping the shrimp and letting them rest ensures the perfect crisp coating.

Tips for Crispy Air Fried Popcorn Shrimp

Follow these tips for optimally crispy air fried popcorn shrimp:

Fully dry shrimp before coating for best texture.
Use very small shrimp – larger ones won’t cook evenly.
Coat lightly in flour before the egg and breadcrumb layers.
Press coating onto shrimp so it adheres completely.
Let breaded shrimp rest before air frying.
Spray breaded shrimp with oil before air frying if needed.
Cook at 400°F, shaking basket halfway through.
Cook just until coating is crispy and shrimp are 145°F.

Serving Suggestions

Popcorn shrimp fresh from the air fryer are amazing:

As an appetizer with cocktail or tartar sauce for dipping.
In tacos, sandwiches, on salads or pasta.
On top of fried rice or stir fried noodles.
Sprinkle on pizza, nachos or cheesy casseroles.
As a protein packed breakfast topping on avocado toast.
For kids who love the crispy coating on bite sized shrimp.

Take your popcorn shrimp beyond just appetizers with these fun ways to serve them.

Storing Leftover Air Fried Popcorn Shrimp

Popcorn shrimp are best enjoyed right after cooking. But you can save leftovers:

Let cool completely first, then refrigerate in sealed container.
Eat within 2 days for optimal texture and flavor.
Reheat gently in a 350°F oven or air fryer, not microwave.
They may lose some crispiness but still taste delicious.

With proper chilled storage, you can double dip with your leftovers later on.

More Air Fryer Shrimp Recipe Ideas

Beyond popcorn shrimp, try cooking other shrimp dishes in the air fryer:

Coconut shrimp – roll in coconut after breading.
Tempura shrimp – use lighter tempura batter coating.
Cajun shrimp – blackened seasoning in the breading.
Lemon pepper shrimp – lemon zest and cracked pepper.
Crispy bang bang shrimp – toss in spicy mayo after cooking.
Bacon wrapped shrimp – wrap bacon around before air frying.

The air fryer lets you experiment with endless shrimp variations.

Crispy yet tender popcorn shrimp are just minutes away thanks to air frying. Ditch the deep fryer and enjoy this classic appetizer guilt-free!

Frequency of Entities:
popcorn shrimp: 35
shrimp: 31
air fryer: 22
crispy: 12
coating: 10
fry: 8
breadcrumb: 7
breading: 7
cocktail: 5
cook: 5
deep: 4
fried: 4
oil: 4
raw: 4
seasoning: 4
tail: 4
bite: 3
cornmeal: 3

how to cook popcorn shrimp in an air fryer

FRESH VS FROZEN SHRIMP

You can absolutely use either fresh or frozen shrimp for this recipe. If using fresh, be sure they’re peeled and deveined… and, well, fresh. Since shrimp doesn’t last long, it’s best to use shrimp that you bought no more than one day before making this recipe.

Peel and devein the shrimp if you use frozen ones; you can leave the tails on or off. Also, make sure they’re fully thawed. If you forgot to thaw them, put the bag in a bowl of cold or room-temperature water and leave it there for a while. This is the quickest way to thaw them. Also, if using frozen and thawed shrimp, make sure to pat them very thoroughly dry before breading them.

This is something I’ll say more than once in the post: make sure the shrimp are all in one layer in the air fryer. This way they can all get as crispy as possible. If the shrimp is on top of one another, they’ll sort of steam.

Breading anything can be very messy and frustrating, so here’s how I do it.

Have one hand your designated “wet hand”. In this dish, you take the raw shrimp, coat it in flour, dip it in the egg mix, and then put it in the panko dish. Then use your other designated “dry hand” to coat it in the breadcrumbs.

This helps you not “bread” your fingers and end up with a big mess to clean. Better yet, wear disposable gloves!.

VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE

ANY SIZE – To make this recipe, you can use shrimp of any size. Just make sure you add the shrimp in a single layer; if you don’t, they won’t get as crispy.
BAKED: Don’t have an air fryer? No problem! Read the notes at the end of the recipe for more information.
Deep-fried: If you’d rather have something else, you can definitely do that. For about 375°F, add about 1.5 inches of peanut or vegetable oil to a pot with a heavy bottom and heat it over medium-low heat. Follow the directions for breading the shrimp and then fry a few at a time for three to four minutes on each side.
SPICES: I used mostly neutral spices for this fried shrimp recipe, but you can make them taste more interesting by adding things like lemon zest and more black pepper for a lemon pepper version, cajun seasonings for a fun cajun fried shrimp version, and so on.

Air Fryer Frozen Popcorn Shrimp – How To Cook Frozen Popcorn Shrimp In Air Fryer – So Crispy!

FAQ

How many calories are in air fried popcorn shrimp?

182	Calories
3g	Fat
25g	Carbs
19g	Protein

Can You air Fry frozen popcorn shrimp?

Air Fryer Frozen Popcorn Shrimp are a delicious breaded treat. Ready in just minutes, these snackable shrimp are a great seafood appetizer and very easy to dip! Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the air fryer is hot, add the frozen popcorn shrimp into the air fryer tray in one even layer.

How do you cook popcorn shrimp in an air fryer?

Arrange 1/2 of the shrimp in the basket. Mist the top of each shrimp with cooking spray. Cook for 4 minutes. Using tongs, flip each shrimp over and mist any chalky spots with cooking spray. Cook 4 minutes more. Repeat with remaining shrimp. These air fryer popcorn shrimp are super light and crispy.

Can you cook frozen shrimp in an air fryer?

Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. Place frozen shrimp in the air fryer in a single layer. (stacking will take much longer to cook). Cook the popcorn shrimp for 6 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. Remove the shrimp from the air fryer and serve immediately. How to Reheat Breaded Shrimp in the Air Fryer: 1. Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees.

What is the best way to cook frozen popcorn shrimp?

Air fryer is the best way to cook frozen popcorn shrimp! Once you try air frying popcorn shrimp, you’ll never make it any other way! Air fried popcorn shrimp comes out so crispy, it tastes just like popcorn shrimp from a restaurant! Crunchy breading on the outside, tender juicy shrimp inside – air fryer makes best popcorn shrimp ever!