Air Fryer Shrimp Po Boys

Crispy air-fried shrimp are the star of these delicious Air Fryer Shrimp Po Boys. Enjoy a Cajun favorite, at home, whenever you like with this easy recipe.

recipe overview

A Po’ Boy sandwich is what people in Louisiana call a hoagie or a submarine. Our air fryer take features crispy air-fried shrimp garnished with a simple cajun aioli, lettuce, and tomatoes.

The shrimp cook up super quickly in the air fryer. Just five minutes in the air fryer and you’ll have hot, crispy air fryer po boys, ready for lunch or dinner. This recipe serves four people, but you can easily adjust it to serve a smaller or larger crowd.

The spiced-up mayonnaise that we’re using to dress these po’ boys is sometimes called a remoulade. This is a French Cajun word for a delicious, creamy sauce! If you like things spicy, feel free to add some hot sauce to your mayo!

You can use this recipe/method to make Po’ Boys from Air Fryer Roast Beef, Air Fryer Catfish, or Air Fryer Shrimp (without breading) too!

what you’ll need

• Hoagie Rolls – Use your favorite here. A sliced french baguette would work well too.
• Shrimp – You want 1 pound of raw, peeled shrimp to make these sandwiches. I recommend using medium to large-sized shrimp. If the shrimp are too big, they’ll be difficult to eat in sandwich form.
• Eggs – We’ll use eggs as a binder, to hold our breading on the shrimp.
• Panko Bread Crumbs – These extra crunchy crumbs make the best coating for shrimp.
• Corn Meal – This adds more crunch and is a Louisiana trick for making delicious fried seafood.
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch is another step in our breading process.
• Nature’s Seasoning – This is a seasoned salt blend, used often in cajun cooking. Any type of seasoned salt with work though!
• Cajun Seasoning – I love Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning Mix. Slap Yo Mamma is also a good one. You can use your favorite!
• Mayonnaise – We’ll be kicking up this condiment to make it spicy and delicious.
• Shredded Lettuce – I like iceberg or romaine for Hoagies.
• Sliced Tomatoes – There’s just something about a sandwich with a nice fresh slice of tomato on it. Leave it out if you aren’t a tomato fan.

how to make them

1. In one bowl, beat the eggs. In another bowl, mix the corn meal and panko. The last bowl will have the cornstarch and natures seasoning.
2. Dredge each piece of shrimp through the cornstarch, then the egg wash, and then the panko mixture, coating well.
3. Spray the air fryer basket with oil and place the breaded shrimp in. Spray the tops with oil, and air fry on 390 for 5 minutes
4. In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise with Tony’s seasoning to create a Cajun Aioli or remoulade. Open the rolls and place lettuce on the bottom. Then add 8-10 pieces of shrimp. Next add tomato slices, and top with Cajun Aioli.

serving ideas

• Enjoy your delicious sandwiches with a side of crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings.
• Or, add some veggies into the mix and try some Air Fryer Corn on the Cob.
• Air Fryer Hushpuppies will give you a double dose of Southern comfort food.
• Need more crunch? Try Microwave Sweet Potato Chips.

shrimp shortcut

Shortcut! If you really want to make this an easy sandwich, skip the whole breading step and instead buy shrimp that are already breaded and frozen. Air frying frozen breaded shrimp generally takes about 5-7 minutes to cook at 400°F.

baguette vs hoagie Rolls

French baguette is the traditional type of bread used for these sandwiches. I like to use regular hoagie rolls though, I find them less expensive and easier to find. Use whatever you like!

Don’t use precooked shrimp!

For this recipe, we want to use raw shrimp, which has a gray appearance. The shrimp that is already peeled and appears pink in the bag is already cooked.

Using precooked shrimp in the air fryer won’t work because you’re basically cooking it twice. it’ll come out dry and you’ll regret it!