Air Fryer Frozen Popcorn Shrimp is the best poppable appetizer! The air fryer makes frozen popcorn shrimp extra crispy, and it’s ready in under 10 minutes.
Overview
Frozen Shrimp are the perfect snack, appetizer, or part of an easy meal. Thanks to the air fryer, you’ll have them made in less time and with less hassle!
Why you’ll love this:
- They will be crunchy on the outside and tender and delicious inside.
- No oil is needed so they are healthier than traditionally fried shrimp.
- They are so easy to make in the air fryer!
Grab your shrimp!
Choose your favorite brand of popcorn shrimp to make in the air fryer. You can cook as many as you can fit in the air fryer basket while leaving room for air to circulate!
Air Frying Instructions
- Remove the frozen popcorn shrimp from its outer packaging. Do not thaw.
- Add the frozen popcorn shrimp to the air fryer basket. Cook in multiple batches if necessary.
- Air fry the popcorn shrimp at 400F for 10-12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until golden and crispy.
- The shrimp are finished with they are golden brown and crispy.
How to tell when they’re done?
These little shrimp should be browned and crunchy when they are done.
Frozen foods should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C for safety. You can check with a thermometer to be sure.
Frozen Popcorn Shrimp – Tips
- You can cook the whole box at once, but for smaller machines, split the amount up into two different batches.
- It’s ok if they overlap. I cooked this popcorn shrimp the same way that I would cook french fries, which is to say that I just dumped them all in at once! I needed to cook the shrimp a bit longer than if they were in a single layer, but they all came out crispy and delicious.
- Shake the Basket. The shrimp will overlap a bit in the air fryer basket, so it’s important to move them around. Shaking at least once halfway through cooking will ensure that they cook evenly.
- Watch your food. It’s always important to keep an eye on your food in the air fryer. Different machines will cook differently, and the amount of shrimp you cook at one time can affect the cook time.
Don’t forget to dip!
I think that popcorn shrimp must be dipped into something yummy! Try cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, buffalo sauce, or chili garlic sauce.
What to serve with popcorn shrimp
Have a snack night! Sometimes it’s really fun to make a bunch of snacks and appetizers and call it dinner. Serve frozen popcorn shrimp with Air Fryer Mini Corndogs, Air Fryer Potato Skins, Frozen Pierogies, or Air Fryer Meatballs, and let everyone take what they like.
Or, add them to the top of a bowl of pasta or a Ceasar salad, create crispy shrimp tacos, or put them on a roll to make your own air fryer shrimp po’boys.
Love seafood? Have a seafood night with Air Fryer Salmon, Air Fryer Scallops, and these crispy popcorn shrimp.
Why are they called popcorn shrimp?
The name of popcorn shrimp refers to their size and preparation. Generally, popcorn shrimp is small, bite-sized, and breaded to be crispy. These shrimp are just a little bit larger than actual popcorn, and can be tossed in your mouth just the same too!
Do I need to thaw the shrimp before air frying?
No, you shouldn’t thaw the frozen shrimp before air frying them. They cook up perfectly from frozen, and will likely get soggy if you let them thaw.
Thawing frozen foods like shrimp could also cause issues with food safety. It’s best to keep them frozen until you’re ready to cook them.
Popcorn shrimp vs. butterfly shrimp
Breaded butterfly (or butterflied) shrimp are full-sized, usually jumbo shrimp that have been cut to make them thinner and wider. You can also cook butterfly shrimp in the air fryer with this method, but the time will increase.
More FAQs
Yep! Any brand of small, breaded, and frozen popcorn shrimp can be made in the air fryer using this method.
Simply cook the shrimp in the air fryer, then transfer to a bowl and toss with the included sauce packet. Buy a bottle of buffalo sauce, sweet chili sauce, or general Tso’s sauce. Toss your shrimp with about 1/4 cup of the sauce while it’s still hot.
Frozen Popcorn Shrimp in Air Fryer
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound Frozen popcorn shrimp 1 typical box
Instructions
- Remove the frozen popcorn shrimp from its outer packaging. Do not thaw.
- Add the frozen popcorn shrimp to the air fryer basket being sure not to overcrowd. Cook in multiple batches if necessary.
- Air fry the popcorn shrimp at 400F for 10-12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until golden and crispy.
- Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Please refer to your shrimp packaging for accurate nutrition values. Each brand will be different.
- In larger air fryers, you should be able to cook the whole pound of shrimp, if they don’t all fit comfortably, cook the shrimp in two batches.
- Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the “Air Fry” function.
- Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes air frying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/undercooking.
Nutrition
I like that these instructions are for the whole box of shrimp! I hate having to do two batches to avoid them overlapping, and it works perfectly if you just shake them around once or twice. thank you!