Air Fryer Shrimp with Lemon and Pepper

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An easy air fryer shrimp recipe seasoned with lemon and pepper with no breading that’s delicious served atop pasta or as a standalone dish.

There’s something about cooking shrimp in the air fryer that you just can’t replicate. It’s just a mix between the taste, the time it takes to cook, and just the process in general.

In this post, I am going to tell you how to make lemon pepper shrimp in the air fryer, how to know when shrimp is done cooking in the air fryer, how to cook raw frozen shrimp in the air fryer, and even how to reheat shrimp in the air fryer!

It’s just 6 ingredients and requires just your air fryer and a Ziploc bag. Yep, that means no cleaning extra bowls!

And guess what?

This air fryer shrimp has no breading, making the shrimp completely low-carb and keto! To keep this air fryer shrimp keto, skip the pasta and serve the shrimp by itself or alongside zucchini pasta.

I made this recipe using the 5.8 QT Cosori Air Fryer. Its square basket makes it the perfect size for our family of 4.

How to Make Lemon Pepper Air Fryer Shrimp

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

• Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.

• Place the shrimp in a Ziploc bag with oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and coat the shrimp. A bag works better than a bowl for shrimp as they can be very fragile.

• Place the raw shrimp inside the air fryer and cook for 7-9 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.

• Remove air fryer shrimp and enjoy immediately with hot buttered noodles or another dish.

Other Air Fryer Seafood Dishes You’ll Love:

• Air Fryer Tuna Steaks
• Frozen Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp
• Air Fryer Garlic Salmon – Keto
• Air Fryer Cod

What Kind of Shrimp Should I Use in the Air Fryer?

This air fryer shrimp recipe calls for medium raw shrimp (you can also use frozen shrimp as shown below) that has been peeled, deveined, and tails kept on or trimmed off.

To learn how to peel and devein a shrimp, use these step-by-step directions with pictures.

I like to buy shrimp that’s already pre-peeled and deveined for an easier dinner option. You can normally find these at your local grocery store.

If using jumbo shrimp in the air fryer, allow extra time for the shrimp to cook while following the directions below to know when they’re done.

How Do You Know When Shrimp is Done Cooking?

The fun thing about shrimp is that you can tell if shrimp is cooked by looking at it.

The trick to air frying the perfect shrimp is to pull it as soon as it’s fully cooked without overcooking it.

Here are some ways using color and shape to tell when the shrimp is done and when it is overcooked:

Color: Raw shrimp starts off looking grey. The shrimp is completely cooked when the shells turn pink and the shrimp is just slightly white, but still a little opaque. If the shrimp has turned bright white, it’s likely overcooked.

Shape: Shrimp will curl into a “C” shape once fully cooked. If they start to curl even more into an “O” shape, this is an indicator the shrimp is overcooked.

You can also check the readiness of the shrimp using a meat thermometer, like this Kizen Instant-Read Thermometer I use. Once the shrimp hits 165 degrees, it’s done!

Can I Use Frozen Raw Shrimp in the Air Fryer in This Recipe?

Yes! I love cooking frozen shrimp in the air fryer as it’s always ready to go! Just choose frozen shrimp that’s already peeled, deveined, and with no breading.

1. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
2. Coat the shrimp as stated in the recipe above.
3. Place the frozen raw shrimp in the air fryer and cook for 8-10 minutes shaking the basket halfway through.
4. Remove the shrimp from the air fryer and enjoy!

If you are using frozen precooked shrimp, allow about 5 minutes for cooking as they just need to be heated since they are fully cooked.

How To Reheat Shrimp in the Air Fryer

Reheating foods is an amazing way to use an air fryer. It’s surprisingly one way most people don’t know they can use their air fryer for.

1. Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
2. Place the shrimp inside the air fryer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimp is warmed thoroughly.
3. Remove the shrimp from the air fryer and enjoy!

How to Avoid Your Air Fryer from Sticking

Some air fryers are coated with nonstick while others have wire mesh on the bottom. The nonstick is less likely to cause your food to stick when taken care of properly, but the wire mesh causes more foods to stick.

There are few options to avoid sticking in the air fryer:

• Parchment Paper Rounds: I love using parchment paper rounds inside the air fryer. They come in square and circle shapes with holes for air circulation and they’re super cheap for 100-200 of them.

• Silicone Air Fryer Basket: This air fryer silicone basket works great when you’re short on time or don’t want to make a mess. There are no holes on the bottom to vent the air through, but it’s still designed for the food to sit up higher so it can cook underneath. I love using this and throwing it in the dishwasher to clean when we’re in a hurry.

• Oil: If you don’t have access to the two options above, spraying a little oil in the basket can help avoid sticking. I use the EVO Oil Sprayer and just 1-2 sprays on the wide setting will cover the entire bottom.

I use vegetable oil and extra-virgin olive oil most of the time, but you can use whichever oil you prefer listed here in your air fryer (just not PAM!).

Air Fryer Recipes That Pair With This Shrimp Dish:

• Air Fryer Hush Puppies
• Air Fryer Asparagus
• Air Fryer Carrots
• Air Fryer Green Beans
• Air Fryer Broccoli

You can also check out this huge list of air fryer vegetables to try too!

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