Quickly cook shrimp or prawns in an air fryer, then use them in your favourite recipes or enjoy them with a dip. These Air Fryer Lemon Garlic Shrimp cook in just a few minutes! Toss with a minimum of oil and lemon juice and a sprinkle of seasonings and air fry!
Have you cooked prawns or shrimp in an air fryer yet? If not, don't wait! They turn out very plump and tender with an amazing flavour!
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❤️ Why this recipe works
These air fryer lemon garlic shrimp make the basis for an incredibly easy meal, perfect for those nights when you want dinner on the table pronto! While they have the flavour of deep-fried shrimp, they're a healthier option as they need a minimum amount of oil to fry.
Air fried shrimp or prawns can be used in so many different delicious ways! Add them to a simple pasta dish with linguine, asparagus and a creamy sauce. Stuff them into tacos, add to a salad, or serve them with a dip like this Lemon Aioli.
Get perfectly cooked shrimp every time. You'll find helpful tips for buying, peeling, cooking and storing shrimp and prawns in this post, A Complete Guide to Cooking Shrimp and Prawns.
Favourite recipes using air fryer shrimp or prawns
We're obsessed with these air-fried shrimp with lemon and garlic! Their texture is amazing and of course, they're deliciously low-carb. They're tasty with a simple dip, but we've been using them in other recipes, too.
Try these recipes substituting air-fried shrimp or prawns.
🛒 Ingredients
- large shrimp or prawns
- olive oil, avocado oil or grapeseed oil
- lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- garlic powder
- sea salt and black pepper
- dried chili flakes and/or parsley for garnish (optional)
🔪 Instructions
- Peel and devein shrimp or prawns, leaving their tails on if you'd like.
- In a small bowl, toss the shrimp with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper.
- Arrange in the air fryer in a single layer. Air fry at 390°F. for 5 - 6 minutes, checking at 5 minutes. There's no need to flip them partway through. Shrimp should have lost their translucence and be curled into a C-shape. Don't overcook or they will be rubbery.
- Garnish with lemon wedges or finely chopped parsley or add to your favourite dish.
1. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. 2.Arrange in air fryer. 3. Air fry for 5 -6 minutes. * 
4. Add to your favourite dish or serve with dip.
Storing leftover shrimp
Leftover air fried shrimp should be refrigerated promptly and can be stored for up to 3 days.
How to air fry frozen shrimp
You can use either fresh or frozen shrimp. If using frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight, or thaw under cool running water for 5 minutes or so. Pat the shrimp completely dry before tossing with the oil and seasonings.
What goes with lemon garlic shrimp?
These air-fried shrimp are delicious with Thai Coconut Rice! Round out your meal with side dishes. Here are a few favourites:
- Greek Watermelon Basil Salad
- Strawberry Kale Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
- Mango Black Bean Salad with Lemon-Lime Dressing
📖 Recipe Card
Air Fryer Lemon Garlic Shrimp
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp or prawns
- 2 teaspoon olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ tsp each sea salt and black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes and/or parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and devein shrimp or prawns, leaving tails on if you'd like.
- In a small bowl, toss the shrimp with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper.
- Arrange in air fryer in a single layer. Air fry at 390°F. for 5 - 6 minutes, checking at 5 minutes. There's no need to flip them part way through. Shrimp should have lost their translucence and be curled into a C-shape. Don't overcook or they will be rubbery.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
Dana
Yum! I grilled these and then added them to tacos with your cilantro lime slaw from your shredded chicken tacos recipe. It made a super easy meal!
Flavour & Savour
Great idea! Thanks for sharing that with the rest of us!