Air Fryer Breaded Shrimp

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You’ll love these crispy Air Fryer Breaded Shrimp with a simple panko breading and old bay seasoning. They’re oil-free with a crunchy coating and you need just 5 ingredients!

I’m on a total seafood kick lately with my air fryer and loving all the crispy breaded goodness! For a main meal, this air fryer cod has been on repeat lately, and for a fun appetizer, these air fryer crab cakes are always a go-to.

And now we have crispy, breaded air fryer shrimp to enjoy! The great thing about this recipe is that it’s the best of both worlds. It has a crunchy panko crust like the cod and plenty of old bay seasoning like the crab cakes.

Air fryer breaded shrimp piled on a rectangular plate with bowls of seafood sauce and honey in view.

Why you’ll love this air fryer breaded shrimp

The shrimp are super crispy without any oil.
Using your air fryer means you don’t need to heat up your oven.
You only need 5 ingredients, and the old bay seasoning adds amazing flavour.
You can enjoy the shrimp as an appetizer or as part of a meal.

Details on the ingredients

Shrimp – I used almost a pound of shrimp for this recipe (a 400 gram bag). So it was roughly 32-34 large shrimp. To make life easier, they were also peeled and deveined with the tails removed.

Flour – A thin layer of flour coats the shrimp before they’re covered in egg and panko crumbs. I used whole wheat flour but you can also use all-purpose white.

Egg – Since there is a lot of shrimp, you’ll need 2 eggs for the egg mixture.

Panko crumbs – I used white panko crumbs for the crispy breading, but you can also use whole wheat. (I could only find white at my grocery store).

Old bay seasoning – This is a mildly spicy and salty mix of a number of different herbs and spices. It pairs nicely with seafood, chicken or vegetables and works well in the breading for this shrimp.

Ingredients to make breaded shrimp arranged individually and labelled.

How to bread shrimp

Set up your breading assembly line before you jump in and start handling the shrimp.
Place your flour in a shallow bowl or rimmed plate. Whisk together your eggs in a separate bowl. Mix together your panko crumbs and old bay seasoning in another shallow bowl or rimmed plate.
Make sure your shrimp are patted dry before starting the breading process. If the shrimp are wet, you won’t get a thin, even layer of flour coating them and it will make the egg mixture clumpy.
Coat each shrimp in a thin layer of flour, shaking off any excess before dipping into the egg. I usually work in batches, so I’ll flour about 8-10 shrimp before moving on to the egg.
Dip each shrimp individually into the scrambled egg, letting any excess drip off before placing the shrimp on the plate of panko crumbs.
Use your fingers to coat the shrimp with the crumbs.

Tip: I usually use one hand to coat the shrimp in flour and dip in the egg, keeping the other hand dry to roll each shrimp in the panko mixture and transfer to the air fryer. If you use the same hand, your fingers will quickly get clumped up with egg and panko crumbs.

The process of breading the shrimp by coating in flour, egg and panko crumbs.

How to cook breaded shrimp in the air fryer

Preheat your air fryer (if your model calls for it).
Once the shrimp are breaded, place them in a single layer in the air fryer basket and air fry on 400F for 6-8 minutes, flipping at the halfway point.
They air fry quickly, so you’ll want to keep an eye on them towards the end of the cook time.
Repeat until all the shrimp are air fried. (This will take 2-3 batches).

Overhead view of raw breaded shrimp in an air fryer basket.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of shrimp should you use to make breaded shrimp?

You can use any kind of shrimp, just make sure they’re raw and not the pre-cooked variety. I tested this recipe with tiger shrimp and white shrimp. I normally save myself time and buy peeled and deveined shrimp, but you can buy shell-on shrimp and peel and devein them yourself. You can also leave the tails on or pull them off.

What size shrimp should you use?

I used large shrimp in this recipe, but you can use shrimp of any size. Just note that smaller shrimp will cook faster, and jumbo will take a little longer.

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Yes, you can use frozen shrimp, just make sure they’re thawed first so the breading sticks to them. Frozen shrimp can be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight or quickly thawed in a colander with constantly running cold water. Defrosted shrimp will be wet so make sure they’re well drained and patted dry before you start breading them.

Can I use regular bread crumbs instead of panko crumbs?

I haven’t tested this recipe with regular bread crumbs. I like using panko crumbs as they’re crispy to start with and will absorb a little of the egg mixture as the shrimp air fry. This will ensure the breading turns out super crispy.

How long do you air fry breaded shrimp?

At 400F, shrimp should be air fried for 6-8 minutes. The timing may vary depending on the brand, size and model of your air fryer, as well as the size of your shrimp.

How do you know when shrimp are cooked?

Shrimp should be cooked to at least 145F, according to the USDA. (In Canada, the recommended minimum temperature is 165F). If you don’t have a meat thermometer to check, make sure the breading is crispy and browned and the shrimp have gone from translucent to opaque.

How do you reheat air fried breaded shrimp?

The breading on the shrimp will soften in the refrigerator, so you’ll want to reheat it in the oven in order to get it crispy again. (Microwaving will only lead to soggy breading). The shrimp will dry out quickly so I usually reheat them in the oven on 350F for just 5 minutes, or until heated through and crispy on the outside.

Overhead view of air fried breaded shrimp in an air fryer basket.

What type of air fryer was this recipe tested in?

This recipe was tested in a Philips 2.75 quart basket style air fryer and a Cosori 5.8 quart basket style air fryer.

The Philips is a smaller capacity air fryer, so I had to air fry the shrimp in 3 batches. Each batch took about 8 minutes at 400F.

The Cosori is a larger capacity air fryer so I was able to cook all the shrimp in 2 batches. Each batch took about 6 minutes at 400F.

The time difference between the Cosori and the Philips could be due to size, however, the Cosori has a preheat function which likely contributed to the quicker air frying time.

Depending on the size, brand and model of your air fryer, you may need to adjust the temperature and cook time slightly.

Additional recipe tips

Air fry in a single layer. For quick and even cooking, make sure you air fry the shrimp in a single layer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, this will require at least 2-3 batches.
Flip the shrimp. Make sure you turn the shrimp over halfway through air frying to ensure they cook and brown evenly.
Don’t overcook. Shrimp cook quickly so be careful not to overcook them as they will get chewy.
Go easy on the flour. You’ll want the shrimp just lightly dusted in flour so be sure to shake off any excess. If they have too much flour on them, it will make the egg mixture thick and lumpy.
Keep those hands clean. Even though we’re using separate hands for the wet egg and dry panko crumbs, things may still get a little messy so be sure to keep a towel nearby to wipe your fingers occasionally.

Close up of crispy breaded shrimp on a plate with seafood sauce in the background.

Serving options

When served as an appetizer, I usually make sure I have plenty of seafood sauce and tartar sauce for dipping.

I love these crispy shrimp served with a little hot honey – just warmed in the microwave with some crushed red pepper flakes stirred in.

Make it a meal and serve them with some air fryer potato wedges or baby potatoes.

Add them to a salad like this spring salad or kale caesar.

Other air fryer seafood recipes to try

If you make this breaded shrimp recipe, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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