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If you’re a fan of frozen popcorn shrimp, you’re going to love this homemade Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp that’s made with simple ingredients from scratch. The shrimp are coated in seasoned flour and panko breadcrumb mixture, then perfectly cooked in the air fryer for the best crispy texture.
I love making these popcorn shrimp for my kids because it’s so easy for them to eat. All they have to do is dip these shrimp bites in their favorite sauce for a fun snack or quick lunch.
If you love bite sized, try my Oven Baked Popcorn Chicken, Cheesy Broccoli Bites, Honey Garlic Salmon Bites, or these Gochujang Chicken Bites.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shrimp: use small shrimp that have been peeled and deveined.
- Flour: you will season all-purpose flour to dredge the shrimp.
- Seasonings: combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried parsley, ground black pepper and salt to mix into the flour.
- Egg: beat a room temperature egg to help the breadcrumbs stick to the shrimp.
- Bread Crumbs: use a combination of panko bread crumbs and seasoned bread crumbs to give the shrimp a crunchy coating.
- Fresh Parsley: to garnish.
Full measurements of ingredients can be found at the bottom of the page in the recipe card.
How To Cook Popcorn Shrimp in Air Fryer
Helpful Recipe Tips
- Pat the shrimp dry before dredging.
- Flip the shrimp halfway through cooking so they get golden and crispy on both sides.
- Cook in batches if necessary. Do not overcrowd the air fryer.
- Flavor variation: Try adding some ready made seasnoning like Old Bay, cajun, or lemon pepper seasoning.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is very versatile so it can be served with almost any side dish you like. I personally like serving it with something my kids would like. Here are a few suggestions.
With Salad: Easy Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, Easy Macaroni Salad
With Side: Crispy Roasted Baby Potatoes, Air Fryer Sliced Potatoes
Favorite Sauce: Ranch, Cocktail Sauce, Ketchup, Spicy Mayo, Tartar Sauce.
People Also Ask
If you don’t have an air fryer, baking this popcorn shrimp recipe is easy. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the breaded shrimp on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. Spray with a bit of cooking oil for extra crunch.
Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within 3 days. To reheat, preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F and cook the shrimp for about 2-3 minutes or until hot and crispy.
This recipe is easy to freeze. Bread the shrimp as directed lay them on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer. Flash freeze the shrimp for several hours before placing them in a freezer bag. Cook directly from frozen and add 2-3 minutes to the cooking time to allow the shrimp to cook all the way through.
More Shrimp Recipes
- Easy Shrimp and Vegetables Skillet
- Easy Firecracker Shrimp Recipe
- Honey Shrimp With Walnuts
- Easy Salt and Pepper Shrimp Recipe
Crunchy Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp are the perfect bite size snack. Dip them in your favorite dipping sauce and serve them with a simple side dish or salad.
If you try this recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave a star rating in the comment section below. Also follow me at Cookin’ With Mima on Facebook |Instagram |Pinterest for all of my latest social posts and recipes.
Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb small shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ tsp Salt , to taste
- 1 whole egg
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- Fresh parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine flour, paprika, garlic powder, parsley, black pepper and salt. Mix it well.
- In the second bowl whisk the egg and keep it aside.
- In the third bowl combine panko bread crumbs and seasoned bread crumbs. Mix it well and keep it aside.
- Pat dry the shrimp with a paper towel. Coat the shrimp in flour mixture first then dip it in egg and finally dredge in the breadcrumb mixture until well coated and keep it in a parchment paper. Repeat the same with the remaining shrimp.
- Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
- Arrange the shrimp single layer on the basket and air fry for 5 minutes and flip to the other side and air fry further for 5 more minutes until shrimp turns crispy and golden.
- Sprinkle some parsley on top and serve the crispy popcorn shrimp with ketchup on the side.
Notes
- Pat the shrimp dry before dredging.
- Flip the shrimp halfway through cooking so they get golden and crispy on both sides.
- Cook in batches if necessary. Do not overcrowd the air fryer.
- Flavor variation: Try adding some ready made seasnoning like Old Bay, cajun, or lemon pepper seasoning.
This crispy air fryer popcorn shrimp recipe looks amazing! I love how quick and easy it is to make, and the seasoning options sound delicious. Can’t wait to try it out for my next family dinner! Thanks for sharing!