Lemon Pepper Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer

Name: Lemon Pepper Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1.5 lb frozen shrimp; 1 tsp avocado oil (spray preferred); 1 tbsp lemon-pepper seasoning; fresh lemon juice (to taste)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Go from frozen to fab with this easy recipe for air-fried shrimp. It’s ready in no time and uses lemon pepper seasoning and fresh lemon juice to make it shine. Perfect for busy weeknight dinners and last-minute lunches.

Reasons to Love This Recipe

Air fryers are really getting a lot of attention lately and for good reason. They’re basically like a convection oven, but because they’re so small, they heat up your food way faster. The sky is the limit with the light, convenient, and healthy recipes you can make in air fryers. One of my favorites? These easy air-fried shrimp!

What makes this recipe so easy? No need for thawing your shrimp! Yep, you can cook your shrimp from frozen. Plus, shrimp is one of the quickest proteins to cook. This really comes in handy when you need a balanced meal – stat.

Lemon pepper and fresh lemon juice take your basic shrimp up a notch and makes it a versatile addition to so many dishes. Enjoy your lemon pepper shrimp on top of a salad or pasta dish, in a wrap, in a taco, or serve with rice or potato and steamed vegetables.

bowl of green salad topped with seasoned shrimp

Nutrition Tidbits

Aside from being tasty and convenient, shrimp are a great source of protein and come with a healthy dose of selenium (an antioxidant that promotes heart health) and B12 (a vitamin that supports a healthy metabolism).

This recipe in particular uses plain frozen shrimp without extra breading, which can also make it a good option for gluten-free or low-carb diets.

Concerned about the cholesterol in shrimp? Fear not! Although shellfish like shrimp do contain dietary cholesterol, they are relatively low in saturated fat, which is more important to pay attention to for a healthy heart.

air fryer basket with lemon pepper shrimp

Preparation Tips

This recipe comes together in a snap. Read on for some bonus tips on making the best shrimp in the air fryer and be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the recipe itself.

Getting seasoning to stick

One challenge with cooking proteins from frozen is getting your seasonings to stick. Seasonings won’t stick to icy shrimp, so we have to thaw them first.

Instead of rinsing your shrimp or thawing them in the fridge, you can pop them right in the air fryer for a quick thaw. After 5 minutes, any ice will be melted and the shrimp will be partially cooked, which will give the seasonings a better surface to adhere to.

I recommend moving the shrimp from the air fryer basket to a small bowl, then coating with a touch of avocado oil spray and lemon pepper seasoning. After moving the seasoned shrimp back to the air fryer basket, you can discard the bowl.

Cooking shrimp to perfection

You’ll know that the shrimp are done when they are completely opaque (not translucent anymore) and pink. If you temp the shrimp with a thermometer, their internal temperature should read 145°F.

bowl of salad topped with shrimp and air fryer basket with shrimp in the background

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of shrimp is best for air frying?

You can use any size or variety of raw shrimp for air frying. I used medium for this recipe, so you may need to shorten the cooking time for smaller shrimp or increase it for larger shrimp.

How do you know when shrimp is cooked through?

The shrimp should be bright pink and the flesh should be opaque. To check doneness, use an instant-read thermometer and ensure the internal temperature of the shrimp is 145°F

What seasonings go with shrimp?

My favorite seasoning with just about any seafood is lemon pepper, but shrimp also pairs well with other seasonings. Try a cajun spice blend, jerk seasoning, curry powder, paprika and garlic, or black pepper and parsley.

What should you serve with shrimp?

Since shrimp is a great source of protein, all you need is a source of carbohydrates and a vegetable to make it a balanced meal. Serve atop a salad or pasta, with a side of steamed broccoli and rice, or get creative and add your shrimp to a taco with cabbage slaw. The sky is the limit!

bowl of salad topped with air fried shrimp

Recipe Modifications

Different seasoning – Try a cajun spice blend, jerk seasoning, curry powder, paprika and garlic, or black pepper and parsley.
From fresh – Season the shrimp before air frying and cook for about 5 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through.
Oven version – No airfryer, no problem! You can also make this recipe on a sheet pan using the same instructions. Just use a piece of parchment paper on your baking sheet to make cleanup a bit easier.

Print Recipe

No ratings yet