Air Fryer Crispy Fried Shrimp (Popcorn Shrimp) - you can get crispy, delicious shrimp in a healthier way with your air fryer! No need to deep fry them. You can get that crispy, crunchy crust with your air fryer and a few other ingredients.

air fried shrimp in a bowl with dipping sauce topped with lemon

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Ingredients you'll need

panko breadcrumbs
grated parmesan cheese
old bay seasoning (I prefer lower sodium version)
all purpose flour
eggs
shrimp that's been deveined, peeled, and tails removed
avocado oil spray
dipping sauce (optional)
lemon (optional)

ingredients for air fryer crispy fried shrimp

How to make air fryer crispy fried shrimp (popcorn shrimp)

Detailed instructions and measurements are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Place the panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, and old bay seasoning in a food processor. Pulse until a fine, sand-like consistency.
Place the all purpose flour, egg, and panko mixture in separate shallow dishes.
Dip the shrimp into the flour, coating all sides. Remove, shake off the excess, and dip in the egg, fully coating. Remove, shake off the excess, and dip in the panko mixture coating all sides. Set aside while you do the remaining shrimp. I like to set them on a cooling rack, but this isn't required.
Very lightly spray your basket with avocado oil spray. Place your shrimp in one layer in your air fryer basket. Do them in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding and stacking. Spray the tops lightly with avocado oil spray.
Cook in the air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes.
Open basket, flip your shrimp over, spray lightly with avocado oil spray again and cook an additional 3 minutes.
Remove from the basket and enjoy!

tips and tricks

You will need an air fryer for this recipe. While it can be made in the oven, you won't get the same crispy results. I have this air fryer. It's much better than my previous one. I find that air fryers with a square basket (vs a round one) fit more and make it much more useful.
I like to use the lower sodium version of Old Bay in order to lower the salt. You don't have to use the lower sodium, it's just what I personally prefer.

faqs

Can I bread the shrimp directly from frozen? No. You need to use thawed shrimp. You can purchase frozen shrimp, but it needs to be thawed before it is breaded. Otherwise, you'll end up with soggy shrimp.

Can I use regular style breadcrumbs instead of panko? You can, but you will not achieve the same crispy, crunchy results. A lot of the crunch comes from the panko breadcrumbs themselves.

What size shrimp should I buy? I buy large/extra large shrimp because I prefer more meat over just breading. I typically buy the bags that have 21-25 per pound.

air fried shrimp being dipped in cocktail sauce

Alterations for picky eaters

You can swap the Old Bay seasoning for another seasoning they prefer. The flavor isn't too strong, but if there's a seasoning they really like, I'd opt for that!
Serve them with fries and ketchup! Think about the way they'd enjoy any other crispy, fried item. Serve it up the same way.

Alterations to lower the calories or WW points

There aren't many ways to alter them and it isn't too bad to begin with. Shrimp is naturally high in protein, but low in calories and WW points. Just be careful about your dipping sauces!