Crispy Air Fryer Panko Shrimp
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Hot, crispy shrimp with that loud panko crunch in every bite and barely enough time to set the table. These Air Fryer Panko Shrimp use just 5 ingredients and cook in under 15 minutes, making them perfect for quick dinners, an easy snack, or the kind of party appetizer where everyone’s waiting to grab the last one.
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Simple enough for any night of the week, this easy seafood recipe delivers crispy panko shrimp with barely any prep and a light, golden crunch that fits just about anything. Pile them into tacos, spoon them over rice bowls, dunk them into your favorite dip recipe, like my Peri Peri Greek Yogurt Dip or smother them in spicy Bang Bang Sauce for a quick hit of heat and flavour.
Keeping things flexible is part of the appeal, especially when you want something that works plain or dressed up. A little garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, Chinese 5 spice, or powdered ginger mixed into the panko adds an easy boost, and a fresh squeeze of lemon right before serving brightens everything up.
Star Ingredients
- Shrimp – Fresh or frozen will do. I prefer to use zipper back shrimp because they are the perfect size finger food and are what I find most often at the store, but black tiger shrimp or Pacific white work exactly the same. Any larger and the cooking time will need to be longer, and you risk the panko breading burning.
- Panko Bread Crumbs – This makes all the difference! They are drier and crispier than typical bread crumbs and tend to absorb less oil, producing a crunchier texture.
- Oil Spray – Just a few quick squirts of the oil spray will help to crisp the shrimp up in the air fryer and give them a nice golden brown colour. I like to spray them again at the halfway mark of cooking after I toss them, so the shrimp get crunchy all over. I have an aerator that works great, but store bough aerosal spray will work if that is what you have.
Get the full list of ingredients and amounts needed for this recipe in the recipe card below.
Step-By-Step Made Simple
- Start by peeling the shrimp. 9 times out of 10, I am working with frozen because I forgot to take something out for dinner again. To thaw the frozen shrimp out quickly, I run warm water over them (not hot or they will cook) while peeling the shrimp. The shrimp only take a minute or two this way to thaw.
- Add the panko bread crumbs to a large bowl with the seasoning salt and use your hands or a fork to mix to combine.
- Add the eggs to a smaller bowl and whisk them well.
- Add the thawed shrimp a few at a time into the whisked eggs, then move them into the seasoned panko bowl to coat. I like to let the excess egg drip off first and work with just a few at a time so everything stays light and even. If too much egg gets into the breadcrumbs, I find they start to clump and won’t stick as well to the shrimp.
- Toss the shrimp in the panko, and I gently tap them as I flip so the coating really adheres. When I’m making a bigger batch, I like to split the seasoned breadcrumbs into two bowls so they stay dry and crispy instead of getting soft halfway through. Fresh crumbs make it easier for me to get a really even coating every time.
- Add the shrimp to an air fryer that has been preheated to 400°F and give the shrimp a good spray of oil. I prefer to use avocado oil, but any mild-flavored oil will do or of course, cooking spray.
- Air fry the shrimp for 4 minutes. Take them out of the air fryer and, using tongs, carefully flip them over, bringing the ones from the bottom to the top. Do this carefully because if you are too rough, you risk the panko coating falling off.
- Give the shrimp another spray of oil and return them to the air fryer to cook for another 4 minutes or until golden and tightly curled.
Did You Know?
That shrimp of two tells when they are done cooking. The one we all know is that they turn pink and are no longer translucent or grey. But the second is that they curl into a tight C shape and are firm to touch. Maybe thats three…
Leftovers? No problem!
Store any leftovers you have in an airtight container and place them in the fridge for up to 3 days. I find the panko crust gets soft after it has been stored in the fridge, but you can pop the panko shrimp back in the air fryer for a minute or two and they will crisp right back up. I don’t add any extra oil spray, though. No need.
Crispy Air Fryer Panko Shrimp
Equipment
- Air-fryer
Ingredients
- 38-40 zipperback shrimp
- 1 tsp seasoning salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Peel the shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, thaw them first or while peeling under warm water.
- Add the panko breadcrumbs to a large bowl along with the seasoning salt. Mix to combine.
- Add the eggs to a small bowl and whisk well.
- Add the shrimp a few at a time to the egg mixture.
- Remove the shrimp one at a time, letting the excess egg drip off before adding the shrimp to the bowl of panko breadcrumbs. Toss the shrimp in the bowl with the bread crumbs a few at a time, giving them a little tap to help the panko breading stick to the shrimp. Place the breaded shrimp on a separate plate while you complete the process.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Add the shrimp to the air fryer basket and spray the shrimp with cooking oil or spray. Air fry the shrimp for 4 minutes.
- Remove the shrimp from the air fryer keeping them in the basket and use tongs to carefully flip the shrimp over bringing the ones from the bottom of the basket to the top. Give the shrimp another spray of cooking oil.
- Return the shrimp to the air fryer and continue to cook for another 4 minutes or until the shrimp are golden brown, tightly curled and firm to the touch.
- Serve as is with a squeeze of lemon if desired, alongside a dip or smothered in bang bang or sweet chili sauce.
Nutrition
Notes
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
