Air fryer shrimp recipe - delicious gluten free jumbo sized shrimp breaded in shredded coconut and cooked within minutes in an air fryer.
If you are a fan of crispy shrimp but don't care for the excess deep fat frying then this recipe is for you.
My flourless coconut encrusted shrimp is made to sheer perfection - tasty, crispy and very very simple to make within minutes using a few ingredients.
When I first received my air fryer I was elated with it. I had seen it before on commercials, but owning your own is on a different level.
I said to myself, I really want to add this device to my ever growing number of kitchen gadgets. Fast forward a few months later and I'm in love with Phillips XL air fryer.
One of my first blog websites using my air fryer was my Jamaican fried chicken.
This recipe was a hit with my readers and also in my personal life. I cannot wait to test it out my air fryer some more and share with you more tasty dishes.
Cooking shrimp in an air fryer
I have to admit since transitioning to an air fryer I haven't looked back. Granted there has been plenty of trial and error going down in Charla's house but it has definitely been worth it.
I like the fact that little to and/or no oil is used (depending on what you're cooking or your preference).
My biggest hurdle that I was able to overcome was replicating deep fat fried food with a more healthier twist. Like many of us, I am guitly of cooking deep fried food in the past.
While that sort of food isn't healthy, I won't deny certain foods are incredibly tasty when deep fat fried but sadly it isn't good for our health.
Ingredients to make air fryer shrimp
- Coconut, shredded
- Almond flour
- Coconut milk or almond works too
- Shrimp
- Seafood seasoning
- Eggs
- Tapioca flour
- Oil - spray works best
How to make air fryer shrimp
Shrimp - I used shrimp that's jumbo in size with the tail on. The tail is great if you like that crispy crunch and also for holding when dipping and coating. You'll need to do some de-vaining first of all by running a knife down the shrimp to remove the vain. Also make sure your shrimp is raw (the grey hue ones) which yield a longer cooking time.
Batter mix - Rather than do a 1-2-3 step dredge and coat technique I changed things up a little by mixing together the tapioca starch with the coconut milk, some of the seafood seasoning and the egg. This forms a great sticky batter that holds the coconut coating even better.
Coating the shrimp - The coconut and almond meal work in unison to create a nice coating for the shrimp. Hold the shrimp by it's tail and simply roll then tap off any excess.
Air fryer basket - Before you add the shrimp to the fryer basket, generously coat/spray in oil. This prevents any sticking. Once I add the shrimp I lightly spray the top of the shrimp from a distance aswell.
How long does the shrimp take to cook in an air fryer?
It only takes a maximum of 10 minutes for both sides.
Can I use frozen shrimp to make this recipe?
Yes, as long as you thoroughly defrost and blot off the excess water. Frozen shrimp in the air fryer works just fine.
Step by step - making air fryer shrimp (with pictures)
Set up your three bowls - tapioca starch, egg and coconut/almond meal and mix together the egg with the tapioca starch to form a smooth batter. Take each shrimp and dip into the prepared batter.
Coat each shrimp (holding by the tail) with the coconut/almond flour mixture and then add them to the sprayed air fryer basket prior to frying.
More side dishes you may like
- Jamaican hot pepper shrimp
- Baigan choka
- Haitian pikliz
- Roast breadfruit
- Cornmeal cou cou
- Baked plantain chips
- Buljol (vegan style)
Crispy coconut low carb air fryer shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb of raw shrimp, devained with tails on (aprox 18-20 shrimp)
- 1 cup of coconut shredded
- ½ cup of almond flour
- ⅓ cup of tapioca starch leave out to make it keto
- 2 teaspoon of seafood seasoning see post of recipe
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup of coconut milk or almond milk
Instructions
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil, evenly and set aside.
- In a bowl, add the almond flour, 1 teaspoon worth of seafood seasoning and shredded coconut, mix together to thoroughly combine.
- Place the devained shrimp in a bowl and set aside.
- Crack the egg in a bowl then whisk in the coconut milk, 1 teaspoon worth of the seafood seasoning and tapioca starch to form a smooth batter.
- Dip each shrimp in the batter first, holding it by the tail to coat evenly.
- Then roll in the coconut and shake off any excess. Repeat this dipping and rolling process with the rest of the shrimp.
- Place the shrimp in the basket, being careful not to overcrowd. You may need to cook the shrimp in two batches.
- Spray some oil onto the shrimp from a distance not to disturb the coating.
- Push the basket in and switch the air fryer on, select the M button and click the shrimp icon.
- Adjust the cooking time to 165C/350F for 10 minutes
- Turn the shrimp halfway, spray some more oil if needed.
- Serve accordingly
Sharon says
Sorry this recipe didn't work for me at all. The coating would not stick to the shrimp and just fell off on the rack.
Charla says
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that the recipe didn't work out for you Sharon and thank you your feedback regardless.
Michele says
Do you have a recipe for the dipping sauce for these delish shrimp??
Charla says
Hi Michele, not an official recipe that I can confidently share with my readers just yet. So sorry!
dan says
where can i find out what seafood seasoning is. I do not know where in the post???????
Charla says
Hi Dan, my apologies, I thought the link was embedded into the post. Here it is for you, https://thatgirlcookshealthy.com/seafood-seasoning-recipe/
Patti says
To make it a Keto dish, what would you use instead of the tapioca starch?
Charla says
You can use coconut flour in place of tapioca starch but you will want to decrease the amount you use. In other words, don't use 1/3 cup since coconut flour is very absorbent. Start with 2tbsp of coconut flour and mix it with the other ingredients until a smooth batter is formed, add another 1tbsp at a time, if needed. I hope that helps!