Air fryers have revolutionized the way we fry various types of meat. Shrimps are a seafood delicacy. Contrary to popular belief, shrimps are easily air-fried.
Throughout the years, frying shrimps using the conventional way, which includes frying shrimps in a trough of oil, has been highly popular. It was not until recently that air-fried shrimps were introduced to the world after air fryers gained recognition when Philips introduced the first modern air fryers in 2010 in Berlin.
Nowadays, ever since air frying gained popularity, cooking shrimp in the air fryer is a common sight to see. We certainly do not blame cooking shrimp in the air fryer as it is a mouthwatering and healthy meal prepared in a matter of minutes.
Cooking shrimp in the air fryer is thoroughly recommended by us. Here is why:
- Cooking shrimp in the air fryer can be done by anyone, very easily. Traditionally frying shrimp, or any food item was a strenuous task. First, you had to wait for a lengthy period for the oil to reach the desired temperature, then you had to wait for the food items to fry for a comparatively greater duration. Air frying made everything simpler.
- In the long run, cooking shrimp in the air fryer is a much cheaper and eco-friendly option. You do not have to pay for dozens of liters of cooking oil, hence it is a cleaner and sustainable option.
- Cooking shrimp in the air fryer is a far healthier option as compared to conventional frying. Air fryers have several health benefits which will be discussed next.
Apart from discussing the benefits and disadvantages of cooking shrimp in the air fryer, this article will also demonstrate the most effective ways of cooking shrimp using an air fryer. Several shrimp air-fried dishes will also be demonstrated.
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Health Benefits Of Cooking Shrimp In The Air Fryer
Obviously, cooking shrimp in the air fryer involves almost no oil. Traditional frying was all about oil; many liters had to be utilized for the frying process.
Since there is almost no oil usage in air frying, cooking shrimp in the fryer cuts calories by 70%-80%. Apart from that, the amount of fat in the meal is reduced by a staggering amount.
If you want to fry other items which complement your shrimp dishes, such as side potatoes or onions, you will be surprised to know that air frying reduces the risk of cancer. Traditionally frying potatoes in oil releases a chemical substance: Acrylamide. This substance is a carcinogen (cancer-causing substance).
Air frying reduces the chances of Acrylamide occurrence by a whopping 90%. In our opinion, this is the biggest health benefit associated with air frying.
Air frying is perfect for weight loss programs. A recent study found that 95% of adults have considered going on a specialized diet program to accelerate their weight loss progress. Almost every health expert and dietitian recommends cooking shrimp in the air fryer as it substantially helps with weight loss.
However, cooking shrimp in the air fryer has certain disadvantages associated with it as well.
Disadvantages Of Cooking Shrimp In The Air Fryer
Although air-fried food is considerably healthier and better than deep-fried food, air-fried food falls into the category of roasted or fried food which is not a healthy food option to have.
Eating air-fried food is not the holy grail for a healthier lifestyle. Air-fried food is known to cause heart failure. This was proved by a research study conducted on thousands of people. This is an extremely dangerous implication of cooking shrimp in the air fryer or any other food item.
Regular intake of air-fried food has other severe implications as well. Risk of oral, lung, and prostate cancers increases. This claim has also been backed up by a study.
Repetitive air-fried food intake patterns have resulted in increasing the risk of diabetes and abnormal blood pressures.
How Often Should You Cook Shrimp In The Air Fryer
Ours, and the majority of credible health experts, recommendations are the same when it comes to the frequency of air-fried food consumption.
Although fried shrimp is a delicacy and is an absolutely delicious dish that perfectly goes along with other dishes as well, we do not recommend frequent consumption of air-fried food.
This is due to the well-known fact that frying food is generally an unhealthy way of cooking food, especially shrimp which is a small food item that gathers more fat than its actual meat on numerous occasions.
If you are seriously considering adopting a healthy lifestyle, including light food and loads of water, it is highly recommended that you minimize your intake of fried food, be it air-fried or deep-fried.
Other alternatives, such as: boiling and steaming your food are healthier, low-fat options.
The Process Of Cooking Shrimp In The Air Fryer
Air-fried shrimp can be made a proper, exquisite dish themselves. Or, they can be added to an existing dish, bolstering its flavor profile and overall awesomeness.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to air frying shrimp. Several scrumptious air-fried shrimp recipes will leave your taste buds tingling. Some of them will be discussed by us.
The process of using an air fryer to cook shrimp is extremely simple and convenient. Within a maximum of 10 minutes, you can properly air fry your shrimps.
Now, we shall discuss the steps of preparing proper air-fried shrimps.
What You Need
You do not require a bucketload of ingredients to prepare a proper air-fried shrimp dish. All you need is:
- Jumbo-sized shrimp: Jumbo-sized shrimp is usually recommended by chefs and cooking experts because they increase the dish’s volume in terms of quantity. They are a healthier option too because smaller shrimps accumulate a lot of seasoning, batter, and oil, compared to the shrimp’s actual meat itself.
- Oil.
- Seasoning
- Batter
Typically, every air-fried shrimp recipe includes this mainframe of ingredients. The steps or procedures are similar for every shrimp recipe as well.
How To Clean A Shrimp
Firstly, you have to start by cleaning the shrimp. Cleaning a shrimp is not as easy as it sounds, and involves a lot of focus because you do not want to waste high-quality jumbo shrimp, no one does.
You need to use a sharp knife to make a shallow cut into the shrimp’s shell at the back. This cut should run from the head to the tail.
After the shrimp’s back is open, you need to carefully pinch out the shrimp’s black veins.
This above-mentioned technique is for cooks who want to air fry shrimp with shells.
If you want to remove the shrimp’s shell, there is an easy technique for that too.
Simply, break the shell from right above the shrimp’s tail. Remove the broken shell and legs. Voila! You have a shell-less shrimp.
Mixing Oil With Seasoning And Brushing Shrimp
You have to get this right if you want an air-fried shrimp recipe that oozes taste through a wide variety of tangy flavors.
Thoroughly mix your seasoning with olive oil. After this is done, use a medium-sized brush to carefully dab the dressing onto the shrimp. Make sure that you apply an ample amount of dressing using brush strokes. However, do not waste most of your dressing on one shrimp only. This is to be done in a small bowl.
Place The Shrimp In the Air Fryer
For air frying shrimp, it is a good practice to use a single-layered rack. This is because shrimp is a relatively delicate cooking item, and is usually cooked within a few minutes.
After you correctly place the shrimp onto the single layer, simply start your air fryer and wait for 8-10 minutes.
Serving
You can serve your healthy air-fried shrimp as it is by adding a tasty marinara sauce. Or, you can also add your shrimp to another dish, improving the flavor variation and profile. You can also serve your shrimp with a flavourful citric acid-based salad.
Other Pointers To Know Before Cooking A Fried Shrimp Recipe
Before we mention the best air-fried shrimp recipes, you have to be equipped with this knowledge to have the best frying experience.
Frozen Shrimp To Go
It is a good decision to go for frozen shrimps when cooking them at home. This might sound like a wrong idea but bear with us.
First of all, there is no such thing as ‘Fresh Shrimp’. When fisher boats catch the shrimp at sea, they freeze the batch as well. Hence, a shrimp that you buy from the supermarket has already been thawed several times throughout its supply life.
Buying frozen shrimp gives you the assurance that you are getting a reliable product, being fresh and healthy as you thaw it yourself in your refrigerator.
What To Look For When Buying Shrimp For Air Frying
Avoid shrimp that have visible black spots. Shrimp which smell like ammonia, and appear slimy, should be definitely avoided as they are not good for air frying as they are significantly aged.
Best Air-Fried Shrimp Recipes For Every Homecook
The best thing about air-fried shrimp is that they can be easily cooked in a relatively shorter period. There are vast possibilities of air frying a shrimp, here are a few.
Air-Fried Garlic Shrimp With Lemon
This has been a groundbreaking recipe ever since it got extremely popular. An easy night-time dinner fix, this light, and rejuvenating dish offer your taste buds a plentiful amount of tangy, sour, and tingling flavors. All while you get a healthy and light dosage of the perfect shrimp.
With a total cook time of 8 minutes, this recipe is a game-changer when it comes to rapid, fine meal preparation, at any time in the day.
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined.
- Olive oil, for brushing the shrimp.
- 1/4th teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Salt, for seasoning, accordingly.
- Black pepper, for seasoning, accordingly.
- Lemon wedges and lemon zest (recommended).
- Chilli flakes.
Instructions
Firstly, submerge the shrimp in some olive oil inside a bowl to coat the shrimp.
Next, add all the seasonings mentioned previously: garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and chili flakes. Mix this mixture evenly to create a superb flavor.
Then, place the coated shrimp inside the equipment’s basket on a single layer.
At 400 degree-Fahrenheit, let the shrimp cook in the air fryer for about 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, the cooking takes place, do gently shake and flip the shrimp over for an efficient cook.
Finally, transfer the shrimp to a clean bowl. Add fresh lemon juice to the bowl for a tangy flavor; this is a crucial element of this recipe. Sprinkle parsley and some wine, sparingly.
Tender Air-Fried Shrimp
This juicy air-fried shrimp recipe will be adorned by you if you are a shrimp enthusiast like us. This glorious recipe adds to the ‘Air-Fried Garlic Shrimp’ recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp.
- Salt, for seasoning, accordingly.
- Black pepper, for seasoning, accordingly.
- Half a cup of olive oil.
- 3 minced garlic cloves.
- A quarter cup of vinegar (Recommended red wine vinegar).
- One tbs of lemon juice.
- Two tbs of soy sauce.
- One tbs of dijon mustard.
- One tbs of Worcestershire sauce.
Instructions
Add the shrimp to a bowl containing olive oil. Mix the olive oil with all the seasonings, which include: salt, black pepper, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, and the remaining sauces.
Once you have added the oil and seasonings, and thoroughly brushed them onto the shrimp, it is advised that you leave it to marinate for 1 hour.
Once the marination is completed, at 400 degree-Fahrenheit, let the shrimp cook in the air fryer for about 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, the cooking takes place, do gently shake and flip the shrimp over for an efficient cook.
Be mindful that you have placed the shrimp inside the air fryer on a single layer.
We hope that this guide was enough to get you ready and prepped up before air frying your shrimps.
