Full of flavour and ready in mere minutes, this Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos recipe is going to be your new favourite method of making shrimp tacos! Light, fresh, and filling, these air fried shrimp tacos are perfect for Taco Tuesdays! Serve them with warm tortillas and your favourite toppings and have dinner ready in a jiffy.
If you need a simple but delicious recipe to make on a busy weeknight, then you're going to want to make these tasty air fryer shrimp tacos. This low-effort dinner is filled with flavour and everyone is always happy to see it on the dinner table as everyone can pick and choose their favourite toppings for their healthy air fryer tacos.
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Why You'll Love This Air Fryer Shrimp Recipe
- The air fryer makes such perfect shrimp. The air fryer gives the shrimp a nice crust on the outside while keeping the shrimp juicy on the inside.
- The shrimp cooks in less than 10 minutes to cook in the air fryer! It'll probably take you longer to get the toppings ready than the shrimp!
- It's made with simple everyday ingredients that you more than likely already have on hand.
Ingredients You'll Need
- seasoning — the shrimp is seasoned with brown sugar, salt, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- shrimp — fresh or frozen, it's up to you. To make things easier, you can buy jumbo shrimp that is peeled, deveined, and with the tail removed to save you time of preparing the shrimp.
- olive oil and oil spray — or a neutral oil of your choice.
- tortillas — use small corn or flour tortillas. It's up to you! You can even use shells if you prefer.
Topping Ideas:
- coleslaw or shredded cabbage
- sliced red onions
- guacamole or sliced avocado
- lime wedges
- crumbled cheese (ie cotija)
- crema or sour cream
How To Make This Air Fryer Shrimp Taco Recipe
- Combine the seasoning in a small bowl or plate and set aside.
- Pat the shrimp dry and toss with olive oil and the seasoning.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil.
- Transfer the shrimp to the air fryer in a single layer and air fryer for 5 to 6 minutes at 400F.
- Warm the taco shells in the air fryer or on a skillet and then add the fish and toppings to the shells.
Recipes Variations
- Add ¼ to 1 tsp cayenne pepper to the seasoning for a bit of extra heat.
- Sweet or smoked paprika is fine for this air fryer shrimp taco. Take your pick or use what you have.
Tips and Notes
- You can even place an assembled shrimp taco into the air fryer to warm up the tortilla.
- The pictured air fryer is a 3.5 qt Power XL.
- You can add a few more shrimps into the air fryer basket than shown in the photos but avoid placing too many shrimp in at once or they'll end up steaming.
- Always try to pat the shrimp dry before seasoning. This helps the seasoning stick on better and helps the shrimp cook better. If the fish has moisture on the outside, it'll steam in the air fryer and might be a little soggy.
- To warm the tortilla, simply place it on top of a stove's burner and heat on low for a few seconds. You can also do this in a dry skillet if you do not have a gas stove. Alternatively, you can place the tortillas into the air fryer.
- Each air fryer cooks a little differently, you may need to adjust the air frying time for yours.
Use a meat thermometer to check the thickest part of the shrimp. The internal temperature should be 120°F. If you do not have a meat thermometer, check the middle of the shrimp, it should be opaque.
Nope! There's no need to flip the shrimp. The holes in the air fryer basket will allow the hot air to cook the bottom of the shrimp evenly.
You can definitely use frozen shrimp! Frozen shrimp is more easily accessible and budget-friendly. It's also frozen almost immediately so it's just as fresh, if not more fresh, than the shrimp at the fish counter! I highly recommend thawing frozen shrimp before using it to prevent the shrimp from being overcooked. Plus, the seasoning will stick better when the shrimp is thawed.
You can thaw frozen shrimp quickly by placing it under running cold water in a colander or in a bowl of cold water. Just be sure to change the water out every 20-30 minutes.
Try this pineapple salsa, avocado corn salsa, stuffed jalapeno poppers, and this Instant Pot basmati rice if you want to add more to your taco spread.
Recipe
Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder, or ½ tsp more
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, or ½ tsp more
- 1 to 1½ pounds jumbo shrimp
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 to 8 small corn or flour tortilla
Instructions
- Combine the seasoning in a small bowl or plate and set aside.
- Pat the shrimp dry and toss with olive oil and the seasoning.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil.
- Transfer the shrimp to the air fryer in a single layer and air fryer for 5 to 6 minutes at 400F.
- Warm the taco shells in the air fryer or on a skillet and then add the fish and toppings to the shells.
Notes
- coleslaw or shredded cabbage
- sliced red onions
- guacamole or sliced avocado
- lime wedges
- crumbled cheese (ie cotija)
- crema or sour cream
Nutrition
More Recipes You May Like
- Air Fryer Fish Tacos
- Air Fryer Sausage Links
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes
- Frozen Burgers in an Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Meatballs
More places to find me: @onepotonlyrecipes on Instagram and One Pot Only on Pinterest.
Dave says
Love your recipes. I’ll haven’t tried using my air fryer to cook shrimp yet. But I’ll be finitely give it a try. Like your seasoning tips.
Carmy says
Hope you give the recipe a try soon!