Why You Should Always Thaw Frozen Shrimp Before Cooking Them In The Air Fryer

Cooking frozen shrimp in the air fryer is an excellent way to get perfectly cooked crustaceans with just the right amount of juicy snap. But what you do before cooking your shrimp is crucial for flavor development, namely thawing them. We talked to Rachel Buck, senior demo chef at Ninja Test Kitchen and air fryer pro, to learn more about why you want to thaw frozen shrimp before tossing them in the air fryer.

According to chef Buck, "You can air fry frozen shrimp, but it's best to thaw them first for even cooking. Thawing also helps the shrimp to absorb seasonings better." This makes a lot of sense considering seasonings stick so much better when they have a little moisture to adhere them to your food. 

We recommend going simple and tossing your thawed shrimp in lemon pepper, or a nice garlic butter sauce, or perhaps a spiced sprinkling of Tajín, before cooking those little guys in the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 7 to 10 minutes (depending on the size of the shrimp). Don't forget to give the basket a shake halfway through, so the shrimp doesn't stick.

The great thing about using the air fryer to cook shrimp, as opposed to the stovetop, is you'll get an even roast and won't fill the whole house with that shrimpy, fishy smell. Plus, you can free up your stovetop for other dish components, like pasta or sauce.

If you're looking for an easy and delicious shrimp-forward recipe, we recommend giving our spicy shrimp scampi a try. Although the recipe calls for one pound of fresh shrimp, you can swap this out for frozen shrimp and no one will be any the wiser. Using the air fryer to cook your shrimp will help make sure it's not overcooked and rubbery. Simply thaw the frozen shrimp, toss with salt and pepper, cook in the air fryer, and add to your pasta when you're ready to serve.

Another recipe we're huge fans of is shrimp tacos with honeydew sriracha salsa. While the recipe requires you to grill one pound of medium shrimp, you can swap the grill for the air fryer. All you need to do is brush the garlic and oil marinade on the thawed shrimp, being sure to drip off excess oil, and place the basted shrimp in the air fryer basket. Once it's cooked, feel free to give the shrimp another brush of garlic oil, after which it'll be ready for taco time.