Air Fryer Shrimp with Garlic Butter
Tender, juicy shrimp with a golden garlic butter sauce ready in just 25 minutes. The air fryer creates the perfect texture while you whip up an easy butter sauce that tastes like it's from a fancy restaurant.
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled, deveined, tails on (21-30 count)
- 1.5 teaspoons olive oil for coating shrimp
- 0.5 teaspoon salt plus more for sauce
- 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper freshly ground preferred
- 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder plus more for sauce
- 0.5 teaspoon onion powder adds savory depth
For the Garlic Butter Sauce
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter
- 4 cloves fresh garlic minced finely
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder for sauce
- 0.5 teaspoon salt for sauce
- 0.25 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, for heat
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley optional, finely chopped
Instructions
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towels if wet. Place shrimp in a large bowl.
- Drizzle olive oil over shrimp. Add salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Toss with hands until each shrimp is evenly coated.
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F for 3-4 minutes. Spray the basket lightly with olive oil.
- Arrange shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket (don't overlap). Cook for 6 minutes until shrimp turn pink, opaque, and curl into a "C" shape.
- If cooking in batches, add remaining shrimp to the hot basket and cook for another 6 minutes.
- While shrimp cook, melt butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Don't let it brown.
- Add minced garlic to melted butter and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- Remove pan from heat. Add lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and red pepper flakes (if using). Whisk together. Stir in fresh parsley if using.
- Transfer cooked shrimp to a serving bowl. Drizzle warm garlic butter sauce over top and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges.
Notes
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in air fryer at 350°F for 2-3 minutes.
Frozen Shrimp: Thaw completely under cold running water for 10 minutes, then pat very dry before seasoning.
Without Air Fryer: Bake at 425°F for 8-10 minutes on a baking sheet. Broil for the last minute for extra crisp.
Perfect Doneness: Shrimp should be pink, opaque, and curled into a "C" shape. If curled into a tight "O", they're overcooked.