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These delicious shrimp are coated with spices and cooked to tender perfection in the air fryer. Served with an easy comeback sauce, these shrimp are jam-packed full of flavor but so quick to make. You’ll never want shrimp any other way!
I’m going to be real. Just looking at this recipe makes me hungry. This deliciously seasoned shrimp is perfectly cooked in the air fryer and when paired with the creamy, spicy comeback sauce, it makes for the perfect easy lunch or dinner. It’s so simple to whip together, but it’s delicious enough to serve as an appetizer at a party.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
For the shrimp:
- Garlic powder – Not as strong as fresh garlic, but sweeter, garlic powder adds a nice, garlicky flavor to the shrimp without being overpowering.
- Paprika – Made from ground peppers, paprika adds a dash of peppery flavor to the shrimp. Depending on what paprika you use, the flavor can be mildly sweet, smoky, or have a little heat.
- Olive oil – Olive oil helps keep the shrimp moist in the air fryer, and also adds a bit of peppery, olive flavor.
For the comeback sauce:
- Mayo – Mayonnaise is a simple base for the sauce that makes it creamy without overpowering the other ingredients.
- Ketchup – Adds a little sweetness and also helps give the sauce its color.
- Hot sauce – Here comes the heat! We used Texas Pete in our comeback sauce, but you can use your favorite, depending on how spicy you like your hot sauce.
- Horseradish – Spicy and peppery, horseradish doesn’t burn your mouth but is a sensation that opens up the sinuses.
- Garlic powder & black pepper – Easy seasoning that adds just a little pop of flavor without taking away from the others.
How To Make It
The full recipe & ingredients list are below, but here you’ll find a quick overview for making this recipe perfectly, along with useful tips and info!
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400º F.
- While the air fryer is heating, combine all the shrimp ingredients in a bowl and toss to get the shrimp fully coated.
- Add the shrimp to the air fryer basket and cook 6-7 minutes until they’re pink and no longer opaque. Remove them immediately.
- Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients. Serve on the side.
Chef’s Tips
- Your shrimp may cook differently based on your air fryer and the size of the shrimp. My shrimp were size 15-17 and took 7 minutes.
- I like to preheat the air fryer because the shrimp immediately start cooking at high heat when they hit the basket. If your air fryer heats up quickly, you may not need to preheat.
- If you don’t have an air fryer, you can cook your shrimp on the stove in a skillet. Heat a little oil in a large skillet until it’s shimmering. Add the shrimp and cook it about 1-2 minutes on one side until it’s pink and no longer opaque. Flip with a pair of tongs and cook the other side.
Want an air fryer but not sure which one to get? I use the Chefman 6.3 Quart Air Fryer, but here are some other great options for air fryers in a variety of sizes.
More Delicious Shrimp Recipes
- Creamy Shrimp Salad
- Shrimp Ceviche
- Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Tuscan Shrimp (Whole30, Paleo)
- Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp (Gluten Free)
- Cajun Shrimp
- Blackened Shrimp with Remoulade Sauce
Air Fryer Shrimp with Comeback Sauce
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Comeback Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce like Texas Pete
- 1 teaspoon horseradish
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400º F. While the air fryer is heating, combine all the shrimp ingredients in a bowl and toss to get the shrimp fully coated.
- Add the shrimp to the air fryer basket and cook 6-7 minutes until they're pink and no longer opaque. Remove them immediately.
- Make the sauce: Combine . Serve on the side.
- Cooking notes: Your shrimp may cook differently based on your air fryer and the size of the shrimp. My shrimp were size 15-17 and took 7 minutes.
- Preheating: Shrimp will immediately start cooking when hitting high heat in air fryer. If your air fryer heats up quickly, you may not need to preheat.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Excellent. Made this as my first air-fryer recipe and it was perfection. Truly the best shrimp I’ve ever made. Thank you!
Thank you for the amazing comment! So glad you enjoyed it.
I made this for a quick, delicious weekenight dinner!
So easy, right?? Glad you enjoyed it!
WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW – another AMAZING recipe by 40 Aprons. This dish is easy, delicious and so flavorful!!!! Cheryl Malik, you are my taste bud twin. EVERY. SINGLE. RECIPE. I. MAKE. OF. YOURS. turns out incredible. You’re the best food blogger I’ve ever come across and I tell everyone about you. I’ve said it a hundred times by now, but please, eagerly awaiting a cookbook here. You’ll be a best seller for sure. We just love your recipes so much!!!! Your recipes are my staple recipes. Thank you so much for another winner dinner. XOXO
So glad you loved this one Carla!!
The nutritional details don’t list the serving size….
Four ounces is your standard shrimp serving, which is anywhere from 5 to a dozen shrimp, depending how large yours are.
OMG. These shrimp are TO DIE FOR. I am not a good cook and am relatively new to the air fryer, and even I couldn’t mess these babies up. The shrimp are perfectly tender, and the seasoning is out of this world good. You could definitely eat them alone, but with that comeback sauce?? Insanely delicious. These are definitely going in my regular rotation.
What method would you recommend for cooking the shrimp if you didn’t own an air fryer? Thanks!
If you have an Instant Pot or other type of pressure cooker, that’s another AMAZING way to cook shrimp!
These shrimp were awesome! We like extra spicy, so I added 1/2 tsp. cayenne to both the shrimp a nd the sauce. These would be perfect in shrimp tacos, which will definitely happen next ti.e I make them!
Glen, we’re so glad you liked this recipe!
I don’t have an Air Fryer, is there another way to cook these?
Sure! You can cook them in a skillet on the stove. Heat a little oil in a large skillet until it’s shimmering. Add the shrimp and cook it avout 1-2 minutes on one side until it’s pink and no longer opaque. Flip with a pair of tongs and cook the other side.