Air Fryer BBQ Shrimp

Air fried shrimp with BBQ sauce are seasoned, cooked to perfection, and slathered with your favorite sauce. Cooking shrimp in the air fryer is fast and easy, and you will love these juicy shrimp as an appetizer or main dish.

Cooking Shrimp in the Air Fryer

I have been using my air fryer as much as I can. It's so convenient, cooks dinner quickly and it is fairly easy to clean after dinner. Since the weather has been chilly, we have been doing most of the cooking inside. I do miss grilling shrimp outside, so I decided to barbecue some shrimp right in my air fryer. It worked out well, I use minimal ingredients and I get perfect shrimp every time!

These shrimp can be served as a main course over rice or with a side dish of roasted potatoes and vegetables for a complete meal. But they also are perfect as an appetizer or finger food to serve on game day. I love eating food with my fingers, even if they will get a little messy with barbecue sauce. That is what napkins were made for!

If you like a more traditional fried shrimp recipe, try these Panko Fried Shrimp.

Ingredients Needed

• Shrimp – Look for fresh or frozen uncooked large or jumbo shrimp that have been peeled and deveined to making prep easy. If using frozen shrimp, learn how to easily defrost them.
• Olive Oil – Use any light, neutral oil.
• Barbecue Seasoning – BBQ seasoning is often a blend of brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. You can purchase it in the spice aisle or make your own. I like using my Easy Pineapple BBQ sauce for these shrimp.
• Barbecue Sauce – Choose your favorite barbecue sauce or change it up for a sweet, smoky, or spicy twist.

How To Make BBQ Shrimp

1. Make sure shrimp are cleaned and deveined. Remove tails if desired. Pat dry on a paper towel.
2. In a medium bowl, mix shrimp well with oil and seasoning. Let sit for 5 minutes. Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.
3. Arrange shrimp in a single layer on air fryer rack or basket. Cook for 8 minutes or until shrimp are pink and cooked through. No need to turn. Adjust cooking time if shrimp are bigger or smaller than the large size.
4. Carefully remove the rack with shrimp and brush them with barbecue sauce. Put back in the air fryer and cook for 1 more minute. Remove, plate and enjoy!

See recipe card below for exact instructions, complete list of ingredients and nutritional information.

Recipe Tips

• Save time by purchasing shrimp that are already peeled and deveined.
• You can leave the tails on or remove them before cooking.
• Place shrimp in a single later in the air fryer basket for even cooking.
• Dry the shrimp with a paper towels before tossing with the oil and seasonings.
• After brushing the shrimp with BBQ sauce, return to the air fryer and cook for an addiional minute to heat the sauce through.
• If you don't have an air fryer you can cook these shrimp in a skillet or grill pan. Cook 1-2 minutes per side until cooked through then slather with BBQ sauce.

Variations

My family loves these tender shrimp with barbecue seasoning and sauce. But feel free to vary the seasonings and sauce as there are so many different ways to flavor shrimp. Here are some ideas:

• Coat the shrimp with lemon pepper or old bay seasoning then serve with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce. Air frying is a great way to make a shrimp cocktail.
• Marinate the shrimp in a little lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic and Italian seasoning. Drain then cook in the air fryer. Serve over a large bowl of spaghetti tossed in olive oil. I make this as a faux shrimp scampi.
• Season with a basic all purpose seasoning then cook. Serve over a tossed salad for a low carb and healthy dish.

If you like shrimp cooked in the air fryer, also try my Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp.

Storing/Leftovers

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can eat the leftover shrimp cold or reheat them in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes. You can also microwave them for about 45-60 seconds. I like using them for Shrimp Tacos for making dinner on busy weeknights.

FAQs

Dishes to Go With Air Fryer Shrimp

• Oven Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Zest
• Vegetarian Pasta Recipe - Penne with Artichokes, Sun Dried Tomatoes & Peas
• Easy Instant Pot Wild Rice from Margin Making Mom
• Caprese Pasta Salad with Pesto
• Watermelon and Feta Salad from Curry Trail

More Recipes like this one

• The Easiest Low Country Shrimp Boil Recipe
• Sweet and Spicy Shrimp (Made in 10 Minutes!)
• Air Fryer Hibachi Shrimp from Recipes from a Pantry
• Greek Shrimp Appetizer Skewers
• Honey Walnut Shrimp via Grumpy's Honeybunch

Air fried shrimp with BBQ sauce is perfect for entertaining or as a quick and easy meal, and cooking it in the air fryer means you can enjoy it all year round.

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RECIPE

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