Air Fryer Shrimp
Prawns are ruined by overcooking, not undercooking: two extra minutes turn springy meat into rubber that nothing can undo. You can see doneness: a prawn curls into a horseshoe and turns opaque. If it has curled into a tight spiral you are already late. So set the timer for six minutes and start checking at five.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 6 min
- Total
- 16 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 180 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
Shell-on prawns work too but need 2 minutes more. The shell protects the meat, which makes them harder to overcook.
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Thaw them properly
Put frozen prawns in a colander under cold running water for 5 minutes. Do not pour boiling water over them or leave them on the counter; both make them watery.
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Step 2: Dry them
Pat the prawns dry with kitchen paper. Wet ones will not brown at all — all the energy goes into evaporating surface water.
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Step 3: Season
Toss the prawns with the olive oil, paprika and salt. Hold the garlic back: at 200 °C it burns within three minutes and turns bitter.
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Step 4: Cook 6 minutes
Heat the air fryer to 200 °C, lay the prawns in one layer and cook 5–6 minutes, shaking the basket halfway.
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Step 5: Check the shape
A cooked prawn is pink, opaque and bent into a horseshoe. If it has already curled into a tight ring, take it out immediately — it is on the edge.
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Step 6: Add the garlic butter
Melt the butter and stir in the garlic and lemon juice. Tip the hot prawns into a bowl, pour it over and toss.
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Step 7: Serve at once
Scatter parsley and chilli flakes and serve hot — with bread, with pasta, or on their own.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Small prawns take 4 minutes, king prawns 7. Time follows size here, and being two minutes out is already noticeable to the teeth.
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Swap
Shell-on prawns work too but need 2 minutes more. The shell protects the meat, which makes them harder to overcook.
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Variation
Add a spoon of honey and half a spoon of soy sauce to the garlic butter for prawns in a sweet-sour glaze.
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Storage
Prawns are not kept. Reheated they go rubbery without exception, so cook exactly what you will eat now.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 180 kcal | 720 kcal |
| Protein | 24 g | 96 g |
| Fat | 9 g | 36 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2 g | 8 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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