Air Fryer Garlic Shrimp
, Published Oct 31, 2023
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Discover how to make Spanish-style Air Fryer Garlic Shrimp! This easy air fryer shrimp recipe is based on the beloved Gambas Pil Pil tapas dish. Positively packed with flavor with plump shrimp, chorizo, spicy chili oil, smoked paprika and loads of garlic. Perfect for sharing with lots crusty bread 🙂
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Transfer yourself to a small Tapas bar with my easy Air Fryer Garlic Shrimp recipe! Gambas Pil Pil (a.k.a prawns in garlic and chill oil) is my fave Spanish dish, so I based my recipe on the traditional dish.
It is bursting with flavor in every juicy bite and super easy to make. Serve it as an appetizer with loads of crusty bread to dip into the sauce. Or mix it with pasta and transform this into a main dish – either way, it is truly delicious!
SPANISH GARLIC SHRIMP INGREDIENTS
You need very few items on your grocery list to make this recipe. so using good quality ingredients is essential.
- Shrimp / Prawns – I like to use the largest raw shrimp or jumbo king prawns I can find. I usually buy them frozen as they are slightly cheaper and defrost in a flash. You can usually find ready prepared shrimp, shelled and deveined.
- Spanish cooking chorizo – you can pick sweet or spicy, both work a treat. This ingredient is optional but it’s a great addition, just trust me!
- Olive oil and unsalted butter
- Lots of garlic
- Crushed chili flakes and smoked paprika (sweet or hot, up to you!)
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon juice and fresh parsley
HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER GARLIC SHRIMP
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
PREPARE THE SHRIMP
Take the shrimp out of the freezer and run under cold water to quickly thaw them. If they have their shells on you will need to peel them (you can leave the tail intact). Use a shrimp de-veining tool if they haven’t already been prepped.
Pat the shrimp dry using kitchen paper, place in a ceramic dish and drizzle with fresh lemon juice and zest. Season with pepper.
MAKE THE SPICY OIL
Remove the casing from the sausage. Chop the chorizo into small cubes or blitz in a mini chopper.
Add the olive oil and butter in an 8-inch cake tin or other suitable container that fits your air fryer basket. Cook for a couple of minutes at 400°F (200°C) to heat the oil and melt the butter.
Stir in the chili flakes, smoked paprika, salt, minced garlic and chorizo and air fry for 2-3 minutes until sizzling.
COOK THE SHRIMP
Pour the spicy oil and chorizo over the shrimp and mix together. Cover the dish with alluminum foil, tightly so that it doesn’t fly off.
Cook for 15 minutes then remove the foil, stir again and continue to cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.
Note: cooking time will vary depending on the size of the shrimp and appliance you use so worth checking after 7 minutes.
SERVE AND ENJOY!
Garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and plenty of crusty bread (preferably homemade!) to mop up every delicious drop of the garlicky sauce.
CAN I COOK THE GARLIC SHRIMP IN THE AIR FRYER BASKET?
Yes, you can cook this dish directly in the basket if it has a removable tray (like the Instant Vortex air fryer). Otherwise you will need to use a container such as an air fryer cake barrel or any baking dish that comfortably fits.
You can also simply stir the shrimp into the hot oil instead of using two separate dishes (I just love my little ceramic dish so much 🙂
RECIPE TIPS
Shrimp cooks quickly and can turn rubbery if you are not careful! Luckily cooking it covered in the spicy garlic oil will keep it perfectly juicy and plump.
You may need to adjust the cooking time if you are using smaller shrimp / or prawns. I used the jumbo variety here!
To check they are done simply look whether they have turned from translucent grey when raw to a uniform opaque pink-orange color. The tail should have curled into a gentle C shape (if it is tightly curled that indicates they are overcooked).
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY…
HAVE YOU MADE MY AIR FRYER SHRIMP RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Air Fryer Garlic Shrimp
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the garlic shrimp
- 1 ½ lbs (700g) jumbo raw shrimp (prawns) frozen, shelled and deveined
- ½ lemon , juice and zest
- freshly ground pepper , few turns of the mill
- 4 tbsp virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 large garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tsp crushed chili flakes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
- 3 ½ oz (100g) chorizo sausage (cooking variety)
To serve
- Lemon wedges
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley , chopped
- crusty bread
- salt and pepper to serve
Instructions
PREPARE THE SHRIMP
- Take the shrimp out of the freezer and run under cold water to quickly thaw them. If they have their shells on you will need to peel them (you can leave the tail intact). Use a shrimp de-veining tool if they haven’t already been prepped.1 ½ lbs (700g) jumbo raw shrimp (prawns)
- Pat the shrimp dry using kitchen paper, place in a ceramic dish and drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Season with pepper and add the zest.½ lemon, freshly ground pepper
MAKE THE SPICY OIL
- Remove the casing from the chorizo sausage. Chop the chorizo into small cubes or blitz in a mini chopper.3 ½ oz (100g) chorizo sausage
- Add the olive oil and butter in a cake tin or other suitable container that fits your air fryer basket. Cook for a couple of minutes at 400°F (200°C) to heat the oil and melt the butter.4 tbsp virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Stir in the chili flakes, smoked paprika, salt, minced garlic and chorizo and air fry for 2-3 minutes until sizzling.4 large garlic cloves, 1 tsp crushed chili flakes, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp sea salt flakes
COOK THE SHRIMP
- Pour the spicy oil and chorizo over the shrimp and mix together. Cover the dish with alluminum foil, tightly so that it doesn't fly off.
- Cook for 15 minutes then remove the foil, stir again and continue to cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Note: cooking time will vary depending on the size of the shrimp and appliance you use so worth checking after 7 minutes.
SERVE AND ENJOY!
- Garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and plenty of crusty bread (preferably homemade!) to mop up every delicious drop of the garlicky sauce.Lemon wedges, 2 tbsp fresh parsley, crusty bread, salt and pepper to serve
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
