Description
Learn how to make perfectly crispy salt and pepper shrimp in the air fryer with this easy recipe. Your new favorite seafood dish awaits!
Ingredients
- 8 jumbo or colossal shrimp (about 227 g total)
- 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon (1 ml) white pepper
- 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon (1 ml) sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) fine sea salt or 1/2 teaspoon (3 ml) coarse kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (8 ml) cornstarch or potato starch
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) plus 1 1/2 teaspoons (8 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 jalapeno or serrano chile thinly sliced with seeds intact
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) chopped garlic
Instructions
- With scissors, slice through the shell along the back of each shrimp and remove their legs. If necessary, take out the vein. Use a paper towel to dry them off and set them aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the white pepper, sugar, salt, and starch. Add the shrimp to the bowl and massage the mixture into them; try to lift the shell slightly to get some seasoning on the flesh. Pour 1 ½ teaspoons of oil over and mix well to evenly coat.
- Get the air fryer ready by heating it to 425 to 450°F for 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place the shrimp on the air fryer’s wire rack or basket, ensuring there’s space between each one for better airflow.
- Cook the shrimp in the air fryer for approximately 2 minutes until the top is crispy and they turn orange. Flip them over and continue cooking for another 90 seconds to crisp the other side. Take them out of the air fryer and let them sit for a few minutes to finish cooking.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Once it starts to shimmer, add in the sliced chile and chopped garlic, cooking for 15 to 30 seconds until fragrant. Introduce the shrimp back into the pan, stirring them to reheat and coat with the flavors, for about 1 minute. When most garlic pieces are golden and some adhere to the shrimp, turn off the heat and transfer everything to a serving plate, including the bits in the pan. Serve while hot or warm.
