Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos

Name: Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 lb shrimp (large shrimps for better); 1 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable oil); 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; ½ tsp smoked paprika; ¼ - ½ tsp cayenne pepper (depending on taste); 1 tsp salt (or as taste); 2 - 3 tsp taco sesonings; salt & pepper to taste; 4 soft tortillas; ½ cup diced tomatoes; ½ cup diced/ sliced onions; ½ cup shredded lettuce/ red cabbage (or as required); ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves; ¼ cup crema (cilantro lime or chipotle); ½ lime (for juice); ¼ cup mayonnaise (or sour cream); ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves (roughly chopped); ½ - 1 Jalapeno; 2 tbsp lime juice; 2 fresh garlic cloves; salt to taste; 2 tbsp water

Looking for a quick yet delicious dinner menu for weekdays? Here it is for you. Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos - perfect quick lunch or dinner for weekdays. Takes less than 30 minutes for this yummy menu on your dinner table.

Making shrimp tacos is so simple and easy to make in an air fryer. These shrimp tacos are delicious and healthy with crispy bites of air-fried shrimp.

They're perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Air frying your shrimp instead of using oil means that these tacos are healthier than the pan-fried shrimps.

Also, the flavor of the shrimp with the fresh toppings makes amazing tacos to enjoy even on busy weekdays.

Air fryers are great for cooking small, delicate foods like shrimp. When making shrimp in the pan, they consume a good amount of oil to get fried. But here with the air fryer, they use very little oil, the finished product has a much lighter taste and texture. These air fryer shrimp tacos make a delicious and healthy weeknight dinner.

It takes less than 20 minutes to make a serving of 4 - 6 tacos at one go. While shrimp is getting ready prep your toppings and once done, assemble everything.

Ingredients You Will Need

Shrimp - Consider getting large size shrimps since they tend to shrink after they are cooked. I get medium to large shrimps but no smaller ones. Also, make sure to get any single size for even cooking. No mixing of different sizes.

Olive oil - can substitute with any vegetable oil.

Seasonings - Taco seasoning or any seasoning of choice. Here I have taken onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt.

Tacos - I prefer soft flour tacos for this.

Toppings - shredded cabbage or lettuce, diced tomatoes, red onions, jalapeno, cilantro-lime crema or chipotle crema, lime juice, cilantro leaves

How to make shrimp tacos in the air fryer?

Peel and devein the shrimp. Once the shrimp are ready, wipe them using a kitchen towel or paper napkin. Place them in a large mixing bowl and toss with some olive oil and the seasonings.

Preheat the air fryer at 380 F (190 C).

Transfer the seasoned shrimp to the air fryer basket and cook for just a few minutes, i.e. 8 minutes depending on the size of the shrimp. The medium ones took 6 minutes for my air fryer.

collage of airfrying process of marinated shrimp

While the shrimp are cooking, you can prepare your taco toppings. I like to keep toppings simple with shredded cabbage/ lettuce, diced tomatoes, red onions, and a dollop of cilantro crema. You can add any toppings of your choice.

Once your shrimp are cooked through, assemble them into tacos along with other toppings. Serve them on soft tortillas and enjoy.

Cilantro Lime Crema for Topping Sauce

Mayonnaise 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup chopped cilantro + 2 garlic cloves + 1/2 - 1 jalapeno + lime juice 2 tsp + salt to taste. Add 2 - 3 tbsp water and blend to a smooth paste.

Can add 1/4 cup mayonnaise + 1/4 cup sour cream also.

Adjust the quantities of ingredients of the sauce as per the taste.

air fryer shrimp assembled with other toppings over the tortilla

Leftover and reheat

You can enjoy the shrimp when hot or even the leftovers. You can add the cold leftovers to the salads as well. However, in the refrigerator, it stays good for 4 - 5 days when packed properly in an air-tight container. To reheat, transfer the shrimp to the air fryer basket and cook at 375 F for 2 - 3 minutes or till it's warm through.

F A Qs

Can I make air fryer shrimp tacos with frozen shrimps?

Yes, you can use frozen shrimp in place of fresh shrimp. No need to thaw the frozen shrimp. Put the in the air fryer and cook at 380 F for 5 - 6 minutes sending on the size. Rest all recipes will be the same.

How long to cook the shrimp?

Air fry the shrimp at 380 F for 8 - 10 minutes or till it turns firm with an opaque pinky or orange color. When cooked, it becomes firm with a C- shape and shrinks in size than the raw.

What type of shrimp shall I use for the tacos?

I prefer to add fresh medium-size shrimp for the taco. However, the giant prawns also work great for the recipe.

Do the shrimp stick to the basket?

No, I have never faced any sticking issue like that. But they may be sticky when they are not fully cooked. So if you see while flipping they are sticking to the basket, that means those are uncooked. Cook for another minute or two before flipping.

Do I need to flip the shrimp while air frying?

This is not a necessary step since the air fryer can cook evenly from all sides. But I prefer to flip for even crisp on the outer skin of the shrimp. This is completely on your preference.

Extra Tips for the Best Air Fryer Tacos

Devein the shrimp - it's important. Keeping the tail or not is preferential. I don't prefer to keep tail for the shrimp tacos. Rather they taste great when you make air fryer shrimp as an appetizer or side dish.

Dry the shrimp - Wipe them with a kitchen towel before adding oil and seasonings. If have a little time on hand, I would prefer to let it marinate for a few minutes like 15 - 30 minutes. If not, you can cook immediately also.

Same Size - While choosing the shrimp, make sure all are of the same size. No mixing of different sizes of shrimp for air frying since they will have different cooking times.

Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket - Make sure to leave space in between for the hot air to pass. That leads to no overcrowding of the basket.

Versatile to use any kind of shrimp - Can make the tacos with breaded frozen shrimps or raw frozen shrimps. Just air fry them for 6 - 8 minutes at 380 F.

Other topping sauces - Can add any toppings of choice like salsa, avocado, etc. Also can top it with any other sauces like Chipotle crema, plain sour cream, or Greek yogurt.