Tender, juicy shrimp are coated with garlic and seasonings and quickly air fried in about 10 minutes. Don't skip the sauce, it adds a delicious, smoky chipotle flavor to the shrimp.
Why this shrimp is just so good...
- Frozen or fresh shrimp are a low carb and keto option to add healthy protein to your meals. And when they are cooked in an air fryer, dinner could not be easier. They can be used in so many main dishes as well as cold salads. If you are a shrimp lover, you will want to try my Hot and Spicy Shrimp or Shrimp Louie Salad.
- The Baja sauce is so good, my husband asks me to make it every week. He adds it to sausages, burgers and all the seafood dishes I make. It's also so good drizzled over cooked veggies or a salad.
Ingredient Notes
- The key to this tasty sauce is the canned chipotle peppers and their sauce. The seeds in the peppers are what give some heat to the sauce. You can scrape out some of the seeds before you chop them if you prefer.
- Roasted red peppers, onions and seasonings also add to the smoky flavor. But the mayonnaise and lime juice will cool down the sauce and make it just perfect.
Step by Step Directions
- Either by hand or use a mini food processor or chopper to mince the chipotle and red peppers and onions. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and mix until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- I am using shrimp purchased frozen. They would be considered large since they have 16/20 shrimp per pound.
- Sprinkle the seasoning and olive oil over shrimp.
- Place shrimp in a preheated air fryer and cook for 8 minutes. Check the shrimp. They are done if they are pinkish/orange and the tail forms a "C" shape. If they still have a grayish color, cook for another 1-2 minutes and check again.
FAQ
Greatist has a complete article about buying shrimp. I found it interesting in that most shrimp sold at a seafood markets have been previously frozen. They spoil very quickly and that is also why they don't usually sell shrimp with the heads on them since that lessens the fresh quality of the shrimp. Shrimp should have a firm texture and not an "off" fishy odor. So unless you buy them freshly caught, it is best to buy shrimp frozen.
As shrimp defrost, they begin to deteriorate, so it is best to cook them quickly from frozen. Don't thaw and refreeze the shrimp. According to the Kitchn, because shrimp are so small, it's very difficult to undercook them. Cooking them from frozen actually will make them juicier and more tender.
Just run them under cool water for a minute to remove the ice crystals, pat dry and go ahead and air fry them.
Here are some other seafood recipes to try:
If you tried and enjoyed this recipe, I'd love if you came back and gave it a 5 star rating. This tells me what foods you like and want to see more of. Thank you!!
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Air Fryer Shrimp with Smoky Baja Sauce
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Description
Tender, juicy shrimp are coated with garlic and seasonings and quickly air fried in about 10 minutes. Don't skip the sauce, it adds a delicious, smoky chipotle flavor to the shrimp.
Ingredients
Baja Sauce
- ¼ cup roasted red peppers (fire roasted if you prefer)
- 2 chipotle peppers & sauce*
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons chopped onion or chives
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, or ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
Shrimp
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined-tail on
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay, or ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
Instructions
Baja Sauce
- In a small food processor, mini chopper or by hand, mince the chipotle and roasted red peppers.
- Add the remaining sauce ingredients and mix until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Shrimp
- Preheat the air fryer at 400°F. for 5 minutes.
- If using frozen shrimp, rinse under cool water to remove ice crystals. Pat dry. If using fresh, don't rinse, just pat dry.
- Combine the olive oil and seasoning mix and sprinkle over the shrimp, lightly pressing the seasoning into shrimp.
- Place shrimp in fryer and cook for 6 minutes.* Check for doneness. The shrimp will be light pink/orange and the tail will take on a "C" shape. If the shrimp has a slight gray color, it needs to cook another 1-2 minutes.*
- Serve with lemon slices and Baja sauce.
Notes
*I buy canned chipotle peppers with adobo sauce. If I want a recipe to be less spicy, I cut open the pepper and scrape out some of the seeds. (that's where the heat is)
*When you buy frozen shrimp, it has the count on the front of the bag. Mine said 16/20, which means there are an average of 16-20 shrimp per pound. These would be considered a large size.
*If you are cooking fresh shrimp, it may cook 1-2 minutes quicker. Frozen may need 1-2 minutes more. The key is to check at the shortest time. Check it for color and shape. Cook a bit longer if needed.
Keywords: seafood dinner, healthy meal
Kara says
This sauce is everything!!
★★★★★
Deb Belsha says
yes, so good!
Meg says
Can’t wait to try it!
★★★★★
Deb Belsha says
😁😁😁