Air Fryer King Prawns

Name: Air Fryer King Prawns
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 28 min
Ingredients: 400 g King prawns (peeled, uncooked); 0.5 Onion (finely chopped); 2 Garlic clove (finely chopped); 2 tbsp Olive oil; 15 g Fresh parsley (finely chopped); 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper; 0.5 Lemon (juice only; to serve)

Diet: Gluten Free / Low Carb

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Deliciously crispy prawns take just 8 minutes when cooked in the air fryer. Coated in garlic, onion, parsley and oil, these Air Fryer Prawns are a tasty addition to any meal or even great as a snack or party food. Serve with a simple salad, on a bed of rice, put in to tacos or as part of a tapas platter - you won't be able to stop eating these yummy little bites.

Cooked prawns on a plate next to plates of potatoes, olives and bread.

Prawns (or shrimp if you are the other side of the pond) are a big part of our diet. Not only are they low in calories and fat, but they are so easy to cook - you really can't get it wrong. There is also so much that you can do with them, so if you are looking for a quick, protein packed and healthy addition to your meals, then give this air fryer prawn recipe a try.

There are lots of different ways to prepare and cook prawns, but our current favourite way is cooking them in our air fryer. Quick and easy, with the perfect texture.

If you are looking for more air fryer recipes, then why not try our Air Fryer Garlic Bread, Air Fryer Diced Potatoes, Air Fryer Burgers or Air Fryer Corn on the Cob?

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Why you will love them
Ingredients needed
Step by step
Variations
What to serve with Air Fryer Prawns
FAQs
Extra tips
More prawn/shrimp recipes
Recipe
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Why you will love them

Cooked in just 8 minutes
Low carb and gluten free
Lots of uses for them
Easy to adapt with different flavours

Ingredients needed

Prawns - We used fresh raw prawns, then had already been de-shelled. If you are using cooked prawns, then you will need to adjust the cooking time and they will only take about 4 minutes.
Onion - We used a brown onion, but you could use shallots which would have a sweeter flavour.
Garlic - Freshly crushed is always best, but you can use pre-crushed in a jar or tube to save some time.
Oil - Use a good quality olive oil.
Parsley - This adds loads of freshness, so always use fresh. You can swap it for coriander if you prefer.

A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

Step by step

One: Put the prawns, onions, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl, mix well and leave to marinate for 15 minutes.

An oval dish containing raw marinating prawns.

Two: Put the prawns, all the marinade and the oil in the air fryer and mix well.

Raw prawns and herbs in an air-fryer with its lid open.

Three: Cook at 220°C for 8 minutes.

Cooked prawns and herbs in an air-fryer with its lid open.

Four: Once cooked the prawns will be a nice rich pink colour. Remove from the air fryer and serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Air fried king prawns on a plate with herbs.

Variations

Whilst this recipe keeps it simple with some garlic, onion and parsley, there are lots of ways that you can adapt this so you can have it a different way every time. Give the prawns a bit of a tropical twist by stirring in some desiccated coconut, or go Italian with some grated Parmesan.

You could add some spice to air fryer prawns with red chilli flakes too, or a splash of your favourite chilli sauce.

If you wanted to have crispy prawns (but still much lighter than fried breaded prawns), then you could mix them with some Panko breadcrumbs.

Two lemon slices on top of cooked king prawns.

What to serve with Air Fryer Prawns

These air fryer prawns are really versatile and there are so many different ways that you can serve them. We served ours as part of a Tapas Platter, but there are so many other ways to serve them.

If you want to serve them with rice, then try our Greek Rice, Perfect Microwave Rice or Oven Baked Rice.

If potatoes are more of your thing, then try Greek Potatoes, Air Fryer Potato Wedges or Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes.

Cooked King Prawns on a white plate. olives and potatoes are in the background.

FAQs

How to store cooked prawns/shrimp

Cooked prawns should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge, where they will keep for up to 3 days. If you want to freeze them, they will keep in the freezer, below -18°C, for 6 months.

Can I add vegetables to air fryer prawns?

We love finding way to add more vegetables to our diet, and you can do that with this dish by throwing some chopped peppers and courgettes in with the prawns.

Can I use frozen prawns?

Yes, providing the prawns have been thoroughly defrosted and you have blotted off any extra liquid, then you can use frozen prawns to make this recipe.

How long to prawns take to cook?

These took 8 minutes, but it will depend on your air fryer and how you like your prawns cooked.

Extra tips

• Feel free to change up the flavours by adding either coconut or Panko breadcrumbs, or even using a Mexican seasoning.
• Serve the prawns with rice or salad or use them in tacos or a burrito bowl.
• You can give this dish a veggie boost by adding some chopped bell peppers and courgettes with the prawns.
• You can use frozen prawns, but make sure they are fully defrosted and any extra liquid is blotted off.

More prawn/shrimp recipes

If you’ve tried this air fryer prawn recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe