Juicy and perfectly seasoned, these air fryer cajun shrimp are an easy and healthy dinner, made with 4 ingredients in just 10 minutes!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Crave This Air Fryer Cajun Shrimp Recipe
So why should you try this recipe? We love it so much, we’ve collected a list of the reasons why:
- Super Quick & Easy: Cooking up some Cajun shrimp in an air fryer is quick and hassle-free, and you only need four ingredients. From start to finish, these air fryer shrimp are ready in just 10 minutes!
- Healthy Option: These spicy shrimp are made with our favorite Cajun seasoning and a bit of olive or avocado oil, making them a low-carb, healthy dish. Serve them over a salad for a light, but filling, weeknight dinner.
- Spicy Cajun Flavor: Bold Cajun flavors are always a hit! These savory, spicy shrimp are a surefire win for dinner time.
- Juicy Goodness: Air frying shrimp at a high temperature give the shrimp a crisp exterior, with a juicy and tender interior. It doesn’t get better than that!
- Easy Cleanup: Skip the mess, and put your air fryer to delicious use! Cleanup will be a breeze.
If you love cooking shrimp in the air fryer as much as we do, make sure to also check out our classic air fryer shrimp, crispy air fryer coconut shrimp or these spicy air fryer bang bang shrimp!
The Ingredients You’ll Need For Air Fryer Shrimp
You literally need just four ingredients to make these cajun shrimp! For full ingredient amounts and directions, scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Shrimp: Large shrimp, peeled and deveined. Tails are optional.
- Oil: Avocado oil or olive oil, or whatever neutral cooking oil you’d like.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh is best, but bottled is good, too! You can also use a lime!
- Cajun Seasoning: We highly recommend this easy recipe for our favorite homemade cajun seasoning. If you want to go with store-bought, we prefer Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning.
Is Cajun Seasoning the Same as Old Bay?
While both of these seasonings are fantastic on shrimp, Cajun seasoning and Old Bay seasoning are not the same. Cajun seasoning is spicy and bold, originating from Louisiana, while Old Bay seasoning has a milder, complex flavor and comes from the Chesapeake Bay region. (If you want to use Old Bay for this dish, that’s a great option – check out our homemade Old Bay Seasoning recipe and enjoy!).
How to Make Cajun Shrimp In Air Fryer
If you are new to cooking with air fryers (or shrimp, for that matter), get ready to have your mind blown! This process is so easy, and the results are out of this world.
- Prep: Rinse the shrimp and pat them dry with paper towels. Next, preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Season: Toss the shrimp in a bowl with your olive oil, lemon juice, and Cajun seasoning. Place the seasoned shrimp in the air fryer in an even layer.
- Cook: Cook in batches if needed, to avoid overcrowding the basket. Cook the shrimp for 4 – 6 minutes, no flipping or stirring needed.
- Enjoy!
Cook’s Notes
We always like to include a few helpful tips for these easy dinner ideas. Here’s what you should know about making this killer air fryer shrimp recipe:
- Prep Beforehand: Since this recipe cooks up so quickly, you’ll probably want to get your side dishes done (or close to done) ahead of time. That way, everything will be ready to serve at the same time.
- About the Seasoning: Store-bought Cajun seasoning can be salty, so read the ingredients before using or adding more salt. I used our homemade (the link is up in the Ingredients section!) and did not need to add any other seasonings.
- Add Lemon: This dish is extra-perfect with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Sometimes we serve it with just lemon and some fresh greens.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is so versatile! Serve over a fresh salad, rice, or pasta, and dinner is done. You can also wrap them up in tortillas in our air fryer shrimp tacos. It’s also great with sides like these:
- Sautéed Vegetables: Any sautéed veggies would be great here, but If you want a little something down-home, look no further than classic Southern sautéed zucchini and squash.
- Sweet Potatoes: We love, love, love us a good sweet potato. They’re packed with nutrition and taste wonderful with just butter and salt! This easy tutorial will tell you how to bake sweet potatoes so they’re perfect every time.
- Rice: We love to serve these over a bed of rice, you can’t go wrong with our cilantro lime rice or this creamy parmesan garlic rice.
- Green Beans with Bacon: You can’t go wrong with this beloved side dish. Southern green beans with bacon will bring out the best in spicy, Cajun-seasoned shrimp.
Storing and Reheating
You can store any leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to serve, just reheat them in the air fryer on 375°F for a couple of minutes, until warmed through.
Can I Freeze Cajun Shrimp?
Yes! You can freeze these Cajun shrimp for up to 3 months. Let them cool, and place them in the freezer on a clean plate or sheet pan until firm. Then pack them in an airtight container or freezer bag and store. Thaw in the fridge and reheat when needed.
More Easy Shrimp Recipes
- Bang Bang Shrimp
- Shrimp and Grits
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Creamy Shrimp Alfredo
- Easy Shrimp Boil
Air Fryer Cajun Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails are optional)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
Instructions
- Rinse shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- In a medium bowl, toss together the shrimp,olive oil, lemon juice, and cajun seasoning.
- Place shrimp in the air fryer in an even layer. Do not overcrowd the basket. You may need to cook in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Cook shrimp for 4 to 6 minutes. No need to flip or stir. Check at the 4-minute mark, the shrimp are cooked once they are pink and curled.
