Air Fryer Bomb *ss Popcorn Shrimp
I had to put expletive’s in the title of this dish because there’s no other way to describe it. This Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp is Bomb *ss!!
What I say when it comes to shrimp should carry a vast amount of weight because I am not a seafood girl. For years I avoided it altogether but when I started to cut fast food out I started branching out and exploring foods I previously thought I didn’t like.
What I realized is that there aren’t many foods I truly don’t care for. I can find a method of preparation that allows me to enjoy almost any food! Granted, popcorn shrimp isn’t an easy thing to dislike but take my word. You want to make this shrimp as soon as humanly possible.
Not only is this Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp incredibly delicious but it’s dairy and grain free! That means this shrimp is not only really darn tasty it’s Whole30 compliant and paleo too!
The thing that really takes this Popcorn Shrimp over the top is using a homemade Cajun Seasoning blend. You probably already have all the ingredients in your spice cabinet.
If you aren’t quite ready to jump in and purchase an Air Fryer yet, that’s okay! I included oven instructions so that everyone is able to utilize this awesome recipe. Though, the air fryer does add an extra bit of crispiness that makes this dish extra special.
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To see the model Air Fryer that I use, click here!
Air Fryer Bomb *ss Popcorn Shrimp
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 pound shrimp, 16-20, peeled, and deveined
- 3/4 cup cassava flour
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tablespoons water
- avocado oil cooking spray
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the cassava flour, 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper with a spoon.
- In a second bowl, whisk the egg with the water and 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning.
- Working in batches, add a few shrimp to the flour and toss to coat. Shake off any excess flour and add to the bowl with beaten egg. Coat the shrimp on all sides with the egg and then transfer back to the bowl with the flour. Using your dry hand, roll the shrimp around until the shrimp is throughly coated. Set on a large plate and repeat this process until all of the shrimp have been coated.
- Coat the the bottom of an air fryer basket with avocado oil cooking spray. Place one layer of shrimp in the basket and spray the tops with cooking oil. Do not skip this step as this is what makes the shrimp crispy. If you do not have cooking spray you can use a silicone brush to apply oil to the shrimp.
- Cook the shrimp for 4 minutes, at 370°F, flip the shrimp with tongs, and cook for another 4 minutes on the other side. Cook for 8 minutes total or until the shrimp is golden. Repeat with the next batch of shrimp. Serve warm.
Notes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a sheet tray with a cooling rack.
- In a bowl, combine the cassava flour, 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper with a spoon.
- In a second bowl, whisk the egg with the water and 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning.
- Working in batches, add a few shrimp to the flour and toss to coat. Shake off any excess flour and add to the bowl with beaten egg. Coat the shrimp on all sides with the egg and then transfer back to the bowl with the flour. Using your dry hand, roll the shrimp around until the shrimp is throughly coated. Set on a large plate and repeat this process until all of the shrimp have been coated.
- Place the shrimp on the cooking rack and spray with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes total. Flip the shrimp with tongs after 5 minutes and coat with the spray again. Cook for 5 minutes longer or until shrimp is golden.
Thank you for the recipe. Looks amazing! Do you think this could be done without an air fryer? I’ve thought about this one but they take up so much counter space and I’m not convinced they are a good healthy option.
Tracy, I included the oven instructions in the post. 🙂
These sure are bomb *ss!!!! We loved these so much!!! Even my picky 6 year old ate them up and asked for seconds. They were all gone! We will make these again for sure! Thank you for sharing another awesome recipe!!! 🙂
I’ve been told I can use my toaster oven for this on the “Convection” option and follow the “Air Fryer” directions instead of the regular oven directions and it’ll be the same as the air fryer. Is this right? Sounds too easy that I don’t have to go buy yet another countertop appliance!
ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. Satisfied my craving for something crispy and fried. The only issue I had was that the batter seemed to fall off/stick to the air fryer when I tried to flip it. I definitely added enough avocado oil, so I don’t know how it could be fixed. But regardless THIS WAS SOME BOMB*** POPCORN SHRIMP!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Could I do this with my CrispLid, or would the shrimp be too close to the heating element?
What would be a good substitute for the cassava flour??
1 cup of almond flour is equal to 1/2 cup cassava flour 🙂
I don’t have cassava flour. Could I use a GF flour or almond flour?
Yes, you can use almond flour. 1 cup of almond flour = 1/2 cup cassava flour 🙂
Any good substitute here for the egg? We have an allergy and can’t use that to get the coating to stick.
Hi Traci! You can use flax egg or water as a substitute.
Did you use raw or pre-cooked shrimp for this recipe? I tried it with pre-cooked. They were delicious, but a little overdone.
This recipe calls for raw shrimp.
What spices makeup Cajun seasoning?
Hello Kari,
You can find my Cajun seasoning recipe here: https://instantloss.com/homemade-cajun-seasoning/
Wishing you all the best!
I don’t need to be GF… if I use reg flour, what would be the measurements? TIA!
How many servings should this make. My biggest struggle is portion control so i hope the new book includes the number of servings your recipes make.
Hi Lenore,
This recipe serves 4-6 people.
-Sam from the Instant Loss Team
Would using small shrimp affect the cooking time? I want to put it on top of a salad!