Air fryer popcorn shrimp
Little crunchy bites of shrimp with a tangy dipping sauce and buttery corn on the side, a poppable dinner that feels like a treat.
- 35 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.47 a serving
- 290 calories
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 12 oz frozen raw shrimp, small, peeled, tails off, thawed
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ½ tsp hot sauce (optional)
- 1½ cups frozen corn
- 1 tbsp butter
From your pantry
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Each serving has about 290 calories, 23 g protein, 33 g carbs and 9 g fat, and costs about $2.47 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No hot sauce? Sriracha works.
- No frozen corn? Canned corn works.
- No butter? Ghee works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Set out three shallow bowls: the flour mixed with the salt, garlic powder and paprika, then the beaten egg, then the panko with the oil.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
the shrimp dry. Coat them in flour, dip them in egg and them in the panko, pressing so it sticks.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Dolly’s tip: Use a fork for the egg step. It saves your fingers from turning into breaded clubs.the air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Timer: 3 min
Air fry half the shrimp in one layer for 7 to 8 minutes, shaking halfway, until and opaque inside. Repeat with the rest.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 7 min 30 sec
Food safety: Shrimp are done when they turn pink and opaque all the way through and curl into a loose C. A tight O means overcooked, not unsafe.
While they cook, warm the corn with the butter in a small over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Medium heatTimer: 4 min 30 sec
the ketchup with the lemon juice and hot sauce for dipping.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Serve the shrimp with the dipping sauce and the buttery corn.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
