How to Cook Frozen Raw Shrimp in an Air Fryer — No Thawing Needed

Cooking frozen raw shrimp in the air fryer is easier than it sounds, and you do not have to thaw them first. I cooked Great Value frozen raw shrimp straight from the freezer in my air fryer, and this is the method I used.

The short version: spray the frozen shrimp with olive oil, season them with Cajun seasoning, then cook them at 375°F for 12 minutes total, shaking them about halfway through.

Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp: Time and Temperature

Here are the numbers I used for this cook:

• Air fryer temperature: 375°F
• Cook time: 12 minutes total
• Shake halfway through: about 6 minutes in

Cooking times can vary depending on the size of the shrimp and the air fryer model, so treat these as a starting point and check the shrimp as they cook.

The Shrimp I Used

I used Great Value frozen raw shrimp from Walmart. They went into the air fryer frozen, without thawing first, which is the whole point of this method if you want to skip the thawing step.

How to Cook Frozen Raw Shrimp in the Air Fryer

This is the exact process I used:

1. Start with frozen raw shrimp. Do not thaw them.
2. Spray the shrimp with olive oil.
3. Season them with Cajun seasoning.
4. Set the air fryer to 375°F.
5. Cook for 12 minutes total.
6. Shake the shrimp about halfway through, around the 6-minute mark.

Olive Oil Spray and Cajun Seasoning

I kept this simple. The only things I added to the frozen shrimp were an olive oil spray and Cajun seasoning. No other ingredients and no extra preparation steps were used for this cook.

Food Safety: Shrimp Should Reach 145°F

Shrimp should reach an internal temperature of 145°F for food safety, so it is worth checking a piece or two before they come out. Because cook times vary with shrimp size and the air fryer, the internal temperature is the more reliable way to know they are done.

The Gear I Used

These are the relevant products and links for this cook:

Olive Oil Sprayer

See Current Air Fryers on Amazon

The air fryer I used for this video is no longer available, so the air fryer link above points to a search for current air fryers.

Final Thoughts

Cooking frozen raw shrimp straight in the air fryer at 375°F for 12 minutes, with a shake about halfway through, is the method I use. It skips the thawing step, and it keeps things simple with just an olive oil spray and Cajun seasoning. Cooking times can vary with shrimp size and air fryer model, so check that the shrimp reach 145°F before serving.

If you like air fryer cooking, I also have posts on air fryer brats and air fryer chicken thighs.