Air Fryer Firecracker Shrimp

Air Fryer Firecracker Shrimp - Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside air fryer shrimps is coated in a super-flavorful firecracker sauce and served over rice. Also, try Coconut Shrimps in Air fryer with Pineapple Chili Sauce

Have you tried:

Firecracker Chicken or these amazingly delicious Firecracker Chicken Meatballs in Air Fryer

Firecracker Shrimps

Firecracker Shrimps has become so popular these days. And, you will honestly find billions of websites making firecracker shrimps in their own way. Some just coat shrimps in sriracha and sears them up until golden brown. Some wrap them in spring rolls.

I've seen some making Bang Bang Shrimp and calling it Firecracker shrimp. After playing around with the combination of ingredients and testing this recipe for three consecutive days in a row, I've come up with my version of Firecracker Shrimps.

I could've easily seared them in a sauté pan until lightly golden brown but I chose to do it in the Air Fryer.

Air Fryer Shrimps

I love my Air Fryer. It makes my work so much easier. Imagine making this on the stovetop. Can you imagine the mess when you put breaded shrimps in hot oil? Moreover, that's so unhealthy. When you have an Air Fryer, you should definitely make Air fryer Firecracker Shrimps. And this recipe for Firecracker Shrimps is definitely the easiest thing on earth.

Basically, all you have to do is just coat your shrimps with a light breading of flour, salt, pepper, and beaten egg. Then place them in your air fryer at 400°F or 200°C for 12-minutes.

Ingredients for Creamy Firecracker Sauce Recipe

The recipe for Firecracker sauce differs from person to person.

To make this sauce you'll need:

• Mayonnaise - to get that creaminess in the sauce.
• Sweet Chili Sauce - Adds that umami flavor.
• Apple Cider Vinegar - to get that slight tang.
• Sriracha - It's firecracker sauce. There's got to be some heat in it right?
• Honey - When there is heat there has to be something sweet.
• Ginger - For that earthy tone.
• Garlic - to get that light kick from the sauce.

Just mix all of these in a bowl or a pyrex measuring cup and your Firecracker sauce is ready.

What does Firecracker Shrimp taste like?

Firecracker shrimp has a sharp and a distinct taste which communicates to your tastebuds directly. The shrimps are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. While the sauce has a nice kick to it - thanks to minced garlic, chopped ginger and sriracha.

Calories in Firecracker Shrimps

About 0.75 cup of traditional Firecracker shrimps contains 250 calories with about 20 grams of total carbs and approximately 10 grams of total protein.

But, When you make it in the air fryer you cut down the calorie count significantly.

1 serving of Firecracker shrimps has just 223 calories. Isn't that amazing?

Why Make Firecracker Shrimps in Air Fryer

Well there are several reasons of that if not many.

• Less Oil - Why would you want to heat about 2-4 cups of oil in a dutch oven or a deep fryer when you can simply spray some olive oil on your shrimps and your work is done.
• Less Mess - I have experienced this so many times in the past. When you sauté shrimps in the deep fryer or dutch oven the oil splatters all over making a huge mess. And, it's a tedious task to actually clean everything. Well with your Air Fryer there is nothing that you need to worry about.
• Low Carb - When you choose to crisp up your shrimps in the Air Fryer you save yourself from so many unwanted calories.

How to Make Firecracker Shrimps

Step 1:- Coat Shrimps in breading

In a shallow plate combine flour, salt, and Pepper. And in a separate bowl keep some beaten eggs.

Dredge shrimps (peeled and deveined) in egg and then in flour.

Place them directly in your Air Fryer basket.

Step 2:- Air Fry Shrimps

Air Fry your lightly breaded shrimps at 400°F OR 200°C for 12-minutes. There is no need to flip them.

Step 3:- Make Firecracker Sauce

In a Pyrex Measuring cup or a medium sized mixing bowl combine the ingredients for Firecracker sauce. Give it a good stir with your spoon. Keep it aside.

Step 4: Garnish and Serve

Finally serve your Shrimps with sauce poured on top. Garnish with chopped parsley, red pepper flakes and green onions (if desired).

Key Tips for Best Shrimps

• Spicy - To crank up the heat, add some cayenne pepper while making the breading for shrimps.
• Chili Garlic Sauce - I like a balance of sweet and spicy. But, if you want to have it spicy add some chili garlic sauce.
• White Wine Vinegar - You can replace Apple Cider vinegar with White Wine vinegar. Both of them have a nice fruity taste.
• Refrigerate Shrimps before Air Frying - Just stick them in your refrigerator for just 10-15 minutes so that the breading gets time to stick onto shrimps.

Can I use Frozen Shrimps

Yes, you can definitely use frozen shrimps for this recipe.

Just thaw it on the countertop for about 30-minutes before coating them with the breading.

Serving Suggestions

• Rice or Risotto - I would definitely serve my Firecracker shrimp with pilaf or over white rice. To make it healthy you can serve this with Cauliflower rice or Risotto.

• Taco - But, if you want to serve it in a fancy way then you can make a taco out of it. Such as this Shrimp tacos with Mango Salsa.

• Skewers - If you would want to serve it as an appetizer then just thread them onto a skewers such as this grilled shrimp skewers recipe and serve it with some dipping sauce such as Peri Peri Sauce or Yum Yum Sauce.

• Pasta - You can serve it with any Pasta of your choice. Choose a pasta that holds the taste such as Penne or Bow tie. Such as Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta or Cajun Shrimp Pasta.

Other Popular Shrimp Recipes:

• Coconut Shrimps in Air fryer
• Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta Cheese
• Shrimp Fried Rice
• Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
• 10-min Shrimp Scampi With Spaghetti
• Copycat Bonefish Grill Bang Bang Shrimp
• Cilantro Lime Shrimp with Roasted Garlic
• Creamy Coconut Shrimp

if you are making this recipe, then please leave a rating below. Also, take a snap and share it on Instagram with #recipemagik. Tag me @recipemagik so that I can see how this turned out.