Okay, so I’ve been on this air fryer kick lately. It’s just so darn convenient, you know? And healthier, supposedly. Anyway, I’ve been craving tempura shrimp, but I didn’t want all the oil and mess of deep frying. So, I decided to try making it in the air fryer. Here’s how it went down.
Getting Started
First, I grabbed some frozen, pre-cooked tempura shrimp. Yeah, yeah, I know, fresh is better, but I was going for speed and ease here. I laid them out on a plate to thaw a bit while I preheated the air fryer.
Preheating and Setting Up
I set the air fryer to 390°F (that’s about 199°C for my metric friends). My air fryer has a preheat function, so I let it do its thing for about 5 minutes. While that was going on, I got a small bowl and lightly sprayed the shrimp with some cooking oil. I used an olive oil spray, but whatever you have is fine. Just a light coating to help them crisp up.
Into the Fryer
Once the air fryer was nice and hot, I carefully arranged the shrimp in a single layer in the basket. Don’t overcrowd it! You want the air to circulate around each piece. I learned that the hard way with some soggy fries once.
Cooking Time!
I set the timer for 8 minutes. Now, this is where it might vary a bit depending on your air fryer and the size of your shrimp. Mine were medium-sized, so 8 minutes seemed like a good starting point.
The Flip and Check
About halfway through, around the 4-minute mark, I opened the basket and gave the shrimp a flip. This helps them cook evenly on both sides. They were already starting to look golden and crispy!
Are We There Yet?
At the 8-minute mark, I checked them again. They looked pretty good, but I wanted them a bit crispier, so I gave them another 2 minutes. So, a total of 10 minutes.
The Results
Perfection! They were golden brown, crispy on the outside, and perfectly cooked on the inside. Seriously, they were just as good as deep-fried, but without all the guilt.
My Time and Temp Summary
- Temperature: 390°F (199°C)
- Time: 10 minutes total (flipped halfway through)
Next time, I might try bumping the temperature up to 400°F and see if I can get them even crispier in less time. But for now, I’m pretty happy with this method. It’s definitely going to be my go-to for tempura shrimp from now on!
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