Delicious Argentine red shrimp in the air fryer is a quick, simple, and easy recipe that is great for any meal or appetizer! In less than 10 minutes and with just 2 ingredients you can have tender & juicy quality shrimp to top a healthy salad, eat with side dishes, or in my personal favorite - shrimp tacos!
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Argentinian red shrimp have grown in popularity over the past few years. If you've ever wondered if they taste good, the answer is yes (especially when air fried)!
Naturally sweet, tender and full of flavor, these delicious shrimp are slightly sweeter than regular shrimp (some may even think they taste like lobster!) They are super versatile and work as a base protein in many recipes.
If you really like this recipe be sure to try some of these other delicious air-fried seafood recipes like halibut, crab cakes, mahi mahi, or salmon!
Or give these pan-seared shrimp a try! They are so good!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The best recipe for dietary restrictions: This healthy recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and the best shrimp recipe for pescatarians.
- Easy & quick. This argentine red shrimp recipe is the best easy recipe for how to cook shrimp in the air fryer.
- Great in tacos! Serve with no mayo red cabbage coleslaw!
- Simple! Made with just two ingredients and goes with rice or any side dish.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
- Argentine red shrimp: Generally found frozen, deveined, and without the shell or tails and in many stores including Trader Joe's, Aldi, Whole Foods, and Sam's Club. Not to be confused with Royal Red shrimp or prawns which are different.
- Seasoning: I recommend Trader Joe's chili lime seasoning, although chili powder, lime juice, and salt will also be tasty.
How to Make This Recipe
This is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to cook this recipe. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.
Step 1
Defrost shrimp and pat dry with a paper towel before seasoning. Start with 1 teaspoon of seasoning and add more if desired.
Step 2
Place shrimp in the basket and air fry at 400F for 6-8 minutes depending on the size of the shrimp.
Serving, Freezing, Make Ahead, Storage, & Reheating
How to Serve
Serve hot or allow them to cool to top a salad. Some of my favorite ways to eat red shrimp are in shrimp tacos, salads, bowls, or wraps.
Freezing
Generally, these shrimp come frozen. You can cook them straight from frozen by adding in a few more minutes.
If cooking straight from frozen, reserve seasoning for after cooking and use a bit of oil to adhere seasoning.
Make Ahead
Shrimp may be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days before use. Generally, they will taste better when served cold after cooking ahead.
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheating
Reheat by air frying for 1 minute at 350F.
Expert Tips
- Keto and low-carb: Chili powder, lime juice, and salt are a perfect replacement for Trader Joe's chili lime seasoning if you are following keto or Whole30.
- Spicy: Add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to make the recipe spicy.
- Cooking time: Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the shrimp. Smaller ones may cook in 6 minutes while larger, jumbo-sized shrimp may take 8 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Argentinian shrimp are wild-caught, deep water shrimp caught near Argentina in the Western, Southern Atlantic ocean (also known as Patagonia). They are typically larger than normal gulf shrimp and are perfectly safe to eat.
Air fried shrimp are generally cooked in 6 to 8 minutes at 400F.
You can tell that they are cooked when the color is no longer translucent (more opaque in color) and the shrimp curve into a "c" shape. Be careful not to overcook shrimp - they will have a tough and rubbery texture.
Where to buy them is getting much easier as these shrimp grow in popularity.
Generally Argentinian shrimp can be found in the frozen foods section of stores like Trader Joe's, Walmart, Whole Foods, Aldi, Sam's Club or even your local grocer like Publix or Kroger.
You can even find them online!
Two of my favorite ways to eat red shrimp are in shrimp tacos or with rice in a bowl. You can also eat them cold in a salad.
They are slightly bigger than regular shrimp and have a pink or red hue in their raw state compared to a gray hue for the regular version.
Red shrimp also tend to have a sweeter taste and flavor. They are also larger (jumbo-sized) compared to their regular counterparts.
Shrimp will defrost quickly if submerged in a bowl of ice water in the refrigerator or run under cold water for 5 minutes.
Related Recipes
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Air Fryer Argentine Red Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 pound Argentine Red Shrimp
- chili lime seasoning Trader Joe's brand
- garlic powder optional
Instructions
- Defrost shrimp and pat dry.
- Sprinkle with seasonings.
- Air Fry at 400F for 6-8 minutes. Serve immediately for hot shrimp or cool for cold shrimp.
Mary
These were fantastic. I usually overcook shrimp when I pan-fry them or grill them. Your timing on this recipe is spot on and using TJ's Chili Lime seasoning is the magic. So, so good. Thank you for such a simple yet effective (juicy and delicious!) recipe.
Lyndsey
Hi Mary! I'm so glad you liked them. I love that seasoning too. Thank you for the comment and rating!
Marc
These are so delicious...the tenderness of the shrimp from the air fryer is unbelievable!!!
Lyndsey
Thank you!