These Air Fryer Shell-On King Prawns are a tactile delight – there’s nothing better than digging into a bowl of prawns, ripping off the shells and digging in. My recipe shows you how to prepare the raw prawns properly and then air fry them to perfection.
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I think whole raw shell on prawns can be a little intimidating, especially for a less confident cook. But they’re really easy to deal with, especially if you plan on cooking them whole like this.
There are a couple of points in preparing them that are absolutely worth spending the time doing. But once they’re deveined, cooking them is an absolute breeze. And then you can sit peeling and eating them like you’re sitting in the spring sunshine in a small Spanish square with a cold beer and brewing sunburn.
Jump to…
- HOW TO SERVE
- INGREDIENTS
- HOW LONG TO AIR FRY SHELL-ON KING PRAWNS
- HOW TO AIR FRY KING PRAWNS FROM FROZEN
- LEFTOVERS
- COMMON AIR FRYER QUESTIONS
- THE RECIPE IN FULL
The Air Fried Fish & Shellfish Collection
Find all of my best fish and shellfish recipes in one easy place.
Featuring everything from king prawns and scallops to haddock fillets, sea bass and sea bream as well as whole plaice, cod loins, mackerel fillets and of course I couldn’t miss out salmon fillets!
How to Serve
I’ve served the prawns with a simple green salad, some simply cooked rice and piles of my mango salsa. One of my all time favourite combos for fish and shellfish which I highly recommend.
For more of that Spanish tapas vibe that I mentioned, douse the cooked prawns in a small vat of melted homemade garlic butter. Simply served with some lovely fresh bread.
Or if you prefer a surf and turf type meal, serve the prawns atop a beautifully griddled steak of with a pile of delicious bbq ribs. Don’t forget the chips and salad.
Ingredients
Prawns
For my friends across the Atlantic – king prawns are jumbo shrimp!
You can find whole king prawns with their shells in some supermarket chillers. You can also often find that in the freezer section. But they are a product that is best obtained from a proper fishmonger if at all possible – even if that’s just a counter in the supermarket.
You do want to make sure you’re buying uncooked prawns, I’ve been easily confused and bought the ready cooked ones one too many times. I find cooking already cooked prawns just results in rubber bullets. So unless I’m planning on eating them cold, I always look for uncooked.
I also always look for the biggest prawns I can get/afford. The ones I’ve cooked here came in at 200c/8oz for 8 prawns.
Oil
I’ve simply used a neutral vegetable oil in the recipe. You could alternatively use melted butter or olive oil. Just ensure that if you choose a flavoured oil that the flavour is complementary to the seasonings and the rest of the meal etc.
Seasoning
I used a 50/50 mix of garlic salt and paprika but you really can use any seasoning that you prefer. That can be as simple as a sea salt or a more elaborate mix of lemon zest and herbs. As long as you so make sure to include salt too.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, dairy, gluten and nuts.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How Long to Air Fry Shell-On King Prawns
Prawns are extremely quick to cook, even when in their shells. The exact cooking time will depend a little on their size.
My 8 prawns weighed 200g/7oz and they take 8 minutes to cook. Smaller prawns may need a minute or two less and larger prawns a minute or two more. Trust your gut.
When cooked the prawns will feel firm when squeezed. Please do try not to panic overcook them as they will be come rubbery and unpleasant to eat.
How to Air Fry Shell-On King Prawns From Frozen
I would not recommend cooking the prawns from frozen. You won’t be able to prep them properly. And even if you prep then freeze, I don’t find that the cook well in their shells from frozen.
Luckily the prawns do defrost super quickly. 10 to 20 minutes sitting in cold water generally does the trick. Just make sure to dry them thoroughly before starting the recipe.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
You can store cooked prawns in the fridge for a couple of days or freeze them for longer.
The leftover prawns can be enjoyed cold or reheated. I would however be cautious about reheating simply because they can become overcooked and rubbery very easily. Because of this, I do prefer to peel the prawns and then either microwave them for a few seconds with a little water. Or sauté them in butter or the like.
Common Air Fryer Questions – A Brief Guide to Air Frying
- What exactly is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of using an air fryer?
- Are all air fryers the same?
- Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
- Do air fryers need to be pre-heated?
- What is the best temperature to air fry at?
- What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
- Can food be cooked from frozen in an air fryer?
- Can I reheat food in an air fryer?
- Are air fryer liners a good idea?
The Air Fried Feast Community
Come on over to Facebook and join my community discussing all things air fryer. Get involved in sharing your experiences and trials, help out others and find out what wonderful things everyone is cooking in their air fryers!
What Exactly is an Air Fryer?
Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.
Are all air fryers the same?
Nope! The term air fryer is now used very broadly. I consider there to be 4 main types:
Basket Air Fryers
These are what I would consider to be the most common, especially in the UK. A boxy type unit has a pull out drawer/basket. Food isn’t usually visible whilst cooking.
Some larger models have two drawers so different items can be cooked at different temperatures or for different times.
This is the type that you’ll see in the images in this recipe. I mostly use a Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. It isn’t an overly expensive or fancy model.
I’ve also recommended to several friends and family the model with a slightly larger basket. This is the Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501) with a 4.7 litre basket. The unit is no larger than the 3.8 litre model on the outside but does have a larger internal basket capacity. I’ve since bought this version to use for some recipes where my smaller model was just too small. I’ll always note this in the recipe.
Rotary Air Fryers
Round air fryers with a paddle in the centre that rotates to move the food. This is the type I used for years – the most common is a Tefal Actifry.
Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.
My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.
Mini Oven Air Fryers
These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.
Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions
Some like Ninja 11 in 1 and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.
Some electric pressure cookers like Instant Pots can also air fry when used with a specific lid.
Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.
Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.
I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.
Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?
The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.
What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?
It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.
What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.
There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.
Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.
Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.
It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.
Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.
Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?
Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.
There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.
When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.
If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.
More Air Fryer Recipes
All my recipes with instructions for how to cook or bake them in the air fryer can be found in my Air Fryer Recipe Index.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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The Recipe
Air Fryer Shell-On King Prawns (Whole – Raw)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 Shell-On Large King Prawns (Shrimp) - 8 = roughly 200g/7oz
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil - see notes
- 2 tsp Seasoning - see notes
Instructions
Prepare the Air Fryer
- If your air fryer requires pre-heating, start this setting now.
Prepare the Prawns/Shrimp
- Thoroughly dry 8 Shell-On King Prawns/Shrimp. Use a pair of scissors to trim away any excessively long antennae.
- Prepare the prawns by making sure they have been fully deveined. This is the "poop chute" which runs along the back (outside curve) of the prawn. This is not optional – you do not want to eat this. You can easily do this by inserting a cocktail stick or skewer right through the shell a few millimetres deep – the second "hinge" from the tail is usually the best place to do this. You can often see the vein, so aim to pierce the shell underneath it.
- Firmly but carefully pull the cocktail stick through the shell and out The vein should have been caught and pull out too. If you don't get it all or it doesn't come out in full, you can always try another "hinge".
- Repeat until all the prawns have been deveined
- Put the prawns in a bowl and drizzle over 1 tbsp Oil and 2 tsp Seasoning and toss to thoroughly coat the prawns evenly.
Cook the Prawns/Shrimp
- Place the prawns into the air fryer basket. Try to place them in one layer and leave a little space around each if you can.
- Cook for 8 minutes at 200c/390f. If you want to turn them after 6 minutes, you can do although I didn't.
- Allow to rest for a minute before peeling and tucking in. Spoon over juices that have collected in the bottom of the air fryer (or bowl) for extra flavour.
Notes
- Oil – Choose your oil to match your flavouring. For example use garlic, salt and rosemary with olive oil or for a more neutral flavour, sea salt and black pepper with vegetable oil.
- Seasoning – Choose any seasoning mix, spices or dried/fresh herbs. Make sure that salt is included in the mix. You can also add a little citrus juice.
- I used vegetable oil with a 50/50 mix of garlic salt and paprika.
- The air fryer version of this recipe is tested in a Cosori Lite (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal.
- Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
- For this recipe, I can easily fit 8 whole king prawns in the basket at a time. This gives plenty of room to allow air to circulate. I could likely have fitted in another 4.
- As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time. Some models include stacking shelves which will increase capacity.
- Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.
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