Air fryer prawns with garlic Sriracha butter
Peeled prawns cook in an air fryer in 8 minutes at 200°C, shaken once halfway. Straight from frozen they need 11 minutes and a thorough pat dry with paper towel. They are done when they curl into a C shape and turn pink and opaque.
Instructions
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Quick thaw
Put the prawns in a sieve and hold them under cold running water for 10 minutes, or leave them 12 hours in the fridge. A 1 kg bag holds 800 g net after glaze, so four portions use about two thirds. They come peeled and deveined, nothing left to clean. Never warm water or a microwave: the edges cook before the centre thaws.
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Dry them properly
Spread the prawns on a double layer of paper towel and pat both sides firmly. This looks trivial and is actually half the recipe: an air fryer blows hot air, and water left on the prawn turns to steam and boils them instead of browning them. They should feel matte, not glossy.
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Season
In a bowl, toss the prawns with olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper until evenly coated. The oil is deliberately sparse, just enough to hold the spices: too much drips through the basket and smokes.
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Preheat the air fryer ⏱ 3 min
Set the air fryer to 200°C and run it empty for 3 minutes. A cold basket is why prawns come out pale: the first minutes go into heating the machine, and the prawns release water before browning even starts.
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First round, 4 minutes ⏱ 4 min
Lay the prawns in the basket in a single layer, not overlapping. For 500 g you will probably need two batches in a small air fryer, and that is fine: a crowded basket drops the temperature and steams them. Four minutes at 200°C.
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Shake and 4 minutes more ⏱ 4 min
Pull the basket out, shake it briefly to turn the prawns, then give them another 4 minutes. They should end up pink and opaque, curled into a C, with lightly browned edges. If they close into a full O, they are overcooked.
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Garlic Sriracha butter
While the prawns cook, melt the butter in a small pan over low heat, add the grated garlic and give it 30 seconds, just to perfume without colouring. Off the heat, stir in the Sriracha and the lemon juice. The sauce should be glossy and emulsified, not split.
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Toss and serve
Tip the hot prawns straight into the butter bowl and swirl a few times so every prawn takes on the glaze. Scatter the parsley and serve immediately, with lemon wedges. The air fryer crispness lasts about five minutes, so this is not a dish to keep waiting.
Good to know
An air fryer does not fry, it blows hot air, so anything wet steams instead of browning. Hence the two rules: pat the prawns dry with paper towel and keep them in a single layer in the basket. For more than 500 g, work in two batches rather than one crowded basket. Size 16/20 is the sweet spot: big enough to stay juicy over eight minutes, small enough to cook evenly. Pre-cooked prawns do not belong here, they are already cooked and at 200°C they tighten and go rubbery.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cook frozen prawns in an air fryer without thawing?
Yes. 200°C, 11 to 12 minutes, shaken twice. Halfway through, pull the basket and wipe off the water released by the glaze, otherwise the prawns steam instead of browning. Add the seasoning only after the first 5 minutes, onto prawns that are already dry.
What temperature and how long for prawns in an air fryer?
200°C in every case. Peeled and thawed, size 16/20: 8 minutes. Straight from frozen: 11 to 12 minutes. Breaded or butterfly prawns: 8 minutes, no added oil.
How do I know they are done and not dried out?
Look at the shape. A properly cooked prawn curls into a C, pink and opaque, still juicy. Once it tightens into a closed O, it is overcooked and turns rubbery.
Which prawns work best in an air fryer?
Raw, peeled and deveined, medium to large: 16/20 or 26/30. Pre-cooked 41/50 prawns do not work, they are already cooked and tighten at 200°C. Shell-on prawns work but need 2 extra minutes.
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Air fryer prawns with garlic Sriracha butter
Air fryer prawns with garlic Sriracha butter
Peeled prawns cook in an air fryer in 8 minutes at 200°C, shaken once halfway. Straight from frozen they need 11 minutes and a thorough pat dry with paper towel. They are done when they curl into a C shape and turn pink and opaque.
Notes
An air fryer does not fry, it blows hot air, so anything wet steams instead of browning. Hence the two rules: pat the prawns dry with paper towel and keep them in a single layer in the basket. For more than 500 g, work in two batches rather than one crowded basket. Size 16/20 is the sweet spot: big enough to stay juicy over eight minutes, small enough to cook evenly. Pre-cooked prawns do not belong here, they are already cooked and at 200°C they tighten and go rubbery.
