Butter garlic prawns air fried is the best
Prawns or shrimps are famous for their lightly sweet and salty taste and when matched with garlic and butter, it simply melts in your mouth!
They are a fabulous low carb protein alternative which cooks in minutes making your meals simple and easy for those busy days.
The trick with cooking prawns is to get the temperature and time just right so that they are not overdone or underdone. This is where I find using the air fryer really useful because I have more accurate control over temperature and the time. Owing to its small interval adjustments.
The other thing I like about air fried prawns is that the meat is evenly cooked and the result is tender juicy meat.
Things to note:
The air fryer: When placing your prawns in the basket, it’s important to put them in only one layer rather than sitting on top of each other. That allows the hot air to reach them more easily, giving you an evenly cooked prawn.
As the food is cooked evenly with its air circulation technology this makes flipping not really necessary in this recipe. However, if you want to make your prawns extra crispy, then you can flip them 5 minutes after you start the air fryer.
Deveining prawns: In this recipe, I recommend leaving the shell on the prawns as this will retain more of the prawn’s sweet taste. So, when cleaning the prawns, you will need to devein them with the shells on. The simplest way is to use a small scissor to cut along the back of the prawn. The cut only needs to be as deep as where the vein is. Then with a paring knife lift the tip of the vein out and pull out the rest of the it. Discard the vein on a paper towel.
Prawns are easily overcooked: As there are various models of air fryers, the temperature and timers can be slightly different so you would need to use this as a guideline and adjust accordingly if needed.
Another thing to note is that prawns or shrimps all come in different sizes therefore the time may need to be adjusted based on the size of them.
However, please do the adjustments in small intervals as nothing’s worse than tasteless, rubbery, or overcooked prawns. You know your prawns are ready when they’re C-shaped and not opaque. But if they’ve curled into a round “O” shape, I’m afraid they’ve been overcooked.
Fresh prawns should be your go-to: To get the most out of this recipe, fresh prawns are highly recommended. However, frozen ones can be great too. If you opt for frozen prawns, make sure they’re of a high quality. And when picking frozen prawns, always go for the big, plump ones.
Play around with seasonings: My favorite part of cooking is the seasoning. You can always play around with different seasonings and adjust them to your preference! Though my recipe is delicious on its own, you can take it as a base and add (or even remove) certain seasonings. For example, you’re free to spice things up with red pepper flakes, black pepper, paprika, onion powder, cumin, or mace. Also, try dipping your delicious garlic prawns in tartare, thousand island, or seafood cocktail sauce
Serving Suggestions:
- Italian and Mediterranean pasta salads are great for a lighter carb option.
- Any type of rice can complement this dish however I like to whip up some fried rice with egg, peas, and carrots to add some vegetables to the meal.
- Whether roasted or sautéed, or even air fried asparagus is a classic side you can enjoy with any main dish. So, naturally, it goes well with air fried garlic prawns, too!
- Leafy greens and cherry tomato salads with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil are quick and easy sides.
- Air fried mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and zucchini is quick and healthy.
- Another healthy and tangy twist is sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, or avocado salad. Or you can drizzle it with some olive oil, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over it, or garnish it with fresh, green coriander leaves.
Quick And Delicious Air Fried Prawns Recipe
Equipment
- Small scissors
- Paring knife
- Air Fryer
- Tongs
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 300 grams Prawns/Shrimps Shell on
- 6 cloves Garlic Diced
- 1 teaspoon Basil (Dried)
- 2 teaspoons Soft Butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- Lemon cuts
Instructions
- Start off by cleaning and deveining your prawns while leaving the shell on by using the small scissors and paring knife. This will prevent them from losing too much moisture while cooking, and it also enhances the great seafood flavor we all love.
- You can either choose to spray the air fryer basket with any type of oil or to use parchment paper.
- Place your prawns in the air fryer basket.
- Get some small scoops of soft butter and randomly (but evenly spaced) place them on top of the prawns.
- Now for the seasonings, sprinkle your diced garlic, dried basil, salt and pepper over the prawns.
- Place in the air fryer and set the temperature to 180° Celsius (356° Fahrenheit) for 10 minutes.
- After they’re ready ,take them out with tongs and squeeze some lemon juice over them to add tanginess and flavor to your prawns.
- You can eat them on their own or serve with your favorite side (you can refer to our serving suggestions above for some great ideas!).
