Skip the takeout and make this easy and delicious chili crisp shrimp in the air fryer! The shrimp is battered and cooked in the air fryer first then tossed in a soy chili crisp sauce that is truly irresistible. I love making this recipe because the air fryer does most of the job and it can all be done in less than 30 mins, which makes it perfect for any weeknight meal after a long day.
What is Chili Crisp
Chili crisp is a spicy condiment made from chili peppers, oil, and various aromatics like garlic, shallots, and spices. It’s often used in Asian cuisine to add heat, flavor, and texture to dishes like noodles, rice, dumplings, and stir-frys.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Cooking the battered shrimp in an air fryer gives the shrimp a crispy texture without all that oil from deep frying. This is also a great meal to make for yourself or the family on a weeknight when you want something simple without having to leave the house.
Ingredients
- Shrimp – battering the shrimp and air frying gives you that crispy texture still without all the oil from deep frying!
- Baking soda – a little baking soda helps tenderize the shrimp
- Garlic powder – I like to use powder in this case so it gets evenly coated throughout the shrimp
- Corn starch – creates the batter and the crispy exterior for later
- Chili crisp – the main flavor in this dish and packs so much flavor in one condiment!
- Soy sauce – umami and savory addition to the sauce
- Sriracha sauce – who doesn’t like a little more spice?
- Sugar – a bit of sweetness to balance the spicy and savory
- Red bell pepper – adds crunch to the shrimp
- Shallot – gives the dish extra onion flavor
- Green onion – a bit of green to garnish on top
How to make Air Fryer Chili Crisp Shrimp
- Add shrimp, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, and cornstarch to a bowl and mix to combine.
- Preheat air fryer for a few mins. Lightly spray shrimp with oil to coat all over and spray the air fryer basket to prevent sticking. Add shrimp to the air fryer in an even layer making sure not to overcrowd. Cook at 400F for 8-10 mins, flipping halfway through.
- While shrimp is cooking, mix chili crisp, soy sauce, sriracha sauce, and sugar until combined. Set aside.
- When shrimp is done cooking, remove from air fryer.
- In a pan, heat 1 Tbsp oil, then add red bell peppers and shallots until softened, about 2-3 mins. Add shrimp to pan and the sauce mixture to coat all over. Toss the shrimp with the sauce until well combined, about 1 min. Turn off heat and transfer to plate.
Tips
- Adding baking soda to the shrimp improves the texture and juiciness of the shrimp, don’t skip this step!
- Make sure to spray the air fryer basket and shrimp with oil to ensure it doesn’t stick and the batter stays intact
Storage
Store in the fridge in an air-tight container up to 2 days.