Air Fryer
Air Fryer Garlic Prawns
Air fryer garlic prawns in 7 minutes. Why the garlic goes into the butter instead of the basket, and how to tell when prawns are done.
Ingredients
- 300g raw peeled king prawns (thawed if frozen)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 25g butter
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 lemon
- Small handful of parsley, chopped
- Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
Method
- If the prawns are frozen, thaw them fully in the fridge.
- Pat the prawns dry with kitchen paper, then toss them with the oil and salt.
- Lay them in the air fryer basket in a single layer with gaps between them.
- Air fry at 200°C (390°F) for 6-7 minutes, until pink and opaque all the way through. Start checking at 6 minutes.
- While they cook, melt the butter with the chopped garlic (30-40 seconds in the microwave, or a minute in a small pan) until it sizzles.
- Tip the prawns into a dish, spoon over the garlic butter and toss.
- Squeeze over the lemon, scatter with parsley and chilli, and serve straight away.
Notes
- The garlic goes into the butter, not the basket. Finely chopped garlic can scorch and turn bitter at 200°C (390°F) before the prawns are done.
- Dry prawns colour; wet ones steam. Thawed prawns release a lot of water, so dry them well.
- Done prawns curl into a loose C. A tight O means they have gone too far and will be rubbery.
- Larger prawns or a full basket may need an extra minute. Cut one open: it should be opaque all the way through.
- Air fryer models vary. Treat the times as a guide, go by colour and crispness, and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
More Air Fryer Fish
Air fryer models vary in power and basket size, so treat the times here as a guide — go by colour and crispness rather than the clock, and adjust the seasoning and glaze to your taste.
Recipe source: Method corroborated across published air-fryer king prawn recipes: Feast Glorious Feast (raw peeled king prawns, 200°C (390°F) for 6 minutes), Aldi UK (Spanish garlic prawns, 200°C (390°F) for 7 minutes) and Ninja UK (garlic butter prawns, 7-8 minutes, spread in a single layer). Prawns are thawed if frozen, patted dry, lightly oiled and cooked until pink and opaque.