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This recipe for popcorn shrimp is the perfect dish for fried food made healthy. You get the crispy texture you’re looking for but made with real whole ingredients and without a ton of oil and additives. This paleo popcorn shrimp recipe is Whole30, low carb and super delicious! You can make this in your air fryer for a truly fried feel or bake them in the oven. Either way you will get tasty crispy popcorn shrimp!
This post is in partnership with Primal Kitchen Foods. I am so happy to work with a company I love and believe in so much! Thanks for your continued support!
Whole30 Popcorn Shrimp Ingredients
I made this recipe about 4 times before I found the right balance of ingredients, but I think I finally nailed it!
For your shrimp you will need cassava flour, an egg, lemon juice and some spices like paprika and garlic salt. The flours and the egg are the base of the dry-wet-dry cooking method outlined below. Adding in the paprika, garlic salt, sea salt and pepper will give your “breading” some flavor. If you prefer to not use flours, you can also check out my recipe for paleo breadcrumbs!
The other ingredients you will need are the perfect dipping sauces. That’s where the Tartar Sauce and Cocktail Sauce from Primal Kitchen Foods comes in! These sauces are Whole30 Approved, organic and sugar free. Much better for you than your typical canned sauces with tons of additives. The ingredients in these sauces are all real food and they are the perfect compliment to this popcorn shrimp recipe! I highly recommend them!
PS – you can get 10% of your order at Primal Kitchen Foods by entering the code “BEAUTY10” at checkout!
How To Make Paleo Popcorn Shrimp
Before anything, you will want to make sure your shrimp are as dry as possible. The drier your shrimp are at the start, the better your breading will stick. You will want to pat your shrimp dry and lay them out on a paper towel to soak up as much moisture as possible.
You will then create a mini assembly line of your other ingredients: egg mixed with water, and cassava flour mixed with spices. Once your shrimp is covered in the egg wash, it’s ready to dredge into the cassava flour mixture. I like to use tongs to do this to keep my fingers clean and avoid getting them too gummy. Another thing I recommend is to tap off the excess flour before placing on your air fryer or baking sheet.
Making Popcorn Shrimp in the Air Fryer
Once your shrimp is ready you will want to spray the bottom of your air fryer with your preferred cooking spray to keep your breading from sticking to the bottom. I use the avocado oil spray from Primal Kitchen Foods. Your shrimp will “fry” at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes flipping halfway through. You will want to make sure to spray the tops of your shrimp after you flip them to ensure a nice crispy texture.
Making Popcorn Shrimp in the Oven
To make your shrimp in the oven, you will line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you do have a baking rack, I recommend using it as it helps to cook the shrimp a little more evenly but it’s definitely not a necessity.
I found that in the oven, the shrimp needed a few more minutes for the breading to crisp up fully. About 10-11 minutes at 400 degrees was perfect. If you’re not using a baking rack you may want to flip halfway through to ensure even cooking.
Whole30 Popcorn Shrimp (Air Fryer and Oven Baked)
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 8
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 1x
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Air Fryer, Oven
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp
- ½ cup cassava flour
- 1 egg
- 2 tbs water
- 1 tbs paprika
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- Cocktail sauce and Tartar Sauce for dipping
Instructions
Air Fryer
- Pat your shrimp dry and try to remove as much moisture as possible and spray the bottom of your air fryer with avocado oil spray.
- Mix paprika, garlic salt, salt, pepper and cassava flour in shallow dish or plate. Beat 1 egg in a bowl with about 2 tbs of water until frothy.
- Using tongs, dip the shrimp into the egg wash before adding the shrimp to the cassava flour mixture. Once the shrimp is fully coated, tap off the excess flour and place the shrimp in a single layer into your air fryer basket. (I had to air fry in 2 batches)
Set your air fryer to 400 degrees and air fry for 4 minutes per side. When you flip them, be sure to spray your shrimp with a little more avocado oil. - Place your popcorn shrimp in a serving dish and add the juice of half a lemon over the top. Pair with cocktail sauce and tartar sauce!
Oven
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and follow steps 1-3 above.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add your shrimp to the baking sheet
- Bake for 10 minutes flipping halfway through. (Spray your shrimp with a little more avocado oil spray once you flip them)
- Place your popcorn shrimp in a serving dish and add the juice of half a lemon over the top. Pair with cocktail sauce and tartar sauce!
Louise C. says
Do you think tapioca or almond flour would be ok? I have lots of both of those and don’t want to buy another bag of paleo flour lol.
Jen says
Yes! You can use almond flour. I just found the cassava worked the best for holding on to the shrimp but the almond flour will still give you a similar taste and result