Garlic prawns — or Gambas al ajillo, as they’re called in Spanish — are the kind of starter that always impresses without demanding more than fifteen minutes at the stove. Juicy prawns bathed in butter, fresh garlic and a hint of chilli are what make the whole table reach for the dish.
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In the air fryer the dish becomes even easier: the intense, dry heat browns the garlic perfectly and keeps the prawns juicy, with no risk of them stewing in their own juices the way they easily can in a frying pan.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Table of Contents:
Why I love garlic prawns in the air fryer
It’s a Spanish tapas classic that thrives on simplicity — few ingredients, a short cooking time, and a scent of garlic butter that instantly transforms the kitchen into a Spanish bar. The air fryer is ideal for this recipe because it distributes the heat evenly and keeps the prawns moist inside, while the surface gets a light bite and the garlic turns golden without burning.
For me, this dish is just as much about the aroma and the drops of garlic butter at the bottom of the dish as it is about the prawns themselves. It’s the kind of starter where the bread for mopping up is just as important as the main ingredient.
The difference between air fryer and frying pan
In a frying pan the prawns easily release too much of their own liquid, especially if they’ve been thawed, and the result quickly turns boiled rather than seared. The air fryer gets around the problem by letting the moisture circulate away, while the concentrated hot air browns the garlic in the butter and gives the dish a deeper flavour in roughly half the time.
My kitchen test of garlic prawns
I’ve tested the dish in both my Cosori Dual Blaze and the Philips XXL. The Cosori won on finesse: with 350 grams of tiger prawns, four cloves of thinly sliced garlic, 50 grams of butter and a teaspoon of chilli flakes, 200 °C and 7 minutes with one turn halfway through hit the mark perfectly. The prawns came out with a pink, glossy surface and were still translucent at the core. By comparison, the dish takes 12-15 minutes in a conventional oven at the same temperature.
A little tip from the kitchen: use an ovenproof dish or a foil parcel in the basket so the butter and garlic stay in the bottom — otherwise it all evaporates before the prawns are done. Finish with a fresh sprinkle of flaky salt, freshly chopped parsley and a good squeeze of lemon.
The butter should just come up to a bubble, not brown to black. Take the prawns out as soon as they’re pink all the way through — a minute too long and they turn rubbery.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The most common mistake is tipping wet, just-thawed prawns straight into the basket without patting them dry. The extra moisture lowers the heat, and the prawns end up boiled rather than seared — so let them thaw overnight in the fridge and pat them thoroughly dry with kitchen paper before cooking. The next mistake is putting too many prawns in the basket at once: if they’re stacked, they steam each other instead of getting direct airflow, and never brown properly. Stick to a single layer and run two batches if you’re feeding a crowd. The third mistake is letting the butter cook on its own for too long before the prawns go in — that’s when the garlic burns. The best approach is to put butter, garlic and prawns in the same ovenproof dish and let them start together, so the garlic builds in flavour while the prawns finish cooking.
How to serve garlic prawns
Garlic prawns deserve the company of something that can soak up all that garlic-laced butter. My favourites:
- With thickly toasted rustic bread or ciabatta to soak up the juices
- As tapas with a chilled Albariño or a dry sherry
- Scattered over a green salad with lemon vinaigrette
- As a starter before paella or other Spanish main courses
- In small individual bowls alongside manchego and olives
Storage and reheating
Garlic prawns taste their very best straight from the air fryer, but leftovers can be stored airtight in the fridge for 1-2 days. Reheat for 2-3 minutes at 160 °C in the air fryer with an extra knob of butter so they don’t dry out — avoid the microwave, which turns them rubbery.
Garlic prawns are one of those dishes where the air fryer really shows its strength — fast, clean, and with a concentrated flavour that’s hard to match in a frying pan. Serve them as tapas among friends or as a starter for a Spanish dinner, and you’ll have a little classic you can rely on every time.
FAQ
Yes, but they need to thaw overnight in the fridge and be patted thoroughly dry with kitchen paper, otherwise they release too much moisture and end up boiled instead of seared.
Medium-sized prawns need 5-6 minutes at 200 °C, while larger tiger prawns typically take 7-8 minutes. Always turn them halfway through cooking.
Garlic prawns are typically made with fully peeled prawns so the garlic butter can soak into the flesh. The tail can be left on as a handle if you’re serving them as finger food.
Recipe
Air fryer garlic prawns
Cooking Guide
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Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Small bowl - For the garlic butter
- 1 Bagepapir (til airfryer) - Optional, for easy cleaning
Shopping list
Ingredients
Garlic butter
- 50 g butter
- 6 clove garlic (Finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (Extra virgin)
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Prawns and topping
- 400 g peeled prawns (Raw or fully thawed)
- 1 pcs lemon (Juice and finely grated zest)
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley (Finely chopped)
To serve
- 1 pcs baguette (Toasted, for dipping)
How to make it
Preparation
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C.
- Melt 50 g butter gently in a small bowl in the microwave or in a small saucepan. Mix with 6 clove garlic and 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Add 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper to the garlic butter and stir everything together well.
- Pat 400 g peeled prawns dry with kitchen paper and toss them thoroughly in the spiced garlic butter so they are coated on all sides.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Place the prawns in a single layer in the air fryer basket and pour the remaining garlic butter over the top.
- Cook at 200 °C for 5-6 minutes until the prawns are pink and firm. Gently shake the basket halfway through so they cook evenly.
Serving
- Squeeze the juice from 1 pcs lemon over the hot prawns, and sprinkle with 3 tbsp fresh parsley and finely grated lemon zest.
- Serve immediately with toasted 1 pcs baguette for dipping in the aromatic garlic butter. Remember small bowls or deep plates so you can scoop up all the juices.
Our notes for the recipe
Avoid overcooking the prawns — they’re done as soon as they turn pink and firm. Overcooked prawns become rubbery and lose their juiciness. If you’re using pre-cooked prawns, simply heat them through for 2-3 minutes at 180 °C. Variation:
Add a small splash of dry sherry or white wine to the garlic butter for an even more authentic Spanish twist. You can also swap the chilli flakes for a finely chopped fresh red chilli for extra freshness and depth. Serving:
Serve as tapas with toasted baguette, a fresh green salad and a glass of chilled albariño or manzanilla sherry. Also delicious as part of a bigger tapas spread with olives, manchego and serrano ham. Portion size:
If your air fryer is small, it’s a good idea to cook the prawns in two batches so they sit in a single layer and cook evenly.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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