Air Fryer Shrimp with a Maple Bourbon Glaze

This MAPLE BOURBON GLAZED SHRIMP recipe starts with a simple marinade of maple syrup, soy sauce, and bourbon. The shrimp end up perfectly cooked with loads of flavor. This is a great way to use up that frozen shrimp in your freezer.

A white plate with bourbon shrimp and asparagus on it.

Everyone needs a little spice in their life! Adding some spice to shrimp is a fantastic way to enjoy this very popular seafood. I have done this with chili lime shrimp and with bang bang shrimp before.

This time I needed a shrimp recipe that stood out a little from the rest because I was serving this dish to a person who was eating shrimp for the very first time.

Another reason I enjoy this recipe is you can give it a little extra “pop” with a splash of Kentucky Bourbon as it will leave an almost smoky, caramel flavor to blend with your chili powder and maple flavors coating your shrimp.

Cooking with bourbon can also change the texture of your meat for the better, which is beneficial for shrimp. Most of the people who don’t like shrimp, frozen shrimp specifically, don’t like it more for the texture than the flavor.

This glazed shrimp is just bursting with all that there is to love about a great shrimp recipe!

Table of Contents

Ingredient Notes:

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Overhead view of several ingredients in separate dishes.

Shrimp– Frozen shrimp are totally acceptable to start with for this recipe but you will need to thaw them before marinading them for flavors to do their job. All your shrimp should be already peeled and deveined.

Bourbon– It is not critical to have top shelf bourbon for this. We are going to use 1/4 cup in total for 4 servings, so purchase a bottle big enough for the number of people you are serving. Any bourbon that is straight bourbon will suffice.

Other flavors– You will also want maple syrup, brown sugar, soy sauce, chili powder, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

How to make bourbon shrimp:

Overhead view of maple bourbon glaze in a glass bowl.

In a medium bowl whisk together the brown sugar, maple syrup, soy sauce, chili powder, salt, and pepper until the brown sugar fully dissolves.
Remove three tablespoons of this sauce to a small bowl and set aside. We’ll use the bit of sauce to brush over the cooked shrimp.
Add the bourbon to the marinade and give it a stir.

Add the shrimp to the marinade and stir to coat the shrimp.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Brush the basket of your air fryer with olive oil or use an oil mister to spray the basket.
Remove shrimp from the marinade and arrange in a single layer in your air fryer basket. You might need to work in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.

Cooked shrimp being scooped out of an air fryer basket.

Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through.
Brush the shrimp with the sauce you set aside earlier and serve!

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Substitutions for this recipe:

Brandy and spiced rum would also work well, in place of bourbon.
Use real maple syrup in this recipe. Pancake syrup is NOT the same! If you don’t have maple syrup, use honey instead.
You can use this same glaze with chicken instead of shrimp if you like. If you use a boneless chicken breast it will take 10-12 minutes to cook. You can chop it up for faster cook times.

A large spoon of shrimp being held up to a camera.

FAQ

Do I have to thaw frozen shrimp before marinating?

Yes! The performance of the marinade will be hindered if the shrimp are frozen. You can quickly thaw them by running the package they are stored in underwater or under running water if in a pinch, or you can move them from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before cooking to thaw them out.

Why do you have to use maple syrup for maple bourbon flavor instead of pancake syrup?

Pancake syrup has a ton of sugar in it. That sugar is usually from high fructose corn syrup as well. Not only is that less natural for your body, it will also cook differently.

Will there be alcohol in my maple bourbon shrimp? Is it safe to serve to children or other people who shouldn’t have alcohol?

There will only be trace amounts of alcohol remaining, but yes there will be some. It is estimated to be under 1% after cooking, but that is just an estimate. The alcohol will boil off at a lower temperature than water, so cooking at 370 degrees F like we do will make almost all of it evaporate away during the cooking process.

More tasty recipes:

Cooked shrimp spread out in an air fryer basket with a maple bourbon glaze.

Two plates of shrimp in front of a white air fryer

Air Fryer Shrimp with Maple Glaze

Created by: Karly Campbell

Course Seafood

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 8

Total Time 43

We marinate raw shrimp in a simple bourbon maple sauce and then air fry until it's cooked to perfection. This dish is ready in less than an hour and that sweet, savory glaze is absolutely delicious.

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Add the maple syrup, brown sugar, soy sauce, chili powder, salt, and pepper to a medium bowl and whisk until the brown sugar has dissolved.
Remove 3 tablespoons of the sauce to a small bowl and set aside for brushing over the shrimp after it has cooked.
Add the bourbon to the marinade and stir.
Add the shrimp to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove the shrimp from the marinade and discard the marinade.
Brush the basket of the air fryer with the olive oil. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket. You may have to work in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
Air fryer at 370 degrees for 6-8 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque and cooked through.
Brush shrimp with reserved sauce before serving.

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Notes

Brandy or rum may be substituted for the bourbon, if preferred.

Nutrition

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Maple Bourbon Glazed Shrimp

Ingredient Notes: