Air Fryer Frozen Cajun Shrimp & Broccoli

This air fryer frozen shrimp and broccoli turns my Air Fryer Cajun Shrimp into an easy complete meal by cooking broccoli right alongside the shrimp. Everything cooks straight from frozen with Cajun seasoning and garlic butter, so there’s no need to thaw the shrimp first.

Shrimp and broccoli in the air fryer is a great option when you want the protein and vegetable handled together with very little prep. If you’re in the mood for more of a white wine butter sauce, try my Air Fryer Garlic Butter Shrimp & Broccoli instead.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Turns Cajun shrimp into a meal: Adding broccoli gives you the protein and vegetable in one dish.
• No thawing required: The recipe was tested with frozen raw shrimp, so they can go straight from the freezer to the air fryer.
• Fresh or frozen broccoli works: Frozen broccoli can cook with the shrimp, while fresh broccoli just needs a short head start.
• Simple but flavorful: Cajun seasoning and garlic butter coat the shrimp and broccoli as they cook.

Ingredients Needed

• Frozen raw shrimp: Use peeled and deveined large shrimp. There’s no need to thaw them before cooking. Tail-off shrimp make the finished meal especially easy to eat.
• Broccoli florets: Fresh or frozen both work. You’ll just adjust when you add them to the air fryer.
• Cajun seasoning: I use my homemade Cajun seasoning to season both the shrimp and broccoli.
• Garlic Butter: I use this 5-minute compound butter on everything from air fryer steak to air fryer chicken thighs with garlic butter. This melts over the shrimp and broccoli as they cook, creating a simple buttery Cajun sauce.
• Avocado oil: Use this when cooking fresh broccoli so it can get a short head start before you add the shrimp.
• Sea salt: Add only if needed since Cajun seasoning blends can vary in saltiness.

How to Make Air Fryer Cajun Shrimp & Broccoli

Start the broccoli

If you’re using fresh broccoli, toss it with avocado oil and air fry at 400°F for 5 minutes. This gives it just enough of a head start to finish cooking with the shrimp. Frozen broccoli doesn’t need to be precooked. Add it directly to the air fryer cooking pot then continue with the next step.

Add the frozen shrimp

Place the frozen shrimp with the broccoli. Sprinkle Cajun seasoning over everything, then add the garlic butter on top.

Let the butter melt

Air fry at 400°F for 5 minutes. The shrimp will start cooking and the garlic butter should be melted.

Toss everything together

Stir well so the melted Cajun garlic butter coats both the shrimp and broccoli.

Finish cooking

Air fry for another 5–6 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Toss everything once more in the buttery Cajun sauce before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Use raw shrimp: The cooking time is for frozen raw shrimp, not precooked frozen shrimp.
• Skip the thawing: The shrimp can go straight from the freezer into the air fryer.
• Watch the shrimp size: This timing is based on large shrimp. Smaller shrimp may finish sooner.
• Give fresh broccoli a head start: Fresh broccoli needs about 5 minutes on its own, while frozen broccoli can cook with the shrimp from the start.
• Keep the sauce with the food: A solid-bottom air fryer cooking pot or air-fryer-safe insert keeps the garlic butter and shrimp juices around the broccoli instead of letting them drip away.
• Taste before adding salt: Some Cajun seasoning blends already contain plenty of salt.

Fresh vs. Frozen Broccoli

You can use either fresh or frozen broccoli in this recipe. The main difference is when it goes into the air fryer.

• Frozen broccoli: Add it with the frozen shrimp. It doesn’t need a separate cooking step.
• Fresh broccoli: Toss it with avocado oil and air fry at 400°F for 5 minutes before adding the shrimp.

That short head start gives fresh broccoli time to become tender without requiring you to cook the shrimp longer.

What to Serve With Cajun Shrimp & Broccoli

Since you already have shrimp and broccoli in the dish, you can serve it as-is or add a simple base to catch some of the Cajun garlic butter.

• Pasta dinner: Add Lemon Orzo Pasta for a bright side that works well with the Cajun shrimp.
• Rice bowl: Spoon the shrimp, broccoli, and some of the buttery sauce over rice.
• Vegetable-based meal: Serve it over Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash and spoon the Cajun garlic butter over the strands.

If you want the Cajun shrimp without the broccoli, the original Air Fryer Cajun Shrimp works well as the protein for grits, rice, pasta, or whatever sides you already have planned.

Want a Different Air Fryer Shrimp & Broccoli Dinner?

If you want something with more of a sauce, make my Air Fryer Garlic Butter Shrimp & Broccoli. It has a white wine garlic butter sauce with Parmesan and tomatoes, so it’s especially good spooned over pasta or spaghetti squash.

Storage & Reheating

• Store: Keep leftover shrimp and broccoli in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: Warm just until heated through in the microwave or air fryer so the shrimp stay tender.
• Save the sauce: Store any Cajun garlic butter left in the cooking pot with the shrimp and broccoli so you can spoon it over the leftovers.

FAQs

If you try this recipe, please stop back and leave it a star rating and/or a review in the comments. Stay connected & share photos of your creations with me & others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!