This was the first dish I made in the air fryer that required using a pan to cook something in the basket. Once I tried this, I was hooked and other ideas for air fryer recipes started to come to me. What I like about this is that it’s one dish, no splatters to clean up, fairly hands-free, and fast. Many of my readers have told me this is the best shrimp scampi they’ve ever had.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons salted butter or ghee
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1 pound shrimp (21 to 25 count), peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons chicken broth or dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus more for sprinkling, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, or 1 teaspoon dried

Directions

1. Place a 7-inch round baking pan in the air-fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 325°F for 8 minutes (this will preheat the pan so the butter will melt faster).
2. Carefully remove the pan from the fryer and add the butter, lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Place the pan back in the fryer.
3. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring once, until the butter has melted. (Do not skip this step; this is what infuses the butter with garlic flavor, which is what makes it all taste so good.)
4. Carefully remove the pan from the fryer and add the shrimp, broth, basil, and chives. Stir gently until the ingredients are well combined.
5. Return the pan to the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring once.
6. Thoroughly stir the shrimp mixture and let it rest for 1 minute on a wire rack. (This is so the shrimp cooks in the residual heat rather than getting overcooked and rubbery.)
7. Stir once more, sprinkle with additional chopped fresh basil, and serve.