Spray the basket of a 3.5-quart air fryer with cooking spray and set it aside. Pat the shrimp dry between a couple of paper towels, then season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
Whisk the flour with ½ teaspoon salt and few grinds of pepper and ½ teaspoon paprika in a shallow bowl or baking dish. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk with a pinch of salt in another shallow bowl. Add the panko to a third shallow bowl.
Dip a shrimp in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
Then dip in the beaten eggs.
Dredge in the panko, turning until evenly coated. Transfer to a large plate or a rimmed baking sheet and repeat with the remaining shrimp.
Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F. Working in batches, place some of the shrimp in a single layer in the fryer basket, then spray lightly with more cooking spray. Cook for 3 minutes until the shrimp are golden brown. Open your air fryer, flip the shrimp halfway through, and cook another 3 minutes or until golden brown, and breading crisps up.
Serve with preferred shrimp sauce or try this delicious sweet and spicy homemade Chipotle sauce.
