Air Fryer Frozen Scampi & Chips

You will fall in love at first bite with these delicious air fryer frozen scampi and chips. Never soggy, always crispy, and easy to recreate the pub classic at home.

If you love scampi and chips and want a quick air fryer dinner, then it doesn’t get any more delicious than this!

Air Fryer Scampi And Chips

OMG scampi and chips, you say?

Talk about taking me back to my old British pub meals. The meals were never that great and it was more about being cheap and cheerful.

But I still loved it and it was always about the amazing atmosphere that you got with being down the pub.

I can also credit the fact that I met my husband down the pub, my mum and dad met down the pub and so did my grandparents. So, it’s certainly a place to go for true love!

I always remember though that there was a huge amount of traditional meals.

There would always be scampi and chips, fish and chips, steak and ale pie, lasagne or even liver and onions on the menu.

There would also be a large dessert menu too with everything served with warm custard. You would then get a meal for a fiver and be proud of what you got for your money.

Quite often one of us would be having scampi and chips. Those little deep fried fish bites served with fresh lemon and chips was always a favourite for many people.

Dom would be watching the football while I was next door with Kyle having fun kids time.

He was about 5 back then. After Kyle had finished playing in the soft play, we would meet up together and have a delicious pub meal.

It was bliss.

Now he is an adult it is nice to reminise about when he was little and how much of the scampi and chips Kyle would eat.

What is Scampi Made Of?

With £50 million worth of scampi being sold every year in Britain it’s no surprise that so many people search every day on the internet to find out what is in it.

It should be either langoustine, langoustine tails or Irish king prawns which are all the smaller cousin of the lobster.

But in reality, you’re more likely to find pangasius catfish which is mass produced in Vietnam and in Thailand.

There is often as little as 7% of actual langoustines in scampi that is served in British pubs. The rest if made up of this Asian catfish and mass amounts of water. It is then breaded so that you don’t know any different.

Many scampi products served in pubs or purchased from supermarkets have more water than actual fish.

Though I am not here to lecture you about frozen food. After all, many of us eat the stuff in the air fryer because it is less calories than deep fried.

Just like others love to live processed foods free and make their own. The beauty of our air fryer scampi and chips recipe is that we are showing you both.

Order The Complete Air Fryer Cooking Guide

What Is Scampi & Chips?

Scampi and chips are a popular British food classic. It involves breaded fish that is similar to popcorn shrimp that you have in the US.

Because the Brits call fries’ “chips” it is known as scampi and chips. It is nothing like the American food shrimp scampi though.

Can You Cook Scampi In An Air Fryer?

Yes, you can. Plus, it will be just like the pub scampi and chips that you would have at Wetherspoons or at Harry Ramsdens.

BUT it will be much lower in calories because you would be cooking your frozen scampi in the air fryer, rather than the deep fat fryer.

Can You Cook Frozen Scampi & Chips In An Air Fryer?

Yes, you can air fry frozen scampi and chips together in the air fryer and its perfect for a quick air fryer dinner without much effort.

If you also love your scampi and chips with some garden peas you can add some from a can (or frozen) to a ramekin with a little butter and then add this to the air fryer for the last 4 minutes and then have scampi, chips and peas.

Scampi & Chips Air Fryer Ingredients

Scampi – Any frozen breaded scampi is perfect in the air fryer. But we have found that the better-quality scampi is the best and tastes better. But go with what you can afford.

Chips – Remember scampi needs its chips. You can use any frozen chips in the air fryer for this recipe, but we prefer to use frozen chunky chips. It reminds us more of the pub meal deals, but also for its similar cooking time. 

Optional – You can also add to a ramekin some frozen peas, or sweetcorn, a mix of both or even some mushy peas.

Listen To Air Fryer Scampi and Chips

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Can You Recommend An Air Fryer?

I often get asked which air fryers I recommend and which one I use. In 95% of our air fryer recipes, we use either the Philips Air Fryer XL or the Cosori XL because they are the best ones, we have found out of many air fryers we have tried over the years. You can click on the links above and read up on them. But if you would rather have a dual air fryer we recommend this Ninja Dual (make sure you order the right one as not all are good) or the Philips Dual.

How To Cook Scampi In Air Fryer?

• Load. Start by adding the frozen chips to the air fryer and spreading them out. Air fry the chips for 13 minutes at 180c/360f.
• Shake. Next shake the chips and add the frozen scampi over the chips.
• Cook. You’re now ready to cook the frozen scampi in air fryer with the chips. Air fry for another 8 minutes at the same temperature.

Now that is how simple it is cooking scampi and chips in air fryer and now it’s your turn.

How Long To Cook Frozen Scampi In An Air Fryer?

This is when the scampi cooking time gets interesting. Scampi from frozen takes JUST 8 minutes and steak style chips take 21 minutes. The easiest way to success is of course to give the chips a head start.

Though it still sounds fabulous to say that scampi and chips together is ready in less than 25 minutes.

Sam & Doms Top Tips For Success

Scampi is best when its really crispy and by adding the scampi last and over the chips means its like a super hot air fryer that it is entering and really makes a big difference.

Plus, if you love meals with chips also try: air fryer sausage and chips, air fryer fish fingers and chips, air fryer gammon and chips or everyones favourite air fryer fish and chips.

Learn all about frozen scampi in air fryer below, note you can print it out with or without photos, adjust servings, or click between metric and imperial depending on where you are in the world.

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