Air-Fryer Bell Pepper Shrimp

The honest case for the air fryer is in the dishes where the alternative would be a hot pan, a splatter screen, and a stove top that needs wiping down afterward. Shrimp is exactly that dish. Sautéed shrimp is great, but it's a five-minute operation that demands your full attention and produces a kitchen that smells like seafood for the rest of the evening. This is the opposite. You toss everything in a bowl, dump it in the basket, set a timer, and walk away to wash the rice cooker.

The vegetables here are the structural part. Red bell pepper holds its shape and adds sweetness; yellow onion melts down to something caramelized at the edges. Together they're the cushion that catches all the spice — chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic, a tap of cayenne if you want a little burn. The shrimp pick up that spice and don't overcook because the air fryer is fast enough to pull them out before they go from snappy to rubbery.

Lime at the end is non-negotiable. The whole thing is built around that final squeeze. Cilantro if you have it, parsley if you don't. Brown rice underneath because the oils need somewhere to go and a tortilla isn't big enough.