Air Fryer Salmon
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Use this easy recipe for Air Fryer Salmon to make the most tender and flavorful salmon ever! This simple recipe is healthy, gluten free, and easy to make in just 10 minutes. Better than any salmon dish at a restaurant, this is guaranteed to be your new favorite way to cook salmon fillets!
Table of contents
I am convinced that the air fryer is a magical appliance that can cook anything perfectly! After making air fryer salmon, I don’t know that I’ll ever turn my oven on to cook salmon again. It’s seriously the best way to cook salmon and it only takes 7 minutes!
This is one of my new favorite easy weeknight meals. It checks all of the boxes. It’s quick, easy, and healthy, truly a winning combination! This recipe is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, and it’s keto friendly.
Salmon is full of Omega-3 fatty acids, making it a great healthy protein. Using my simple salmon seasoning gives the taste of the salmon so much flavor. You can pair it with a side salad, an air fryer side dish, or roasted veggie, for a complete meal that’s simple and healthy!
Ingredients
- Salmon – for this recipe you’ll want a little over one pound of salmon, sliced into filets. You can make this recipe with two larger filets, around 8-10 ounces each, or four smaller filets, around 4-6 ounces each.
- Olive oil – or your favorite vegetable oil.
- Salmon seasoning – click the link for my simple salmon rub recipe. It combines 8 herbs and spices into the perfect seasoning for salmon. It’s made with mostly pantry staples, like salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder, and can be made ahead of time and stored in the pantry for up to 6 months.
Instructions
- Season the salmon. Rub the flesh of the salmon filets with olive oil, then sprinkle the salmon seasoning on all sides.
- Air fry the salmon. Preheat an air fryer to 400°F. Place the salmon, skin side down in an air fryer basket and cook for 7 minutes. To make clean-up easier, you can line the air fryer basket with a parchment paper liner before adding the salmon. Use a large flat spatula to remove the salmon from the air fryer for serving.
Store any leftover salmon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I prefer not to reheat seafood, so I like to eat leftovers cold on top of a salad, or as part of a grain bowl.
Recipe tips
- If the thickest part of your salmon is less than 1 inch thick, reduce the cooking time down to 5 minutes.
- Salmon should be cooked to an internal temperature of 110°F (for rare) to 145°F (for well done). Remember that the salmon will continue to cook after you remove it from the air fryer. I recommend removing the salmon when it reaches 5-10 degrees under your desired temperature. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, use a fork to test when the salmon is cooked. If the salmon easily flakes with a fork, it’s done and ready to eat.
- Do not flip the salmon while it’s in the air fryer. Salmon is a very delicate piece of fish and you risk it falling apart if you try to flip it in the air fryer. The great thing about using an air fryer to cook the salmon is that the air circulates around the salmon and cooks it evenly on all sides.
- You do not need to remove the skin on the salmon before cooking it. And I actually don’t recommend it. The skin will keep the salmon moist as it cooks in the air fryer. The salmon’s flesh will easily peel away from the skin after you cook it. After eating the salmon, you can discard the leftover salmon skin.
- Always try to purchase salmon filets that are similar in size. If one piece of salmon is much smaller than the others, you might have to adjust the cooking time for that piece of salmon so that it doesn’t overcook.
- Make sure that the salmon is not touching in the air fryer. You need space around each piece of salmon for the air to circulate and cook the salmon evenly. If all of the salmon does not fit inside the air fryer basket without touching, you’ll have to cook it in batches. My 5.8 quart air fryer will fit two large salmon fillets, or four small fillets.
- You can switch up the seasoning on the salmon, by replacing the salmon seasoning with cajun seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, Italian seasoning, or blackened seasoning.
Make it with frozen salmon
You can make this recipe with frozen salmon. To do so you’ll want to start cooking the salmon at a lower temperature. This will ensure that the salmon cooks all the way through, without burning on the outside.
You’ll also want to season the salmon midway through the cooking time. This will ensure that the seasoning sticks to the salmon, which is hard to do on a frozen piece of salmon.
To make this recipe with frozen salmon, preheat an air fryer to 350°F. Air fry for 5 minutes, then brush the salmon with olive oil and sprinkle the salmon seasoning evenly over the salmon. Continue to air fry the salmon for 6-10 minutes at 400°F.
The time will vary based on how thick the piece of salmon is that you’re using, and the internal temperature that you want to cook the salmon to.
What to serve with it
While the salmon is in the air fryer, you can roast or steam vegetables to go on the side, or prepare a salad to serve with the fish. You can also prepare a side dish in the air fryer before cooking the salmon, then just toss it back in the air fryer to heat it up for 1 minute after cooking the salmon.
You can’t go wrong with any of these delicious side dishes to pair with this tasty air fryer salmon recipe!
- Roasted Cauliflower (pictured above)
- Steamed Broccoli
- Steamed Cabbage
- Smashed Broccoli
- Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes
- Baked Sweet Potatoes (oven, air fryer or microwave)
- Grilled Caesar Salad
- Italian Salad
- Blue Cheese Salad
- White Rice (stovetop, Instant Pot, or rice cooker)
- Cauliflower Rice
More seafood recipes
At least two servings of fish are recommend each week. Never run out of delicious ideas by adding these scrumptious seafood recipes to your weekly menu!
Air Fryer Salmon
Ingredients
- 20 ounces salmon filets, two large 10 ounce fillets, or four small 5 ounce fillets
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salmon seasoning, click link for the recipe
Instructions
- Preheat an air fryer to 400°F.
- Rub the salmon filets with olive oil, then coat in the salmon seasoning.
- Place the salmon, skin side down, in the air fryer and cook for 7 minutes.
Notes
- Store any leftover salmon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- If the thickest part of your salmon is less than 1 inch thick, reduce the cooking time down to 5 minutes.
- Salmon should be cooked to an internal temperature of 110°F (for rare) to 145°F (for well done). Remember that the salmon will continue to cook after you remove it from the air fryer. I recommend removing the salmon when it reaches 5-10 degrees under your desired temperature. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, use a fork to test when the salmon is cooked. If the salmon easily flakes with a fork, it’s done and ready to eat.
- Do not flip the salmon while it’s in the air fryer. Salmon is a very delicate piece of fish and you risk it falling apart if you try to flip it in the air fryer. The great thing about using an air fryer to cook the salmon is that the air circulates around the salmon and cooks it evenly on all sides.
- You do not need to remove the skin on the salmon before cooking it. And I actually don’t recommend it. The skin will keep the salmon moist as it cooks in the air fryer. The salmon’s flesh will easily peel away from the skin after you cook it. After eating the salmon, you can discard the leftover salmon skin.
- Always try to purchase salmon filets that are similar in size. If one piece of salmon is much smaller than the others, you might have to adjust the cooking time for that piece of salmon so that it doesn’t overcook.
- Make sure that the salmon is not touching in the air fryer. You need space around each piece of salmon for the air to circulate and cook the salmon evenly. If all of the salmon does not fit inside the air fryer basket without touching, you’ll have to cook it in batches.
Nutrition Facts
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