Ready in less than 20 minutes, this Air Fryer Salmon recipe is a tasty and easy way to cook salmon. The exterior is crisp but the inside is moist, flaky, and tender. Even better, this salmon recipe is gluten-free, keto-friendly, low-carb, and whole30 friendly. It’s the perfect recipe for any occasion.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy recipe that everyone will love, you’ll want to make this tasty air fryer salmon recipe for dinner. The salmon comes out tender, moist, and perfectly cooked every time. But if you don’t have an air fryer, try to make this how to bake salmon or this broiled salmon recipe.
Thanks to the air fryer, the exterior of the salmon fillet is browned and crisp without having to sear it in a pan. The salmon comes out beautifully every time. This salmon recipe is insanely easy to make, you’ll want to make it every night! All you need to do is season the fillets, transfer them to the air fryer, and cook it. That’s it!
I am truly obsessed with my air fryer and if you’ve just bought one, you’re going to want to try these air fryer recipes a as well as my Air Fryer Asparagus, Air Fryer Bacon, Air Fryer Chicken Breasts, Air Fryer Chicken Wings, and Air Fryer Potato Wedges. All these dishes are very easy to make and quick too.
How to Make Air Fryer Salmon
Ingredients
- Salmon filets — you can use skin-on or skinless salmon fillets. Salmon with the skin-on hold together better but as long as you’re gentle in transferring the fillets, it’ll be okay! Wild-caught salmon varieties such as coho, sockeye, or king salmon are great options if you can find them. The protein is packed full of Omega-3 fatty acids and other nutritional benefits.
- Olive oil — you can also use avocado oil if you prefer.
- Seasoning — I season my air fryer salmon with salt and pepper (to taste), garlic powder, paprika, and dried oregano. You can also replace all the spices for cajun seasoning.
Instructions
Prepare Everything
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Pour olive oil over the salmon fillets.
- Sprinkle each fillet with the mixture of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and dried oregano.
- Place the seasoned salmon in the air fryer basket (skin side down), and air fry for 7-9 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the salmon. If you prefer, just spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and then place your salmon. I don’t do it every time, but when I have a cooking spray on hand, I do it.
- Check for doneness before serving. When it’s time to serve your air fried salmon, squeeze some lemon juice lemon juice over the fish to add an extra delicious citric flavor. You can also sprinkle some chopped fresh herb on top of the air fried salmon like thyme or parsley.
Recipe tips
- Pat the salmon fillets with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture. This helps the olive oil and seasoning stick better to the salmon. You also don’t want excessive moisture on the salmon as it can cause the salmon to steam in the air fryer.
- Try to buy or cut the salmon into similar sizes so they cook evenly. If they are different in sizing or thickness, you will have to remove the smaller fillets from the air fryer first, so they do not overcook.
- Preheating the air fryer allows the salmon to cook more evenly.
- The hot air that circulates inside of the air fryer is what makes the exterior of the salmon crispy. Try to make sure there’s some space between each fillet so the hot air can reach it.
How to Store and Reheat Air Fried Salmon
- Storage instructions — Transfer leftover air fryer salmon to an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or, portion them out into meal prep containers to have for lunches throughout the week.
- Freezer — You can freeze cooked salmon by placing completely cooled salmon in an airtight freezer-friendly container or freezer-safe bags. Freeze for up to 4 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheating — You can reheat air fried salmon in the microwave. Add a splash of water to the salmon if you’re worried it will dry out. You can also reheat salmon in the air fryer or in the oven.
More Salmon Recipes to try
Using Leftovers
If you have leftovers from this air fryer salmon recipe and want to change things up, here are some ways to enjoy the salmon:
- salmon pasta: roughly chop up the leftover salmon fillet and add it to a pasta.
- salmon salad: break up the salmon with a fork and toss it in a leafy salad or greek salad. This Salmon Chopped Salad is also really good. You can also verve it with veggie a side.
- salmon fried rice: break up the salmon or roughly chop it and toss it in some fried rice.
- salmon patties: These patties are delicious and easy to make, give it a try this weekend!
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no need to flip the salmon fillets in the air fryer.
The FDA states that once the salmon has reached an internal temperature of 145°F at its thickest part of the salmon, it is fully cooked. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you can check when your salmon is fully cooked, by using a fork to check if the fillet flakes apart easily.
You sure can! A cheaper alternative to fresh wild-caught salmon is purchasing frozen salmon. Most seafood is flash-frozen, meaning that it is frozen at its prime peak of freshness, meaning frozen salmon is just as fresh as fresh salmon! All you have to do is thaw it overnight in the fridge.
If you forgot to take out the salmon, place the frozen salmon in a sealed bag and place it in a bowl of cold water to quickly thaw. Change the water every 30 minutes to keep it cold. I prefer air frying salmon when thawed as frozen salmon will take longer to cook and you might overcook it.
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Air Fryer Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Pour olive oil over the salmon fillets. Then, rub each fillet with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika and oregano.
- Place the salmon in the basket of the air fryer and air fry for 7-9 minutes, depending on this thickness of the salmon*.
- When timer goes off, open basket and check fillets with a fork to make sure they are cooked through, and they’re done to your desired doneness.
Tips
- Patting the salmon fillets with a paper towel will help absorb any excess moisture so the oil and seasoning stick better.
- Do not pack the salmon tightly inside the air fryer.
- Buy fillets uniform in size.
- To store: Put leftover salmon into an airtight glass container and keep for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Rewarm leftovers in the microwave or air fryer.
- To freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe bag once the salmon fillets have reached room temperature. Freeze for up to 4 months.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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