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.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy recipe that everyone will love also try my Air Fryer Trout recipe.
But if you don’t have an air fryer, try to make this how to bake salmon, salmon steak or this broiled salmon recipe.
The air fryer browns and crisps the exterior of the salmon fillet without needing to sear it in a pan.
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.
I love my air fryer. If you have one, try making these air fryer recipes too: Air Fryer Asparagus, Air fryer Chicken Thighs and Potato Wedges.
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.
- 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 or any other seasoning blend you prefer.
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 size or the thickness of the salmon. If you prefer, just spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and then place your salmon. You can also use parchment paper.
- Check for doneness before serving. When serving air fried salmon, add lemon juice for 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 the fillets are different sizes or thicknesses, remove the smaller ones from the air fryer first. This will prevent them from overcooking.
- 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 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 — I like to place 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 it 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 so 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
No need to flip the salmon fillets in the air fryer.
The FDA states that salmon reaches full cooking when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F at the thickest part of the salmon. I like to use a meat thermometer, but you can also use a fork to see if the fillet flakes easily.
A cheaper alternative to fresh wild-caught salmon is purchasing frozen salmon. Seafood is often flash-frozen at its freshest point, so 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.
Try More Air fryer Recipes
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Air Fryer Salmon Recipe
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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 air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook for 7-9 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon*. If you have smaller salmon fillets, it will cook faster.
- When the timer beeps, open the basket and use a fork to check if the fillets are cooked. Cook until they reach your preferred level of doneness.
Tips
- Pat dry salmon fillets with a paper towel to help oil and seasoning stick better by absorbing excess moisture.
- Do not pack the salmon tightly inside the air fryer.
- Buy fillets uniform in size.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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