Shop
My
Custom
FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook
GET IT NOW- Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make Salmon Bites In The Air Fryer
- How Long To Cook Salmon Bites In The Air Fryer?
- Tips For The Best Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Flavor Variations
- Storage Instructions
- What To Serve With Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- More Of My Favorite Salmon Recipes
- My Favorite Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Salmon Bites Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
Whether I’m rushed for dinner on a weeknight or want something easy to impress guests, my go-to choice is always something from my collection of air fryer recipes. And these air fryer salmon bites? They might be my fastest and tastiest creation yet. Not only are they quick and simple to make, but the sweet flavors and moist, flaky texture taste even better than regular air fryer salmon fillets.
These are a fun way to start a party, but I also make these salmon bites in the air fryer when I’m simply too busy for a lengthy dinner — which is often. Every bite is pure bliss, and you’d never guess they took just 10 minutes!
Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Moist and flaky inside with crispy edges
- Sweet and savory honey garlic flavors
- Simple ingredients
- Easy – just dice, marinate, and air fry!
- On the table in only 10 minutes
- Less mess than the stovetop and faster than the oven
- Great as a healthy appetizer or even dinner
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for air fried salmon bites, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Salmon – This recipe for air fryer salmon bites works with all kinds of salmon — king salmon, pink salmon, Atlantic salmon, sockeye salmon… you name it. It doesn’t matter if you get individual salmon fillets or one large piece (like I did), since we’ll be dicing it either way. If you want to make bites with another protein, try my garlic butter steak bites or chicken bites.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
- Honey – I prefer natural sugar-free honey, but regular honey works just as well. (I’ve tried both!)
- Coconut Aminos – This is my favorite soy sauce substitute for a combination of sweet and umami flavors. You can easily substitute low-sodium soy sauce or tamari if you like.
- Olive Oil – Avocado oil also works fine.
- Spices – A blend of smoked paprika, garlic powder, and warm ground ginger. Feel free to customize the spices to your liking.
How To Make Salmon Bites In The Air Fryer
This section shows how to make this air fryer salmon bites recipe, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Dice the salmon. Cut into strips, then slice in the opposite direction to make uniform 1-inch cubes.
- Make the marinade. In a large bowl, whisk together the honey, coconut aminos, olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, ground ginger, salt, and pepper.
- Marinate the fish. Add the salmon cubes to the bowl and mix well to coat. Marinate for up to an hour.
- Air fry. After preheating, place the seasoned salmon bites in the air fryer basket in a single layer, with some spaces between most of them. Cook until cooked through (see tips below).
How Long To Cook Salmon Bites In The Air Fryer?
Air fry salmon bites for 5-7 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 135-140 degrees F for moist, flaky salmon or 145 degrees F for more firm salmon.
Tips For The Best Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Don’t crowd the basket. Otherwise, the pieces won’t cook evenly. Work in batches if they don’t all fit into the air fryer basket.
- No need to flip. Air fryer salmon bites are pretty fragile and can fall apart when you try to flip them. It’s better to just leave them alone and avoid flipping, so this is where it’s important to have spaces between them to allow for air circulation (see tip above).
- Avoid overcooking. For a perfectly flaky, moist inside and crispy outside, aim for an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees F. The temp will rise a little more from residual heat after you remove them from the basket.
Flavor Variations
The honey garlic flavors in these little air fryer salmon nuggets are my absolute fave, but you can easily switch up the flavor with different marinade options. Here are some ideas:
- Lemon Garlic Butter – Season with olive oil, lemon juice (you can also add zest), paprika, salt, and pepper. Air fry, then toss in melted compound butter. Simply irresistible!
- Teriyaki – Use 1/4 cup of your favorite teriyaki sauce to marinate the salmon bites.
- Maple – Just use my homemade salmon marinade!
- Blackened – Like a faster version of blackened salmon! Omit the spices, honey, and coconut aminos. Instead, combine 2 tablespoons of blackened seasoning with olive oil to coat the salmon bites with a bold smoky flavor.
- Cajun – Give your air fryer salmon bites a Southern kick by tossing them in a mix of 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning and olive oil.
- Jerk – For a Caribbean flair (similar to jerk salmon), marinate with 2 tablespoons of jerk seasoning blended with olive oil.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Stack leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Meal prep: You can cut the salmon and make the marinade ahead of time. Store separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I don’t recommend marinating for an extended period of time, as the salmon will turn mushy.
- Reheat: The best way is to reheat salmon bites in the air fryer at 300 degrees F (or the lowest temperature that your air fryer allows) for about 2 minutes. Since they are already crispy and golden, higher temperatures tend to burn the outside. Watch carefully to avoid drying out.
- Freeze: Place air fryer salmon bites in a freezer bag and store in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Salmon Bites
These salmon bites work both as an appetizer and a light main dish if you pair them with the right sides. Here are a few ideas for serving them:
- Veggies – Keep it simple with roasted vegetables, like broccoli or asparagus. You can also make your entire meal in the same appliance — try air fryer cauliflower or air fryer zucchini.
- Salad – Serve the salmon bites over a leafy kale salad, sweet mandarin orange salad, or filling sweet potato salad for a complete meal.
- Rice – For a satisfying meal, serve with a side of fluffy white rice or cauliflower rice. My personal fave way to use air fryer salmon bites is in a salmon bowl!
- Surf & Turf – Sometimes when I want a mini surf & turf appetizer or meal, I like to pair these salmon bites with sirloin steak tips.
- Dipping Sauces – Honestly, the honey marinade is so flavorful that you don’t need a sauce! But if you make one of the variations above, a sauce might be a nice addition. Try a drizzle of spicy mayo or dunk in garlic aioli.
More Of My Favorite Salmon Recipes
My Favorite Air Fryer
This air fryer hasn’t failed me yet! The basket is nice and roomy, and the non-stick surface has lasted well for years. Highly recommend it!
Air Fryer Salmon Bites
The best air fryer salmon bites — moist and flaky inside, crispy outside, and irresistible honey garlic flavor! Make them in just 10 minutes.
Remove Ads
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
-
In a large bowl, whisk together the honey, coconut aminos, olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, ground ginger (if using), salt, and pepper.
-
Add the salmon pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Marinate for 5-10 minutes, or up to 1 hour if you have time. When time is up, turn the salmon pieces in the marinade again to coat well.
-
Meanwhile, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
-
Place the salmon bites in the air fryer basket in a single layer, with some spaces between most of them. (Do not crowd the basket. If they don’t all fit, cook in batches.) Air fry for 5-7 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 135-140 degrees F (57-60 degrees C).
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 8 salmon bites
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Healthy Air Fryer Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
Try More Of My Recipes
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Air Fryer Salmon Bites
47 Comments
Dottie Bacon
0I made this with skin on, thinner salmon fillets. I trimmed the very thin edges off, and air fried it at 375. They were done pretty quickly, and they were amazing! I will look for thicker fillets next time. 😉 I didn’t have parsley on hand, so I used some green onion tops. As usual, another keeper of a recipe! So easy, tasty, keto, and healthy! Thank you for your fantastic recipes!
Wholesome Yum D
0Dottie, thank you for the kind words! I’m so glad the thinner fillets still worked out, sounds like you made it your own in the best way. Love that you’re finding go-to healthy recipes here!
Winifred Thacker
0Whole family approved, easy and delicious.
Wholesome Yum D
0Winifred, thank you for sharing this! Easy, family-approved dinners are always the best kind.
Sheila Crawford
0Such an easy, quick way to make salmon. It was delicious! Even my husband, who is very selective about his salmon, loved it!
Wholesome Yum D
0Sheila, I love that you found it quick and delicious! Even better that your husband enjoyed it too… that’s a big win!
Carol Neufeld
0My question is a generic one. My air fryer is in my oven-broiler (not a basket, like in normal air fryers). I set the broiler on ‘bake, 350°’….then when it reaches 350 I change the setting to ‘air fry’. Will that work? A photograph of my air fryer cannot be uploaded.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carol, This should work but I’m not sure if the timing would be exactly the same. Since an oven is a lot bigger than a basket-style air fryer, this changes how the air flow works. I think you should absolutely try it, I would just check on doneness in case you need to adjust the time. Let me know how it goes!
Grace
0I Love this recipe!
Wholesome Yum D
0Grace, I’m so happy you love it! Thanks for taking the time to share that with me.
Carol
0Oh my goodness this recipe is a winner! The marinade is delicious, flavorful and so easy to make, which I appreciate. I did mine in batches in my air fryer, but next time, I may grill them. My husband thought they were amazing, too.
Wholesome Yum D
0Carol, that sounds amazing! Love that the marinade worked so well in the air fryer. So happy your husband enjoyed them!
Jaime
0Oh. My. GOODNESS! I just made these bites for dinner this evening, and let me tell you…they were delicious! My whole family loved them and wanted seconds. The marinade is so good, a little sweet, a little spicy with the paprika…but not so much so that kids will turn their noses up. Everyone gobbled these up in no time! I served them with Asian-style stir fry veggies and it was perfect together. Will be making these again!
Wholesome Yum D
0Jaime, I love this! Sounds like these bites were a total crowd-pleaser at your house. Sweet and spicy, but still kid-friendly is such a win.
Hugo
0Taste very good, easy to cook, I like it, good one, keep them coming.
Wholesome Yum D
0Thanks, Hugo! I’m happy you liked it and I’ll definitely keep the recipes coming your way!
Cindy Vandemoortel
0Love all of your recipes! I get your honey at Sprouts! 👍👍👏👏
Wholesome Yum D
0That makes me so happy to hear, Cindy! Love that you’re enjoying the recipes and even found my honey at Sprouts.
Meredith
0We loved this recipe. Not great salmon fans but think we’ve been converted.
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Meredith! That’s such a win when a recipe can turn someone into a salmon fan! 🙂
Michelle R Morton
0Hoping to try this recipe and maybe it will make me like salmon! I am very intrigued by the bites!
Fitzroy Williams
0I love this recipe! It was so easy to make and the results were amazing. Very delicious and flavorful. If you love Salmon I highly recommend you try this.
Wholesome Yum D
0That makes me so happy to hear, Fitzroy! I love that you found it easy and delicious and you’re right, it’s definitely a must-try for salmon lovers.
Tammy L Cagle
0I love this so much, it’s easy to make and tastes great. Thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0You are so welcome, Tammy! Enjoy!
Darlene
0This is an awesome recipe!! I like to take the leftover marinade or make a little extra and mix in with rice and veggies. One of my favorite recipes!!
Deanna
0I made this but used a farm raised salmon the marinade was tasty but unfortunately the salmon had a gamy taste. Definitely want to try it with a wild caught salmon. Wonder how it would taste on chicken? Loved how quick it was to cook.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Deanna, I have never tried it but I think this marinade would also work for chicken.
Aubrey Smith
0Super easy and delicious! My husband really enjoyed this different way to prep salmon! I wanted to pre-prep so I marinated in morning for hour, then drained extra marinade, but kept salmon in fridge. This probably made for stronger taste, but we both really liked it! I did not use quite as much sweetener.
Lee
0First time making salmon bites. They were at hit! Didn’t have honey, used monk fruit sweetener instead. Youngest to the oldest enjoyed this recipe!
Jennifer Burris
0We tried this recipe last night. The salmon bites came out perfectly cooked, but we found them to be too sweet for our taste. I would definitely try it again using one of the variations for marinade/seasoning though!
Jayne Howe
0Recipe looks interesting. Do you skin the salmon or cut through the skin! I am not a fan of the salmon skin.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jayne, I leave the skin on when my fish has it because it gets crispy and so delicious, but you can remove it if you like or just buy skinless salmon.
Suzanne
0Hi! I was wondering the same. Do you remove it before cooking? I know with certain preparations it comes off easily when cooked. Thank you! Can’t wait to try these tonight in your bowl recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Suzanne, I clarified my previous answer, but yes, the skin is pretty easy to remove after cooking too if you prefer that way. Please let me know how yours turned out!
Steph
0This looks amazing. Could you give a baking time and temp for the good old oven?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Steph, I don’t for this exact recipe, but usually it’s approximately double the air fryer time. I would check a bit sooner than that just in case.
Margaret
0This is probably a stupid question, but I have never cooked salmon except over charcoal. Where I get my salmon, it has skin still on. Is there a way to easily remove the skin so I can make this recipe? I tried to remove it with a knife before dicing the fish and it was a butchered mess. Thank you !
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Margaret, If you want you can leave the skin or if you want to remove it you will need a very sharp knife to remove the skin.
Sal
0This was my first attempt at making salmon in the air fryer and, holy cow, I’m never going back! The fish was perfectly cooked with an amazing texture and we all loved the seasoning. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Melissa
0I had never thought to do salmon in the instant pot! What a fantastic idea!
Kristyn
0Yes, please!! These are incredible!! Salmon is my favorite! These will be a hit at any gathering! So much flavor in every bite!
Milan
0First time trying salmon in the air fryer, and I’m honestly amazed! The bites were moist and crispy, and the honey garlic glaze is so delish. But the real deal breaker for me is the quick cook time!
Trina
0I made this for lunch and it was delicious. Love the addition of honey giving it a sweet taste with every bite. Even my two year old loves it plus this was really easy to make.
Lianne
0I love salmon for dinner and sometimes I find no time to make it due to being tired from work, so glad I have discovered this – yummy dinner in just few minutes!
Tina
0I love the flavor the smoked paprika added! These bites were so easy and I’ll definitely be making them again. Even my son loved them!
Jane
0Just got myself a new air fryer and without a second thought tried this recipe for dinner. Just can’t get over with the flavors! Aside from the fact that it’s so easy to cook, it’s absolutely delicious. I’m still new to cooking, and this recipe is now at the top of my favorites list.