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Get It Now- Why You’ll Love My Air Fryer Salmon Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Cook Salmon In The Air Fryer
- Tips For Best Results
- How Long To Cook Salmon In The Air Fryer?
- Storage Instructions
- Serving Suggestions
- More Air Fryer Recipes For Dinner
- My Favorite Tools For This Recipe
- Air Fryer Salmon (Perfect In 10 Minutes!) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
This air fryer salmon recipe is the fastest way to cook salmon — it takes just 10 minutes including the prep time and the cook time! While I regularly make my recipes for baked salmon, grilled salmon, and pan seared salmon, cooking salmon in the air fryer is faster and more foolproof than all of these. That’s why it has been my go-to method ever since I tried it years ago. If this fish is a staple at your house like it is in mine, make this version and you just might never look back.
Why You’ll Love My Air Fryer Salmon Recipe
- Moist, flaky, and tender – I make this recipe several times a month, that’s how good it is (and that’s saying a lot for someone who develops recipes for a living, ha!) Sometimes I change it up with air fryer tilapia or air fryer cod, but the premise is the same: The air fryer locks the moisture in fish so well!
- Simply seasoned – The seasoning blend I use relies on basic ingredients (read: you probably have them on hand!), but it makes each bite pop with flavor. If you like something a little more sweet and bite-sized, you can easily transform it into honey glazed air fryer salmon bites!
- Ready in no time – No excuse not to have a healthy dinner if you have salmon on hand! My air fryer salmon recipe takes just 10 minutes start to finish… much faster than the oven. It has saved me on so many busy weeknights.
- Healthy and satisfying – This recipe is naturally gluten-free and packed with protein.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for air frying salmon, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Salmon – I usually buy a large fillet and cut it crosswise into narrow, 5-6-ounce strips, as shown in the picture below. You can also just buy the fillets already pre-cut. I prefer to use wild-caught salmon with skin (and the air fryer makes the best crispy skin!), but you can use any type of salmon that you prefer.
- Olive Oil – For brushing over the salmon. Avocado oil also works.
- Lemon Juice – Use fresh lemon juice for best flavor, or bottled for convenience.
- Spices – My simple blend is garlic powder, paprika (or sometimes I use smoked paprika), sea salt, and black pepper. If you like a kick, you can change it up and use Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, or jerk seasoning. (I do this for date nights if my kids won’t be joining us — they can’t handle the heat yet.) Prefer something more sweet? You’ll love my maple salmon marinade, which leaves a little glaze on top of the air fryer salmon after cooking.
How To Cook Salmon In The Air Fryer
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Prep the salmon. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. This will help form that beautiful golden exterior during cooking — and crispy skin if your fish has skin.
- Make the oil mixture. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice.
- Season. Brush the oil mixture over both sides of the salmon. Sprinkle both sides with the garlic powder, sea salt, paprika, and black pepper.
- Air fry. Arrange the salmon fillets in the air fryer basket, skin side down, ensuring that there is space between the pieces. Air fry until the fish reaches your desired doneness — see my tips and time recommendations below.
Tips For Best Results
- Get salmon fillets that are uniform in size. That way, they cook at the same rate. Also, I found that narrow (5-6-ounce) fillets will cook more evenly (and more quickly!) than large pieces.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. Leave space between the salmon fillets in the air fryer basket, so that air can fully circulate around the fish. Again, this ensures even cooking. Cook in batches if they don’t all fit at once, but in my air fryer, four fillets fit just fine.
- Test internal temperature with a thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the fish to measure. I highly recommend 130-135 degrees F for buttery, flaky salmon that isn’t dry. If you don’t have a thermometer, the fish should be opaque and flake easily with a fork, but don’t cook it for so long that it turns almost white.
- You can cook from frozen. I love this shortcut when I forget to thaw the salmon! I don’t normally recommend cooking fish from frozen, but it actually works beautifully with the air fryer. Cook for 5 minutes first to thaw, then season and proceed with the recipe as usual.
How Long To Cook Salmon In The Air Fryer?
Air fryer salmon cook time will vary depending on fillet size and how done you want it, but in general, individual fillets will take about 6-10 minutes. Cook to 125-130 degrees F for medium rare, 130-135 degrees F for medium, or 140-145 degrees for well done. My air fryer, which nicely fits four fillets as pictured above, takes 6 minutes for a perfect (in my opinion) medium doneness.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftover salmon in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. I usually repurpose the leftovers for another dish for variety — see ideas below!
- Reheat: It’s probably no surprise that reheating salmon in the air fryer is the best way to do so. The key is to use a lower temperature than you did for cooking it initially, otherwise it browns too much. Just a couple of minutes at 350 degrees F is perfect. I don’t recommend the microwave, as it dries out the fish, but it works okay in a pinch.
- Freeze: Store the salmon in an airtight container or zip lock bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. However, like most fish recipes, it tastes best fresh.
Leftover Ideas:
There are so many ways to repurpose leftover salmon. I make a salmon bowl or a creamy salmon salad most often because… hello, ways to use up leftover veggies, too! It’s also yummy as a swap for chicken in a Cobb salad, stirred into fried rice, or mixed into pasta or zoodles with Alfredo sauce.
Serving Suggestions
All this air fried salmon recipe needs is a simple side dish! My weeknight dinners are typically a protein (like this one) and a vegetable or salad, but I often make a starch for my kids as well.
- Veggies – Try my air fryer broccoli (pictured above), air fried cauliflower, air fryer carrots, or air fryer asparagus for a whole meal cooked in the same appliance. I love this approach for less dishes to wash — just cook the vegetables first! For other prep methods you can cook in parallel, my roasted asparagus (or cheesy asparagus casserole) or sauteed zucchini are great options that cook pretty quickly.
- Starches – Serve air fryer salmon with your favorite pasta or potato dish if you need something more filling. An air fryer baked potato makes the meal feel like comfort food to me! I make lighter swaps more often though, like mashed cauliflower (creamy and comforting), zucchini noodles (light and fresh for summer), or cauliflower rice (to serve this as a bowl meal).
- Salads – I serve this with salads when I want something easy and fresh without much effort. Mix up my Greek salad, creamy cucumber salad, or strawberry spinach salad — or choose from one of my other healthy salad recipes!
More Air Fryer Recipes For Dinner
If you like my recipe for air fryer salmon, you might also like these other air fryer recipes I keep on rotation for dinner:
My Favorite Tools For This Recipe
- Air Fryer – You can’t make this recipe for air fried salmon without the air fryer, right?! I’ve had a few and this one is my favorite. The basket is a great size!
- Instant Read Thermometer – The best way to tell when your salmon is done. I love how this one reads the temp accurately in just a few seconds.
Air Fryer Salmon (Perfect In 10 Minutes!)
This air fryer salmon recipe cooks up perfectly moist and flaky every time, with just a few simple ingredients. Easy to make in 10 minutes!
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Use paper towels to pat the fish dry.
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In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. Brush the salmon fillets on both sides with the olive oil mixture.
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Season both sides with garlic powder, sea salt, paprika, and black pepper. Rub the seasonings into the salmon to spread evenly.
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Arrange salmon fillets in the air fryer basket, skin side down, with space between them. (If using skinless salmon, line the bottom of the basket with aluminum foil before adding the salmon, leaving the edges of the basket uncovered so that air can flow through.)
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Air fry salmon at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for 6-10 minutes, until the salmon internal temperature reaches your desired doneness: 125 degrees F (52 degrees C) for medium rare, 130 degrees F (54 degrees C) for medium, or 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) for well done. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test if the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Did You Like It?
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 salmon fillet
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© 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. 🙂
23 Comments
Danielle Jess
0This worked better than I ever imagined. My salmon was perfectly cooked. Light, flaky, and moist. Perfect.
Phoebe
0I tried it with the maple salmon marinade, and it was so good! I even cooked it for a bit less time like this recipe, and it turned out perfect. Thanks for sharing!
Olivia
0Absolutely delicious! I used smoked paprika because that’s what I had and it worked perfectly fine! I cooked mine for about 5 mins, I think the salmon I got was a bit smaller, but other than that this recipe was perfect!
Claude
0Using the air fryer produced salmon with a crispy edges while maintaining a juicy and tender interior, which is exactly how I prefer it. I served it alongside zucchini noodles and It was a flavorful and enjoyable meal with my husband. Yum!
Meghan
0So thrilled to find a recipe for salmon that is quick and easy! I’m the only one that likes salmon in our house, so I could make this along with food for others without worrying about it overcooking. Flaky, tender, and perfect!
susanne
0you don’t say what temp to put the air fryer at…
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Susanne, Air fry salmon at 400 degrees F, you will find that info in step #5 on the recipe card.
Deb Giambo
0I made the air fryer salmon tonight in my new air fryer. I also used the Maple salmon marinade. It was easy to make and delicious! I did cook it for only 4 minutes but other than that did not change anything. I served with a quick rice pilaf I made. A big hit! Thanks for the recipe!
Mary Ellen
0Would this work with other types of fish?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mary Ellen, Yes, I have a tilapia recipe that is cooked in the air fryer.
Paula
0Simple, yummy, quick and perfect. Thank you.
Carmen Morales
0It came out really good. This is going to be a new dish for my house.
Vicky
0Really good! It’s become a weekly dish at our house.
Vicky
0Delicious! I was looking for a quick and easy dinner after traveling all day. I had a couple of salmon fillets in the freezer. This turned out so good!! My new favorite way to prepare salmon!
Imsen
0Great food with less effort…just how cooking should be! Absolutely loved this recipe and will definitely be making it again! Also really loved the aluminum foil tip.
Swathi
0Air fryer salmon is delicious.
Amy L Huntley
0I won’t make these any other way! So, crispy and tender at the same time! The flavor is simply amazing too!
laura
0Salmon in the air fryer is SO GOOD!
Kristyn
0Salmon is my favorite fish!! I don’t make it a lot at home, but this recipe makes it super easy & it tastes incredible!!
Toni
0This is so perfect!! Easy to make, healthy and tastes really good!
Jessica Burgess
0Yum!! This was really easy and had great flavor! Thank you so much!
Roxanne
0This looks really delicous!
Karla
0Cooks up quickly, great for a quick meal.