Air Fryer Salmon Recipe

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If salmon is a staple at your house, you’re going to love my recipes for baked salmon, grilled salmon, or pan seared salmon. But this air fryer salmon recipe is the fastest way to cook salmon — just 10 minutes including prep and cook time! That’s why it’s actually the method I use most often now.

Plus, cooking salmon in the air fryer makes it come out super moist and flaky. Like air fryer shrimp or air fryer cod it’s one of the easiest air fryer recipes to make and comes out perfect every time.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for salmon in an air fryer, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

• Olive Oil – For brushing over the salmon. Avocado oil also works.
• Lemon Juice – Use fresh lemon juice for best flavor, or bottled for convenience.
• Salmon – Buy individual, 5-6-ounce fillets. If you purchase a large fillet, cut it into fairly narrow strips (as pictured below), perpendicular to the length of the fish. I prefer to use wild-caught salmon with skin for best flavor and nutrition (and the air fryer makes the best crispy skin!), but you can use any type of salmon that you prefer. Read more about choosing salmon in my post for pan seared salmon.
• Spices – Garlic powder, sea salt, paprika, and black pepper.

How To Cook Salmon In The Air Fryer

This section shows how to make salmon in an air fryer, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Prep salmon. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. This will help form the beautiful crisp exterior during cooking.
2. Make oil mixture. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice.

3. Season. Brush oil mixture over both sides of salmon. Sprinkle with garlic powder, sea salt, paprika, and black pepper.

TIP: Rub seasonings into the salmon fillet to coat evenly.

4. Air fry salmon. Arrange salmon fillets in the air fryer basket, skin side down, ensuring that there is space between the pieces. Air fry until the fish reaches desired doneness.

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 6-12 minutes. Cook to 125 degrees F for medium rare, 130 degrees F for medium, or 140 degrees for well done. Test with a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the salmon for best results, or if you don’t have one, the fish should flake easily with a fork.

How Long To Cook Frozen Salmon In The Air Fryer?

To cook frozen salmon in the air fryer, cook for 7 minutes first, until defrosted. Then, add the olive oil, lemon juice, and seasonings following the recipe, and continue cooking for 6-10 more minutes, until the fish reaches your desired internal temperature or flakes easily with a fork.

Tips For The Best Air Fryer Salmon

• Fillet size. Try to get salmon fillets that are uniform in size, so that they cook at the same rate. Also, narrow (5-6-ounce) fillets will cook more evenly (and more quickly!) than large pieces.
• Space. Leave space between the salmon fillets in the air fryer basket, so that air can fully circulate the fillets. This will help them cook quickly and evenly.
• Don’t overcook. Salmon will dry out if you overcook it, so you use a thermometer to ensure you are cooking it to the proper temperature. You can also flake the fish with a fork to check doneness.

Seasoning Variations

Try swapping the seasonings in this air fryer salmon recipe with a tablespoon of one of these instead. The homemade versions linked below all contain salt, so you can omit the separate salt in the recipe if you use them.

• Cajun – This is a classic seasoning for salmon and it’s delicious. Buy it or make your own Cajun seasoning.
• Lemon Pepper – You can buy it, but homemade lemon pepper seasoning is so easy and tastes so much better.
• Steak Seasoning – I know this is fish and not steak, but this savory blend works on anything.
• Salmon Marinade – Swap the seasonings with this easy maple marinade instead. You can also do the same thing with honey instead of maple syrup.
• Caribbean – For a burst of Hawaiian flavor, swap the seasonings above with jerk seasoning.

Storage Instructions

• Store: Keep leftover air fryer salmon in the fridge for 2-3 days.
• Reheat: Reheat salmon in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for a couple of minutes, or in the oven at the same temp for 8-10 minutes, until warm. Microwaving is not recommended, but can be done in a pinch.
• Freeze: Store the salmon in an airtight container or zip lock bag in the freezer for 2-3 months. However, like most fish recipes, it tastes best made fresh.

What To Serve With Air Fryer Salmon

All this air fried salmon recipe needs is a simple side dish:

• Veggies – Try air fryer broccoli (pictured above), air fried cauliflower, air fryer carrots, or air fryer asparagus for a whole meal cooked in the air fryer. For other prep methods you can cook in parallel, roasted asparagus (or cheesy asparagus casserole) or sauteed zucchini are great options.
• Starches – Serve with pasta, your favorite potato dish, or for healthier options, mashed cauliflower, zucchini noodles, or cauliflower rice.
• Salads – Such as 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 this recipe for air fryer salmon, you might also like these other main dish air fryer recipes:

Air Fryer Chicken Legs

Air Fryer Lamb Chops

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Air Fryer Pork Chops

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

5 from 23 votes

Air Fryer Salmon Recipe (Perfect In 10 Minutes!)

Learn how to cook salmon in the air fryer perfectly every time with this healthy, easy air fryer salmon recipe. It takes just 10 minutes!

Prep: 4 minutes

Cook: 6 minutes

Total: 10 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 4 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Recipe Video

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Ingredients

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• 1/4 cup Olive oil ▢
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice ▢
• 4 6-oz Salmon fillets ▢
• 1 tsp Garlic powder ▢
• 1 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/2 tsp Paprika ▢
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

1. Use paper towels to pat the fish dry.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. Brush the salmon fillets on both sides with the olive oil mixture.

3. Season both sides with garlic powder, sea salt, paprika, and black pepper. Rub the seasonings into the salmon to spread evenly.

4. 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.)

5. Air fry salmon at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for 6-12 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.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 salmon fillet

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 367

Fat 24.4g

Protein 34g

Total Carbs 1.5g

Net Carbs 1.1g

Fiber 0.4g

Sugar 0.3g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keywords: air fryer salmon, cooking salmon in the air fryer, how to cook salmon in the air fryer, salmon air fryer recipe, salmon in the air fryer

Calories: 367 kcal

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