Air Fryer Salmon

Why go out to a restaurant when you can have tender, flaky salmon right at home? You won’t believe how easy it is to make this 10 minute Air Fryer Salmon recipe!

Recipe Overview

While fish isn’t exactly the easiest protein to cook correctly, the right air fryer temperature and cook time combination gives you beautifully cooked, flavorful air fryer salmon every time.

Served with air fryer broccoli, this perfectly browned and cooked salmon recipe makes for one delicious and healthy lunch or dinner!

You will also love our Air Fryer Salmon Patties, which you can make with fresh or canned fish.

You’ll start with fresh salmon fillets (if you use frozen, thaw them overnight or under cold running water in the packaging it came in) sprayed with a little oil and coated in a smoky and savory seasoning blend.

About 10 minutes in your air fryer, and you’ll get the most incredibly flavorful salmon without ever leaving your house! No need to pay $30 or more for a Salmon dinner at a restaurant when you can make it at home for much, much less.

Are you cooking with a Ninja Foodi? Check out our Ninja Foodi Salmon recipe instead. The instructions are slightly different for air frying in the Foodi system.

Ingredients you’ll need

• Salmon – You’ll need two salmon filet pieces for this recipe. Depending on the side of your pieces, you may be able to fit more or less than this in your air fryer basket.
• Oil – Spray oil makes it really easy to coat the fish with a light layer of oil that the seasoning mix will stick to. Avocado oil, olive oil, or any other light-flavored oil is perfect.
• Salt – A bit of salt mixed with spices gives our air fried salmon an amazing flavor.
• Smoked Paprika – I love using smoked paprika on fish, meat, and vegetables! It has a warm, smoky flavor that reminds me of barbecue.
• Garlic Powder – For additional savory flavor.
• (Optional) Lemon wedges – I like to serve salmon (or any fish) with fresh lemon wedges to squeeze over the fish before eating.

How to cook it

1. Check your salmon fillets for bones or other unwanted pieces. Leaving the skin on, spray the fillets with cooking spray.
2. Mix together the salt, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
3. Then coat the salmon with the spice blend, gently pressing it into the fish.
4. Place the salmon in the air fryer basket that you’ve lined with foil, leaving a couple of inches of space between the fillets.
5. Air fry the salmon fillets as directed in the recipe card below. There’s no need to flip them over during the cooking time.
6. Serve your Air Fryer Salmon with your favorite side dishes. I like to serve with a simple pairing of rice and air fryer broccoli.

Have a bag of frozen broccoli? Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli is just as delicious as using fresh broccoli.

Tips and tricks

• Don’t overcook! Salmon is commonly served medium in restaurants, which allows for a moist fillet that is super tender.
• Line the basket with foil for easy cleanup.
• Place the salmon in your air fryer skin side down. This will ensure that you’re able to get it out of the basket without the fillet falling apart.
• Adjust the seasonings if you’d like. Any seasonings that you typically enjoy on salmon will be delicious in this air fryer salmon recipe. The flavor in this maple glazed salmon recipe would work well in the air fryer too!

How to tell when it’s done

It doesn’t take much work to figure out when salmon is done cooking, but there are a few things to look for if you’re unsure.

• Raw salmon is a translucent orange-pink hue, and it turns to an opaque light pink color when cooked.
• When cooked, salmon fillets should be mostly opaque with a small amount of translucent flesh still remaining.
• Flake test: You should also be able to stick a fork or knife into the middle and see the salmon start to flake away.

should I leave the skin on?

There are several reasons to keep the skin on that might surprise you.

• It’s not easy to remove the skin: There’s really no need to fuss with the messy task of filleting a salmon plank. Removing the skin from a salmon filet requires a special type of knife, and can leave you with salmon fillets that are hacked into pieces and less than presentable.
• Salmon is easier to cook with the skin on: Leaving the skin on salmon fillets makes it easier to slide a spatula underneath the salmon to get it out of your air fryer basket in one beautiful piece.
• The skin creates a nice barrier between the pan or air fryer basket and the salmon flesh allows for a more moist, flaky fillet.
• Leaving the skin on Salmon when you cook it in the air fryer makes it very difficult to overcook it.
• Salmon skin is totally edible! It’s often served on the fillet or even by itself as a garnish or appetizer in high-end restaurants.

How to serve

Make your favorite air fryer side dishes to serve with your salmon fillets! Here are a few of my favorites:

Potato Sides, like Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, or Air Fryer French Fries.

Veggies in the air fryer, like Air Fryer Broccoli or Air Fryer Baby Carrots.

Try a healthy salad with your salmon, like this Mediterranean Chickpea Salad. Cold salmon and this salad make a tasty and nutritious lunch.

salmon fillets vs salmon sides

When buying salmon to cook in the air fryer, you may come across salmon steaks, salmon fillets, and salmon sides.

For this recipe, buy salmon filets, or get a whole side of salmon and slice it into filets yourself.

fresh vs. frozen salmon

You shouldn’t cook frozen salmon in the air fryer, but it can be very cost-effective to buy salmon frozen. Just be sure to thaw it before cooking. Fresh salmon can be more expensive, but I think it’s generally tastier.

more fish and seafood recipes to try!

This Air Fryer Salmon recipe will also work with similar firm-fleshed fish, such as pollack, hake, halibut, and cod.

Air Fryer Fish Recipes are easy to make. One of my favorites is Air Fryer Fish Tacos. Air Fryer Tilapia is also a weeknight dinner winner because it cooks in no time at all!

If you enjoy fish, you should try seafood in the air fryer too. Air Fryer Calamari and Air Fryer Shrimp are both delicious meals that everyone will enjoy.

We truly hope that you enjoy this easy Air Fryer Salmon recipe!