• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Carmy - Easy Healthy-ish Recipes
  • Home
  • All Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Airfryer
    • Breakfast
    • Freezer Friendly
    • Instant Pot
    • Main Dishes
    • Meal Prep
    • Meatless
    • Sides
    • Under 60 Minute Meals
  • Meal Prep
  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • How To Tutorials
    • Meal Prep
      • Meal Prep 101: Why You Should Meal Prep, How To Meal Prep, and Other Meal Prep Tips
      • Tips To Help You Meal Prep For the Week Successfully
      • Tips for Meal Prepping on a Budget + 28 Recipes
      • Whole Chicken Meal Prep (3 Freezer Friendly Meals)
    • Meal Prep: Learning the Basics E-Book
    • How To Tutorials
      • How To Cook a Whole Chicken in an Instant Pot
      • How To Cook Chicken Breasts Perfectly
      • How to Make the Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
      • How to Press Tofu Without a Tofu Press
  • About Me
    • Collaborate With Me
    • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Instant Pot
  • Meal Prep
  • Airfryer
  • How To Tutorials
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Recipes / Airfryer / Air Fryer Salmon

    Air Fryer Salmon

    Posted: Dec 29, 2022 Last Modified: Dec 29, 2022 by Carmy · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Quick, easy, and hands-free, this Air Fryer Salmon recipe comes out perfectly every time. Tender, flaky, and with a delightful golden crust, you’ll want to always make salmon in the air fryer after trying it once! You can get a healthy dinner on the table in 20 minutes or less.

    I love cooking salmon in the air fryer. It’s so quick from start to finish, and the golden crust you get on the outside? SO good. It’s the easiest salmon recipe possible that’s beyond foolproof.

    Overhead view of a plate of air fryer salmon on top of brown rice, corn salsa, and sour cream.

    Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Recipe

    • The salmon comes out so tender and moist on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside with the air fryer. It’s such a delicious way to cook salmon, that I’ve been using this method constantly.
    • It’s really quick to air fry salmon. Like, less than 10 minutes quick. Can’t beat that when you’re trying to get dinner on the table quickly.
    • It’s beyond easy. You don’t even require flipping the salmon! You just season the salmon fillets and pop them into the air fryer.

    Ingredients You’ll Need

    Ingredients needed to make air fryer salmon.
    • salmon — I have two pieces of salmon for this recipe, but you can easily double the recipe. My air fryer can fit 4 fillets. I keep the skin on the salmon as it gets deliciously crispy. One serving of salmon is around 3 to 4 ounces. My fillets are 4 ounces.
    • seasoning — I keep it simple with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Feel free to change it up if you’d like. You can use sweet or smoked paprika. Onion powder is a great addition as well.
    • oil spray — you need some oil spray to coat the air fryer basket. This also helps the skin get a little extra crispy.

    How to Make Air Fryer Salmon

    Set of two photos showing fillets pat dry with a paper towel then seasoned.
    • Using a paper towel, pat dry the salmon fillets. Removing the moisture will help the seasoning stick to the salmon and prevents the salmon from steaming. Your salmon will be much crispier when dry. Make sure to pat dry all the sides.
    • Generously season the salmon with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
    Set of two photos showing the air fryer basket sprayed with oil and two pieces of salmon added to it.
    • Spray the air fryer basket with some oil spray.
    • Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, into the air fryer basket, making sure there’s space between them.
    Set of two photos showing air fried salmon and a salmon burrito bowl.
    • Air fry the salmon fillets for 6 to 8 minutes at 400F, depending on the thickness of your salmon.
    • Remove the salmon fillets from the air fryer basket and let rest for a couple of minutes before serving.
    Close up of a piece of air fryer salmon flaked opened.

    Recipe Tips and Notes

    • For a brighter hint of flavor, you can squeeze a lemon on top of the salmon before serving.
    • If you have a larger or thicker piece of salmon, you’ll have to increase your cooking time accordingly.
    • Make sure there’s space between the fillets in the basket. This allows the hot air to fully circulate between each fillet so they’ll crisp up.
    • Try to use salmon fillets that are similar in size. Since the salmon is essentially cooked blind in the air fryer, similar sized salmon fillets will cook evenly.
    • I use skin-on salmon fillet as the skin helps keep the salmon moist. If you’re not a fan of the skin, you can remove it after air frying.
    • All air fryers cook differently when it comes to temperature. Some cook hotter than others, so check on the salmon at the 6 minute mark with a meat thermometer.
    My Recommendation
    I love my air fryer! This is the one I'm currently using and it crisps everything up perfectly with little-to-no oil.
    Get it Now!
    Profile view of an air fryer salmon fillet over a bed of cilantro lime brown rice.

    Make Ahead Tips

    • Meal prep: once cooled, refrigerate salmon in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
    • Freezer: while you can freeze cooked salmon in an airtight container for up to 3 months, the texture of the salmon may change. I recommend making salmon fresh when needed.
    How do I know if the salmon is done?

    You can tell if salmon is done by checking its internal temperature should reach 145ºF (62°C). Use a meat thermometer to quickly check. If you do not have one, you can use a fork and flake the salmon to check. The salmon should flake easily.

    How do I reheat salmon?

    Enjoy the salmon chilled or reheated the salmon in the air fryer. It only takes a couple of minutes at 400°F.

    Can I use frozen salmon?

    I highly recommend that you thaw the salmon before air frying them. This ensures they cook evenly.

    Serving Suggestion

    Need something to serve with this air fryer salmon? Try these side dishes:

    • air fryer garlic bread
    • coconut lime rice
    • Japanese corn rice
    • Instant Pot basmati rice
    • rosemary mashed potatoes
    • rosemary roasted potatoes
    • pan fried brussels sprouts
    • Instant Pot cilantro lime rice
    Overhead view of a plate of air fryer salmon on top of brown rice, corn salsa, and sour cream.

    Air Fryer Salmon

    Quick, easy, and hands-free, this Air Fryer Salmon recipe comes out perfectly every time. Tender, flaky, and with a delightful golden crust, you'll want to always make salmon in the air fryer after trying it once! You can get a healthy dinner on the table in 20 minutes or less.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 6 mins
    Total Time: 16 mins
    Servings: 2 servings

    Ingredients

    • 2 (3 to 5 ounces) salmon fillets
    • ½-1 tsp salt
    • ½-1 tsp pepper
    • ¼ tsp garlic powder
    • ¼ tsp paprika
    • oil spray

    Equipment

    • 5.8QT Air Fryer

    Instructions

    • Pat dry the salmon fillets with a paper towel.
    • Generously season the salmon with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika on all sides of the salmon.
    • Spray the air fryer basket with the oil spray.
    • Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, into the air fryer basket and air fry at 400°F for 6 to 8 minutes.
    • Remove the salmon fillets from the air fryer basket and let them rest for a couple of minutes before serving.
    Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

    Nutrition Per Serving

    Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 632mg | Potassium: 573mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.04g | Vitamin A: 171IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
    Author: Carmy
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American

    More Air Fryer Recipes To Try

    • Air Fryer Turkey Thighs
    • Teriyaki Salmon (Air Fryer)
    • Air Fryer Halloumi
    • Air Fryer Gochujang Chicken Thighs
    • Air Fryer Dumplings
    • Air Fryer Sausage Links

    Other places to connect with me
    @carmyshungry on Instagram
    Facebook
    Shop my Amazon faves
    Email: [email protected]

    Want a free downloadable shopping list and recipes for one week's meal prep (lunches and snacks)? Sign up now for blog updates and get your shopping list and recipes today!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Carmy is a healthy-ish living blogger based in Ontario. Here, you can find healthy-ish meal prep recipes, Instant Pot recipes, and lightened up family favourites! Follow along as she shares what she learns along the way!

    More about me →


    Click here
    if you’d like to collaborate with Carmy

    Popular

    • Gochujang Chicken Thighs (Grilled or Stovetop)
    • Hibachi Chicken with Fried Rice
    • Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Chicken in a Dutch Oven
    • How To Make Instant Pot Poached Eggs

    Sign Up! for emails and updates plus a downloadable shopping list and recipes for one week's meal prep (lunches and snacks).

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Work with Me

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates plus a downloadable shopping list and recipes for one week's meal prep (lunches and snacks).

    Recipes

    • All Recipes
    • Meal Preps Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes

    Copyright © 2021 Carmy — Easy Healthy-ish Recipes