Air Fryer Salmon

This air fryer salmon recipe will have flakey, tender cooked salmon on your plate in less than 15 minutes from start to finish. 

Why this recipe works

Air fryer salmon eliminates the need to dirty up pans, pots, and dishes and will cook your filets in under 10 minutes. How’s that for a quick and easy meal?

With all the different methods of cooking salmon from grilled salmon, to sous vide salmon, and baked salmon, the air fryer takes the cake for the quickest prep and delivery for when you’re looking to save time but still yield flakey on the inside, crispy on the outside results.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

SALMON – Both fresh and frozen filets will work here. If using frozen filets, allow them to fully thaw in the refrigerator overnight before beginning. That way the salmon will cook evenly in the air fryer and the seasonings will stick. The cook time in this recipe will depend on the thickness of your filets. We used a 1 1/2 pound center-cut salmon, cut into 5 filets which took 8 minutes in the air fryer. Cook to an internal temperature of 145F.

How to Make Air Fryer Salmon

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Preheat air fryer to 400 F.
2. Rinse and pat dry salmon. Cut into 5 filets.
3. Mix together garlic salt, paprika, pepper, and olive oil. Using gloved hands, rub mixture all over the filets, including the skin side.
4. Place skin side down in preheated air fryer basket. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. Do not overcrowd the basket.
5. Cook at 400 F for 7-8 minutes. (Up to 10 depending on the thickness of your salmon, ours was done in 8 minutes).
   
   EXPERT TIP – Remove salmon from the air fryer with a fish turner spatula rather than tongs so as not to break the filets.
   
   
   
   

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Serving Suggestions

Serve air fryer salmon with a homemade salmon sauce that you can whip together while the filets cook. Pair with a side of roasted vegetables like asparagus, carrots, green beans, broccoli, or a nice leafy salad.

More Salmon Recipes

• Poached Salmon
• Pan Seared Salmon
• Instant Pot Salmon
• Cedar Plank Salmon
• Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner

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Air Fryer Salmon

Air fryer salmon eliminates the need to dirty up pans, pots, and dishes and will cook your filets in under 10 minutes. How's that for a quick and easy meal?

5 from 3 votes

IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: 5 servings

13 minutes mins

Calories: 246

Author: Amanda Davis

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 ½ pounds center cut salmon
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
• ▢ ½ Tablespoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Things You’ll Need

• ▢
  Air fryer
• ▢
  Fish turner

Before You Begin

• You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. Do not overcrowd the basket.
• Salmon is considered cooked when it reaches 145F on an instant-read thermometer that’s been inserted into the thickest part of the filet.
• Store leftover salmon in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in the air fryer.

Instructions

• Preheat air fryer to 400 F.
• Rinse and pat dry salmon. Cut into 5 filets.
• Mix together garlic salt, paprika, pepper, and olive oil. Using gloved hands, rub mixture all over the filets, including the skin side.
• Place skin side down in preheated air fryer basket.
• Cook at 400 F for 7-8 minutes. (Up to 10 depending on the thickness of your salmon, ours was done in 8 minutes).

  Remove salmon from air fryer with fish turner spatula rather than tongs so as not to break the filets.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (1 filet) | Calories: 246cal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 1456mg | Potassium: 688mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 401IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

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