Air Fryer Salmon – A Beautiful Mess

My obsession with my air fryer continues. In this week’s saga, I’m sharing how to air fry salmon. It’s SO good! So quick! Full of flavor! And it’s cooked well, but not dry.

This is a new favorite at our house for sure. This air fryer salmon recipe is quick and easy as well as healthy. It’s been added to the rotation of air fried wings, air fryer steak, and air fryer fish.

Related: 40 Easy 30-Minute Dinner Ideas, 60 Easy Dinner Recipes, and Favorite Things to Make in My Air Fryer.

I have air fried both fresh salmon as well as frozen. I must admit that I prefer fresh.

But, as I only grocery shop once a week or less during this season of my life, having lots of dinner options I can pull from our freezer just makes sense for us. So, we do both just depending what we have on hand.

To air fry frozen salmon all you have to do is thaw it first. Otherwise, it’s no different than air frying fresh, unfrozen salmon.

How to Thaw Frozen Salmon:

You can thaw frozen salmon a couple of ways, but what I usually do is (if it’s packaged inside a sealed bag, the filet itself) I will put it in a bowl with very warm water in our sink. This typically takes anywhere from 5-8 minutes depending on the size of filet. Another option is to leave the sealed bag in the fridge overnight.

I season the salmon before air frying. Spices I like include: garlic powder or salt, seasoning salt, Italian seasoning, cayenne, pepper, lemon pepper, smoked paprika or cajun seasoning. If you are unsure, start with salt and pepper.

Ingredients

• Salmon fillets
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• Lemon

How Do You Keep Salmon from Sticking to your Air Fryer?

Two methods for this. First, you can lightly brush the air fryer basket grate with oil before adding the salmon and cooking.

The other option is to use parchment paper. Yes, you can use parchment paper in your air fryer. I will add parchment so it fits under the salmon, but not bunch it together or have lots of loose paper on the sides of the air fryer (see photo below).

The parchment paper will curl up some as it cooks, so that’s why you don’t want an excess amount, but you also want enough that it fits under the entire piece of fish you are cooking.

How Long Do You Air Fry Salmon For?

You can see (or print) the recipe card below for all the details, but I air fry salmon at 390°F for 8 minutes. I find this cooks the fish perfection, without drying it out. I love a squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the cooked salmon.

The cooking time can vary some depending on the size or thickness of the salmon you are cooking, but somewhere between 7-9 minutes will likely work well.

You can serve this alongside vegetables like asparagus or broccoli salad, risotto, pasta salad, broccoli slaw, mushy peas, or steamed rice.

Squeeze a little lemon juice over the top of this air fried salmon and enjoy! xo. Emma