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Air Fryer Salmon is an easy, healthy dinner with crispy edges and flaky salmon. Ready in minutes and perfect for weeknight meals.
The air fryer cooks the salmon perfectly, it is slightly crispy on the outside, tender and flaky on the inside, in just minutes. It’s one of the easiest ways to get a restaurant-quality meal on the table without a lot of effort.
This recipe uses just a few ingredients and lets the natural flavor of the salmon shine. You can pair it with roasted vegetables, rice, or a fresh salad for a balanced meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights but impressive enough for guests. Plus it is ready in less than 15 minutes, so it is perfect for busy nights.
The secret to any good salmon recipe is to make sure the fish is still moist, and cooking salmon in the air fryer is a good way to do that. The texture of this air fryer salmon is flaky, tender, and never dry.
Ingredients You’ll Need
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- Salmon – I used 6-ounce fillets for this recipe, but you can use any size, you’ll just have to adjust the cooking time. I like to use salmon fillets with the skin on, but skinless will work fine too. You can also use frozen salmon, just let it thaw before cooking.
- Dijon mustard
- Olive oil
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Air Fryer Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 6- oz salmon fillets
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400F.
- Mix the mustard, oil, paprika, and garlic powder together in a bowl, and season to taste with salt and pepper.1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, Salt and pepper to taste
- Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel.4 6- oz salmon fillets
- Brush the seasoned mustard mixture over the top of the salmon fillets.
- Place the salmon, skin side down, in the air fryer basket. Make sure that they're not crowded.
- Cook for 8 minutes, then check the doneness. The salmon should have an internal temperature of 145F. You may need to cook it for another minute or 2 depending no the thickness of the fish.
- Once the salmon is cooked through, remove from the air fryer and serve while hot.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days, or in the freezer for 4 months.
- Reheat the salmon in a 350F air fryer for 5 minutes.
- I have the Cosori Air Fryer and use it for everything. I have tried a few different ones, and it is by far my favorite.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Air Fryer Salmon
- Preheat. Turn your air fryer on to 400F.
- Make the rub. Put the mustard, oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl, and mix to combine.
- Dry. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel.
- Season. Brush the mustard mixture over the top of the salmon fillets.
- Cook. Put the salmon in the air fryer with the skin side down, then cook until the fish has an internal temperature of 145F. This should take 8 minutes, but it might take a little longer depending on the thickness of your salmon.
- Serve. Remove the fish from the air fryer and serve immediately.
Tips & Variations
- Really dry the fish. When drying the salmon with a paper towel, make sure to do a really thorough job. If the fish isn’t completely dry, the seasoning won’t adhere to it very well and will fall off as it cooks. Making sure the fish dries also ensures that the texture is smooth and buttery, instead of wet or greasy.
- Don’t crowd. Make sure that there’s space between each salmon fillet in the air fryer basket. If the fillets are touching, the heat in the air fryer won’t be able to circulate properly, and the fish will cook unevenly and start to steam. If you have more salmon than fits in the air fryer basket without touching, just cook the fish in batches.
- Make it spicy. Salmon works really well with spice. You can add heat to this recipe by putting some cayenne pepper or crushed chili flakes in the mustard spice rub.
- Add herbs. If you want to add some fresh flavors to your fish, you can add some herbs to the seasoning rub. Just add your favorite fresh or dried herbs to the mustard, and the air fryer salmon will take on all kinds of new flavors.
- Serve with lemon. Salmon always goes well with fresh lemon. I recommend squeezing some lemon wedges over these fillets as soon as they come out of the air fryer.
- Cook in the oven. If you don’t have an air fryer, don’t worry! You can cook these salmon fillets in the oven instead. Preheat the oven to 425F, then cook the fish for about 10 minutes. Check the internal temperature to make sure it’s 145F.
Picking Salmon
Buying salmon at the store can be a little bit daunting. When in doubt, the best thing to do is go to a grocery store that has a butcher or fishmonger and ask them for their recommendations. If your grocery store doesn’t have that, look for salmon that has a lot of moisture. You can usually tell just by looking at the fish if it’s moist and juicy or starting to dry out. Avoid salmon if it has discolored spots, or if the skin is starting to curl.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Salmon
I often serve this air fryer salmon on top of a bed of rice or pasta, and I always serve it with a side of vegetables. The rich and juicy fish goes so well with the freshness of raw or cooked veggies. Here are a few sides I like to serve with this recipe.
- Simple Tossed Salad
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- BLT Salad
- Roasted Squash and Goat Cheese Salad
- Homemade Coleslaw
- Roasted Asparagus
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
Leftover air fryer salmon should be stored in an airtight container or bag in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat the fish in a 350F air fryer for 5 minutes. The salmon can also be stored in the freezer for 4 months if kept in an airtight container. Thaw the fish entirely before reheating.
This salmon is so good! Making it in the air fryer makes it so perfectly cooked.
Perfect for kicking off the new year. YUM!
This is just perfect for busy weeknights! Love that its so good and very easy to make!
Tried the air fryer salmon, and it turned out perfect! Love how quick and easy it is to make salmon in the air fryer!
I Love salmon! I don’t know why I didn’t think about putting it in the air fryer! Genius