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Perfect Air Fryer Salmon + VIDEO

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I would have never guessed making air fryer salmon (only takes 7 minutes) would have produced the most tender and juicy salmon every time. I promise this Perfect Air Fryer Salmon will become your new way to conquer salmon in the kitchen and one of your best dinner ideas yet!

If you would prefer a flavored salmon, give my Air Fryer Maple Glazed Salmon a try, an absolute game changer in the taste department. And let’s not forget homemade Air Fryer Fish Nuggets, you’ll never go back to store bought fish sticks!

air fryer salmon

Air Fryer Salmon in Less Than 10 Minutes

I have to admit, I was totally, totally against the idea of purchasing an air fryer. And not just a little bit against it, but really, really against it. I figured an air fryer was going to be another small appliance I rarely used. Who else has lots of those?

And not only did I think I wasn’t going to use it, I especially did not want another “thing” on my kitchen counter. Extra stuff on my kitchen counters is really one of my pet peeves. I really despise anything being dumped on them, whether it’s mail, car keys, computers…take them to your room and keep them there! But that’s a rant for another day.

Related: Easy Weeknight Dinners

Anyway, I really did not want this new appliance and felt it was going to be a waste of money. However, I ended up pulling the plug and ordered it even though I was not feeling it. I’m so glad I did, because air frying salmon is the best idea ever!

Secura Air Fryer

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.

Are Air Fryers Worth Buying

Air Fryers are really kind of ugly and this one kind of reminds me of Darth Vader’s head/mask thing, but oh my gosh, it’s the best appliance ever. Yes they are worth it! There are lots of air fryers out there, but I do particularly love my air fryer. In fact, here are the best-rated large capacity air fryers available and mine is always among them. If you can grab this air fryer for under $150, you are getting a great deal. In fact, you can read the 5-star reviews on this air fryer here.

In the air fryer, everything comes out crispier, juicier and always perfectly cooked in an incredibly short amount of time. Tatar tots in the air fryer are the best. Chicken in the air fryer, breaded or not is so juicy, tender and delicious. When it comes to making dinner, even ribeye steaks are awesome in the air fryer and I can’t even believe I was willing to try that. Anyway, you get it, it’s worth every penny.

There is no preheating time and the cleanup is very minimal. The air fryer locks in all the juices so you barely have any mess to cleanup. It even makes the perfect crostini toast. I would not recommend an air fryer smaller than a 5.3 quart, it would just be too limiting.

Two pieces of salmon surrounded by vegetables.

Do Air Fryers Really Work

Look at that beautiful flaking of the salmon after being in the air fryer, it’s absolutely perfect. So, yes, they really do work in producing the best tasting food.

The air fryer locks in the juices as it cooks and rewards you with the perfect tasting salmon.

Raw salmon on parchment paper.
For your air fryer salmon, you’ll want to use fillets that are the same thickness. These were both 1-1/2-inch fillets. And they were out of the fridge for about an hour to warm them up.

Sliced lemons with a pair of needle nose pliers.
Since my boys fish for salmon every summer, all of our salmon is wild caught and still has the bones. I find the bones are easily removed with needle nose pliers since they do not tear apart the fish.

Two pieces of raw salmon in the basket of an air fryer.

How To Air Fry Salmon

Here are the salmon fillets in the air fryer basket. It’s best not to crowd things too much. All you have to do is place the salmon fillets in the air fryer basket and turn on your air fryer for the appropriate amount of time. It’s that easy!

Two pieces of cooked salmon surrounded by veggies.

Does An Air Fryer Brown Food

You can see how beautiful the color is when they are finished, not to mention extremely juicy and tender.

Two pieces of cooked salmon surrounded by veggies.
Salmon has been on the menu a lot more since I started making it this way.

One piece of cooked salmon that has been flaked to see the inside of the fish.
When you reheat food that’s been cooked in an air fryer, it remains juicy and tender, as if the juices were locked in…it is amazing.

Flaked salmon on a bed of zucchini with lemon slices and a fork.

Pieces of cooked salmon with the words perfect air fryer salmon written on the image.
If you’ve been waiting to get an air fryer, I hope this propels you to make it happen. Please check out my other air fryer recipes here.

There are so many things you can make in an air fryer, in fact, the possibilities are endless. I know my kid’s love these Air Fryer Fish Nuggets. And who wouldn’t love a batch of these Air Fryer Spicy Sweet Potato Fries? And who would have thought Air Fryer Roasted Corn would turn out so perfect.  And holy wow these Copycat Taco Bell Air Fryer Crunch Wraps sound over the top. But these Air Fryer Reuben Egg Rolls also sound crazy good along with this Air Fryer Chicken recipe that uses buffalo sauce!

One year ago I shared my Grapefruit Cranberry Martini with you, have you made it yet? Five years ago this quick dinner of Loaded Sausage and Gravy Baked Potatoes came into my life and is still a quick dinner for us. Seven years ago I learned to make Chicago-Style Hot Dogs at home and shared them with you. Eight years ago these Cornmeal-Blueberry Scones made me feel like spring in the middle of winter. And nine years ago this Asparagus Popover won me over.

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air fryer salmon
Print Recipe
5 from 242 votes

Perfect Air Fryer Salmon

I would have never guessed making salmon in an air fryer would have produced the most tender and juicy salmon every time. I promise this Perfect Air Fryer Salmon will become your new way to conquer salmon in the kitchen. 
Prep Time2 mins
Cook Time7 mins
Total Time9 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Perfect Air Fryer Salmon
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 288kcal
Author: Cathy

Ingredients

  • 2 wild caught salmon fillets with comparable thickness, mine were 1-1/12-inches thick
  • 2 tsps teaspoons avocado oil or olive oil
  • 2 tsps paprika
  • generously seasoned with salt and coarse black pepper
  • lemon wedges

Instructions

  • Remove any bones from your salmon if necessary and let fish sit on the counter for an hour. Rub each fillet with olive oil and season with paprika, salt and pepper.
  • Place fillets in the basket of the air fryer. Set air fryer at 390 degrees for 7 minutes for 1-1/2-inch fillets.
  • When timer goes off, open basket and check fillets with a fork to make sure they are done to your desired doneness.

Notes

Notes: One of the beauties of the air fryer is that it's so easy to pop something back in for a minute if you want it cooked longer. You can also open it while it's cooking to make sure it's not overdone. I always set my timer for a little less so I can check on how things are coming along so I don't overcook an item. Things cook so fast sometimes a minute more is all it needs.
 
Times for cooking will vary for salmon based on the temperature of the fish and the size of your fillets. Always set your air fryer for a little less time than you think until you become more used to the timing of your appliance.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Perfect Air Fryer Salmon
Amount Per Serving (1 fillet)
Calories 288 Calories from Fat 170
% Daily Value*
Fat 18.9g29%
Saturated Fat 2.6g16%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8g
Monounsaturated Fat 10.3g
Cholesterol 78mg26%
Sodium 80.6mg4%
Potassium 52.5mg2%
Carbohydrates 1.4g0%
Fiber 0.8g3%
Sugar 0.3g0%
Protein 28.3g57%
Vitamin A 1135IU23%
Vitamin C 2.5mg3%
Calcium 25mg3%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Before you know it you’ll be buying a sous vide stick! (But they’re small and you can put it in a drawer) It’s my new favorite gadget. Easy to use and perfect results. It’s the only way I’ll poach eggs anymore! And I loved this salmon recipe.

    Reply

      • 5 stars
        I loved the salmon.
        We’ve been using our air fryer to cook chicken wings. No breading or deep frying. Healthy. Cook on 390 for 25 min; take out and pour any sauce you like. Put back in to crisp up about 3 to 5 min more. Delicious.
        We’ve made 20 in a 6 qt fryer. Great for a party.

        Reply

        • I really love boil broccoli in the oven… I get broccoli crowns and I cut off all the tops so I have just the broccoli florettes… I keep the stems to a minimum… And put all of it in a bowl drizzle it with olive oil and make sure all of the broccoli is coded well – I then use Parmesan cheese and sprinkle it over the broccoli with a little bit of powdered ranch dressing (make sure you don’t use too much ranch dressing because otherwise not come out too salty, and as far as the Parmesan cheese I just put enough and where it seems like it’s coded well throughout the broccoli in the bowl). I put the oven at 450°- put the broccoli on a baking pan. I broil it for about 25 minutes… And I check on it about two or three times in between that 25 minutes, and I’ll pull the pan out and flip over the broccoli just to make sure it’s cooked evenly. I like when the broccoli gets pretty dark where It’s not totally burnt but the tops of the broccoli do you get dark… The flavor is outstanding and it’s a great way to cook vegetables because it doesn’t compromise the integrity of the nutrients in the vegetable.

          Tonight I’m going to try salmon, and my typical broccoli mixture in there air fryer and see how that goes… I’m anticipating it to be awesome and it will probably be a heck of a lot quicker in the air fryer!! I’ll update my comment to let you know how it turned out!!

          Reply

    • 5 stars
      I loved this recipe and although its a little late, and I also didn’t want another ugly thing to put on my counter. I find myself cooking almost everything in the air fryer.

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    I bought an air fryer and made this amazing salmon. I’m Almost 84 I love the things I can do in it especially fish and chicken tenders. I am so glad, I bought it. I bought it with gift cards my kids gave me for Christmas. Best Christmas gift ever’

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    Tried this recipe tonight for the first time and it was awesome! So quick and also moist and delicious! Didn’t want to heat up the house by turning on the oven and now I’ll always make salmon in the air fryer to save time and enjoy the benefits!

    Reply

  7. Hello, I’ve sent off for your email recipes, one reason is my Pinterest no longer has the ability to save recipes, I don’t know why, but I’m looking forward to your email.

    Reply

  8. 5 stars
    I bought steel cut salmon at Costco and decided to try your recipe. It was so easy and DELICIOUS.. I would definitely try this for company. I am so happy I have an Air Fryer.

    Reply

    • I keep the skin on and the fish slides right off the skin once cooked. Most salmon sold in stores have the bones removed. We fish for our own salmon here in the Pacific Northwest so bone removal is on us.

      Reply

  18. 5 stars
    I haven’t used the “secura” air fryer yet. how is it? Salmon in the air fryer is one of my favorites. and thanks for the recipe going to see how it turns out vs. how i’ve been doing it.

    Reply

  19. 5 stars
    I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to cook this in my Tefal air fryer because the rotating paddle would break up the salmon, but I simply removed the paddle and it cooked perfectly!

    Thanks for sharing the recipe – like you, salmon is going to be on our menu much more from now on!
    Jamie

    Reply

  20. 5 stars
    We re still overwhelmed at how quickly and perfect salmon can cook in the air fryer. In fact, almost anything cooked in the air fryer always has come out wonderful. After our air fryer brussels sprouts recipe tests, we started experimenting more with this fantastic way to cook. It s a great way to get dinner on the table, especially for two after a long days work.

    Reply

  21. 5 stars
    This looks great! I usually buy my salmon from Vital Choice Wild Seafood in Bellingham, WA (since we live in Boston, MA) and the fillets arrive flash sealed and frozen.
    I thaw them out in a pot of cold water and that sits in the refrigerator for most of the day.
    I’ll definitely leave it out for the hour ahead of cooking as you suggested. I could eat this fish raw I like it so much, so the worst thing that could happen to me (which happens with salmon in restaurants most of the time) is for it to come out dry!
    I look forward to following your postings.
    Burgess

    Reply

  22. 5 stars
    My kitchen is tiny and I hate clutter. I buy my air fryer to eat more healthy, not oil, excessive grease, etc. But, even when have to move the air fryer the best recipes are coming from it. This salmon was so good.

    Reply

  23. 5 stars
    We just bought a Ninja Air Fryer for Christmas. The recipe book is very limited..no vegan recipes..has anyone used this brand…was nervous about trying it out, but made this recipe and it was amazing.

    Reply

  24. 5 stars
    This recipe is AMAZING! Will definitely be added to the weekly rotation in our home. I am an avid home cook and this is the best salmon I have ever made. The way the air fryer cooks keeps the fish so moist and delicious. Highly recommend! Thank you!

    Reply

  27. 5 stars
    I usually don’t review recipes but I had to tell you my story because you’ve changed my attitude about Bella, my air fryer, completely! I boughtair het when air fryers first became the rage. I didn’t want to invest more than I had to in something I wasn’t sure I’d use so Bella is an entry point girl. No fancy stuff on her – a simple temperature and timer dial is all she’s got. The first thing I made in her was a disaster. It was chicken tenders and I’m not sure what I did wrong, but I’m pretty sure it was everything. Though I’m sure the fault was mine, and not hers, I banished Bella to a dark closet and pretty much forgot about her. In the meantime I purchased an Instant Pot and Bella became just a bad memory. Every once in a while, when I’d spot her gathering dust on the shelf, I’d feel a twinge of guilt and think I should give her a second chance. I did that tonight using your salmon recipe and my faith in the air fryer is renewed. It was delicious – flaky, flavorful, perfect. My husband hates the fishy taste that salmon can sometimes have so I soaked the filets in milk overnight. I cooked the recipe almost exactly as directed, using grapeseed oil to coat the filets and mixing 1 tsp. each of smoked and plain paprika with the salt and pepper to season. We used a pineapple habenero sauce to glaze after cooking. It was devine. Thanks for restoring my faith in air fryer cooking. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes and more air fryer cooking in general!

    Reply

  31. 5 stars
    Your air fryer salmon recipe was amazing, but a couple I enjoy are to make a mixture of lemon juice (squeeze one lemon) and/or lime juice, and minced garlic and blend it in a small blender to liquify it and then pour it over the salmon filets, then add salt and pepper (I use a smoked chili sea salt combo in a grinder) and let them sit for 30 minutes to an hour before putting them in the air fryer. The other option is to dice up red and yellow peppers and cook them in red wine or an olive oil vinaigrette dressing and add salt and pepper to taste, and then pour that over the salmon and let sit to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour before cooking.

    Enjoy!

    Reply

    • 5 stars
      Wow amazing recipe, looked like photo and I used cilantro lime seasoning and brushed a small amount of butter on the last two minutes. So good.Thanks for sharing the recipe.

      Reply

  35. 5 stars
    I used this for mahi mahi and it turned out great. I’ve searched for mahi mahi air fryer recipes and they all seem to be breaded and I don’t want breaded.

    Reply

  36. 5 stars
    I made this tonight for dinner. It was so good I have left overs so I will be taking it to work tomorrow can’t wait to have it. It was so simple to make.

    Reply

  37. 5 stars
    This was delicious! I recently bought and air fryer, however it does not have a basket, it comes with 3 trays and a cylinder that turns to make french fries etc. I still followed the same directions?

    Thank you,

    -T-

    Reply

  38. 5 stars
    Used this recipe to try salmon for the first time. I have never eaten any seafood other than Captain D’s breaded fish. I have been missing out!! This was so good and easy!! Thank you so much!!

    Reply

  41. 5 stars
    The salmon looks great; but how about the veggie? Is it possible to stick carrots or zucchini in with the salmon to cook that at the same time?

    Reply

    • I am in America so all temps are Fahrenheit. That is usually included so it might have been left off by mistake. However, I’m sure if something said 400 degrees it would be more obvious that was not Celsius.

      Reply

  43. 5 stars
    Made this tonight, was amazing! I just stumbled on your page and read your bio. I also went to UCD and one of my college roommates lives in McMinnville- small world! 😀

    Reply

  46. 5 stars
    I will try this recipe, but quick question…what temp does the salmon end up coming out with? I usually like a medium rare temp. Would I need to adjust the temp or time in a any way?

    Reply

  48. 5 stars
    Oh, my! I just got my Air Fryer a month ago and am loving it! This recipe is the going to be my go-to recipe for salmon. It is so moist, tender, flavorful and EASY. Thank you!

    Reply

  51. 5 stars
    Delicious! Loved the salmon. Super moist and yet a nice crisp coating on the outside. I only recently jumped on the air fryer bandwagon and I can tell you I’ll never jump off…hahaha I love making meals without all the kitchen being heated due to the oven being used so the air fryer not only allows me enjoyment in cooking, but Im saving energy/electricity as well. Kudos for the inventor of this machine and kudos to you for a delectable recipe. This is a keeper recipe!

    Reply

  52. 5 stars
    This recipe is amazing. So simple and so so good! Easy and amazing. Even my picky husband loves it. I made it two nights in a row for dinner, first using stuffing as a side dish (random I know but super good) and then the second night I used an Italian herb pasta as my side. THANK YOU FOR MAKING DINNER EASY AND GREAT WITH THIS ONE. 🙂

    Reply

  55. 5 stars
    So Good and EASY PEASY!!!! I added some dill on top before cooking. I set timer for 5 minutes as suggested, and cooked 2 minutes longer. Thank you for the recipe. I will make again and again.

    Reply

  60. 5 stars
    I feel like I really need to use my air fryer more – this looks wonderful! I usually poach my salmon but I might try this recipe next time.

    Reply

  62. 5 stars
    I just bought air fryer. This recipe is perfect to give it a go for the first time. It’s easy and I love salmon. Can’t wait to make it. Thanks for all the tips.

    Reply

  63. 5 stars
    My hubby was able to enjoy the best fish I’ve ever made for him with this recipe. I mixed smoked and regular paprika per other reviews. After looking at the recipe again though, I realized I completely forgot to rub the oil on the salmon. Oops. I simply brushed a little oil in the air fryer and flipped them about halfway through the cooking cycle. Very simple/quick (important since I’m vegetarian and do not want to handle fish or poultry too much) and yielded 10 out of 10 from hubby. Thanks for the winning recipe.

    Reply

  69. 5 stars
    I truly had my doubts – I usually steam the salmon in packets in oven. This was so much easier and we loved how there was a slightly crisp crust with incredibly moist salmon. The only change I made instead of using the oil, I sprayed my fish with avocado oil, then added the spices. Perfect!

    Reply

  71. 5 stars
    Great crust. Good even cooking. Flavors are sealed and moisture is adequate. I normally use fresh garlic but suspect that powder works best otherwise it may get bitter. It a keeper recipe with high points for convenience.

    Reply

  72. 5 stars
    This recipe deserves 5 stars and it is fantastic. I just don’t like scrolling through endless chatter to get to a recipe.
    That said… this recipe rocks and is as simple as everyone says. Within 10 minutes my fish was prepared and cooked. 5 minutes later my air fryer was clean and we were eating. Yummmy. I’m coming back for more recipes.

    Reply

  74. 5 stars
    We have always used a cast iron skillet to cook our salmon filets. After reading your recipe, I talked my wife into letting me cook two filets in the air fryer. I followed your recipe exactly. The salmon was the best I have ever tasted! We will never cook our salmon any other way! No smell in the house, no greasy stove top to clean, and perfect fish! Thank you for your recipe!

    Reply

  75. The salmon comes out tasting amazing but I have had a hard time with the skin of the salmon sticking to the air fryer. It not only comes off the salmon partially, but it really sticks to the grate and is very hard to clean. Is there a trick to avoiding this?

    Reply

  76. 5 stars
    In Colorado at 6500 feet, I cooked fresh salmon that I cleaned, patted dry, and from room temperature. I warmed the air fryer for 4 minutes while I cut the salmon into strips.

    For 1.25 pounds of fish, I used less than 2 tsps of olive oil, salt and pepper. I cooked it at 390 degrees for a total of 10 minutes with a quality check at 8 minutes into the cooking cycle.

    It was great! Thank you!

    Reply

  78. 5 stars
    Made this with a German Blossom Honey Glaze tonight for the wife and I. As a side made a Roasted Mancini Jalapeno Rice – Soft Jasmine rice with a mixture of Mancini Roasted Jalapeno Peppers (from Italy), green peas, diced corn, fresh diced tomatoes in a seasoned homemade chicken broth.. Married with a simple weekday red wine. I know, red-meat, white-fish. I’m not a pursuit.. We just drink what we like, and it’s homemade as well. The meal took no more than 20 minutes to make, including the rice.

    Reply

  79. 5 stars
    This was great. I’ve been exclusively cooking my salmon the the sous vide for the last 4 years. I love the evenly and lightly cooked texture and convenience. When it’s done, I blast the skin in a hot pan to crisp it up. Today I followed your recipe, but also cooked 3 large slices of zucchini at the same time. Under 10 minutes, “1 pot meal”, perfect. I was happy with the salmon texture though the skin wasn’t quite as crispy as I like, but the minor degradation was offset by speed and convenience.

    Reply

  82. 5 stars
    I have cooked a LOT of salmon over the years. Directly out of the Kenai, from the grocer, Atlantic, soho, humpies, you name it – across the spectrum. Grilled, smoked, poached, broiled, baked.

    But this air fryer recipe is absolutely amazing. It is hands-down not only the easy method you’ll ever find it gives the BEST salmon filets I’ve ever made.

    I never would have expected this from an air fryer.

    Totally impressed.

    Reply

  83. That’s what i do. The vent fan takes away any smell. I don’t like fried food smells in my house, and especially fish smells. I just haVe to make sure to have room on the stove for cooking the sides, or cook ahead, or cook in the oven.

    Reply

  86. 5 stars
    I have never cooked myself such delicious salmon. Will never do it any other way now!! Bought the air fryer you suggested and love it. Truly the best salmon in less than 10 minutes.

    Reply

  112. I just received my air fryer last night! I am so excited!!! . i am going to do this recipe today (salmon) question so do you always have to use cooking spray or oil when cooking in air fryer? i did not know that. i am guessing the best investment would be to buy cooking sprays? thoughts?

    Reply

  114. 5 stars
    Hello, you’ve got some wonderful looking cucumbers or zuchini in the picture but no reference to what or how they are done for a side dish. Can you please explain what those are and simply how you made them.
    Thanks

    Mike

    Reply

  156. 5 stars
    Great food with less effort…just how cooking should be! Absolutely loved this recipe and will definitely be making again! Also really loved the aluminum foil tip.

    Reply

  169. 5 stars
    Made this for supper tonight and was so easy and perfectly seasoned. Trying to get more “better” fish into our diet and this recipe will certainly make it easier. Also did steamed asparagus in my instant pot for our veggie. Simple, easy meal for the two of us.

    Reply

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