Air Fryer Maple Glazed Salmon

This air fryer maple glazed salmon marinates in maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic and black pepper before getting another brush of the maple mixture halfway through cooking. It’s an easy weeknight salmon dinner with lots of flavor and only eight minutes in the air fryer.

Air Fryer Maple Glazed Salmon with a Maple Soy Marinade

Rice goes on while this maple glazed salmon is marinating, and whatever vegetable I have planned usually gets figured out somewhere in those 30 minutes. Once the salmon goes into the air fryer, dinner happens quickly from there, which is what I want on a weeknight anyway.

There isn’t much to keep track of with this one. I can deal with everything else I’m eating while the salmon sits in the maple soy marinade, then give it another brush halfway through cooking and let the air fryer finish it. I have no interest in turning dinner into a marathon when eight minutes will do.

The maple soy glaze gets sticky around the edges as it cooks and does that sweet-salty thing maple and soy do so well together. By the time the salmon comes out, I’m usually waiting on the rice instead of the fish.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• Maple is one of the main flavors, and pancake syrup isn’t the same thing. The real stuff mixes right into the soy sauce and gives the marinade all the sweetness it needs.
• Low-sodium soy sauce is what I use because the salmon sits in it for 30 minutes. Regular soy sauce makes it too salty for me, while low-sodium keeps it savory without drowning out the maple.
• Garlic powder is very much on purpose. Fresh garlic sounds better until the pieces start getting too dark in an air fryer. The powder disappears right into the maple soy marinade, and with the maple already caramelizing on the salmon, fresh garlic doesn’t need to get involved.
• Thirty minutes is enough time for the marinade. The salmon gets the maple, soy, garlic and pepper, and I still get to make dinner without planning half my day around a piece of fish.
• Before the salmon goes into the marinade, I set some of the maple soy mixture aside. That clean portion gets brushed over the salmon halfway through cooking, when the surface is already hot and the maple can really start doing its thing. I get the sticky maple soy coating I want without making a second sauce in a saucepan, an extra step I’m fine not to have.

Ingredients

• Salmon fillets – Try to choose fillets that are close in thickness so they finish cooking at about the same time. They don’t need to match perfectly, but one very thin piece will try to leave the party early.
• Pure maple syrup – Use the real thing. Maple is one of the main flavors in the recipe, so pancake syrup is not a convincing substitute.
• Low-sodium soy sauce – This gives the marinade its savory, salty side without overpowering the maple during that 30-minute soak.
• Garlic powder – The powder blends into the marinade and doesn’t leave tiny chunks of fresh garlic on the salmon that can get too dark in the air fryer.
• Coarsely ground black pepper – I use a coarser grind because I like seeing the pepper once it’s mixed into the maple and soy.

How To Make Air Fryer Maple Glazed Salmon

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (make the maple soy marinade)
  Whisk together the maple syrup, low-sodium soy sauce, garlic powder and black pepper. Before the salmon goes anywhere near it, set aside some of the maple soy mixture for brushing later. Pour the rest into a large zip-top bag, add the salmon, seal it up and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Step Two (get the salmon into the air fryer)
  Take the salmon out of the bag and discard the marinade that was in contact with the raw fish. Arrange the fillets in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving a little room between them. Cook at 375°F (190°C) for 8 minutes, keeping in mind that thicker fillets will need a little longer.
• Step Three (brush with more maple soy mixture)
  At the 4-minute mark, open the air fryer and brush each fillet with the maple soy mixture you set aside earlier. The surface is hot by now, so that second coating gets sticky very quickly.
• Step Four (finish cooking and serve)
  Close the air fryer and cook for the remaining 4 minutes, or until the salmon is done the way you like it and flakes easily with a fork. Serve it right away.

Recipe Tips

• Set aside some of the maple soy mixture before the raw salmon goes into the rest. That reserved portion is what you’ll use for the halfway brush, and anything left in the bag after marinating the salmon gets discarded.
• Maple syrup can darken quickly in the air fryer, so don’t assume a caramelized surface means the salmon is overcooked. Pay more attention to the fish itself and whether it has reached the doneness you want.
• Give the fillets some room in the basket instead of overlapping them. If all four won’t fit comfortably, cook the salmon in batches.
• Thirty minutes in the marinade gives me time to get rice going and deal with a vegetable. I wouldn’t stretch it into an hours-long soak because the soy sauce keeps seasoning the fish while it sits.
• If you want the basic method without the maple soy marinade, my air fryer salmon recipe is where I go into timing, temperature and the general method in more detail.
• Don’t shove the maple syrup back in the pantry and forget about it. My crispy maple-mustard glazed chicken cutlets give you another reason to leave it on the counter.

Storage and Reheating

• Keep leftover maple glazed salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I usually leave the fillets whole instead of breaking them apart because they hold onto their moisture better that way.
• To reheat them in the air fryer, use 325°F (165°C) for a few minutes and start checking early. The maple on the surface can darken again as it reheats, so I use a lower temperature than I do the first time around and stop as soon as the salmon is warm.
• The microwave is fine when the convenience needs to wins. Use short intervals and don’t keep going once the center is warm, because salmon will go from reheated to regrettable very quickly.

FAQs

• Can I use skin-on salmon?
  Yes. Put the fillets skin-side down in the air fryer basket and leave them that way while they cook. The maple soy marinade seasons the exposed flesh while the skin stays underneath.
• Can I use regular soy sauce instead of low-sodium soy sauce?
  You can, but the finished salmon will be much saltier. Since it sits in the marinade for 30 minutes, I like low-sodium soy sauce so the maple still gets to be one of the main flavors.
• Can I use pancake syrup instead of pure maple syrup?
  I wouldn’t. Maple is too important to the recipe for pancake syrup to stand in for it, and the flavor isn’t the same.
• How do I know when the salmon is done?
  It should flake easily with a fork, and the center should be cooked to the doneness you like. Thickness is more important than timing, so eight minutes is my cooking time, not a promise every salmon fillet has signed.
• Can I marinate the salmon longer than 30 minutes?
  I wouldn’t turn this into an all-afternoon marinade. Thirty minutes gives the maple soy mixture enough time with the salmon, and the soy sauce keeps seasoning the fish the longer it sits.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• More time doesn’t always make something better. Sometimes it means I left it sitting there longer.
• Thirty minutes can be okay when something is truly taking in what you’ve given it.
• I tend to trust things more when they know what they need and stop asking for extras.
• Heat has always had a way of making certain situations easier to read.
• A second coating at the right moment can change a lot without starting over.
• Eight minutes isn’t very long, but it’s long enough for something to become distinctly itself.
• A general knowing when something is done is useful information. Knowing when I’m done waiting for it is useful too.

Salmon and I Have a Very Flexible Arrangement

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Print Recipe

4.92 from 24 votes

Air Fryer Maple Glazed Salmon

Air Fryer Maple Glazed Salmon uses a quick maple-soy marinade and a second brush of the maple mixture halfway through cooking. The salmon cooks in only eight minutes for an easy weeknight dinner with plenty of sweet and savory flavor.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time8 minutes mins

Marinating:30 minutes mins

Total Time43 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Air Fryer Maple Glazed Salmon, air fryer maple salmon, maple glazed salmon, maple salmon air fryer, Maple Soy Salmon

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 255kcal

Author: Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• Air Fryer A basket-style air fryer allows hot air to circulate around the salmon while the maple-soy coating cooks onto the surface.
• Ziploc bag Gives the salmon plenty of contact with the maple-soy marinade during the 30-minute marinating time.
• mixing bowls (small) For holding the portion of maple-soy mixture reserved before the raw salmon is added.
• pastry brush Makes it easy to add another coating of the reserved maple-soy mixture halfway through cooking.

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup (105 g) maple syrup
• 3 tbsps (45 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
• ½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder
• ½ tsp (1 g) coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 lb (454 g) salmon fillets

Instructions

• Whisk the maple syrup, low-sodium soy sauce, garlic powder and black pepper together until well combined. Reserve a small portion of the maple-soy mixture for brushing, then pour the remaining marinade into a large zip-top bag. Add the salmon fillets, seal the bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  ⅓ cup (105 g) maple syrup, 3 tbsps (45 ml) low-sodium soy sauce, ½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder, ½ tsp (1 g) coarsely ground black pepper , 1 lb (454 g) salmon fillets
• Remove the salmon from the marinade and discard the marinade from the bag. Arrange the salmon fillets in the air fryer basket in a single layer with space between them. Air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 8 minutes, adjusting the cooking time as needed for the thickness of the fillets.
• After 4 minutes, brush the salmon with the reserved maple-soy mixture. Return the basket to the air fryer and continue cooking until the salmon is cooked to your preferred doneness and flakes easily with a fork.
• Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

• For the best maple flavor, use pure maple syrup rather than pancake syrup.
• Salmon fillets vary in thickness, so use the 8-minute cooking time as a guide and check thicker pieces for doneness before serving.
• Reserve the maple-soy mixture for brushing before adding the raw salmon. Discard the marinade that has been in contact with the raw fish.
• Arrange the fillets in a single layer without overlapping so hot air can circulate around each piece.
• If your salmon fillets are different thicknesses, begin checking the thinner pieces first and remove them when they are done.
• Nutrition information is calculated using approximately 25% of the maple-soy marinade, since most of the marinade is discarded after the salmon is removed from the bag.
• Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on the brands and specific ingredients used.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Air Fryer Maple Glazed Salmon

Amount Per Serving (113 g)

Calories 255 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Polyunsaturated Fat 4g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 62mg21%

Sodium 168mg7%

Potassium 441mg13%

Carbohydrates 5g2%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 23g46%

Vitamin A 219IU4%

Vitamin C 18mg22%

Calcium 18mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have you made this Air Fryer Maple Glazed Salmon? I’d love to hear how it turned out — leave a comment below and let me know.

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