Frozen Salmon in Air Fryer

Frozen salmon in air fryer is so easy! From rock hard to flaky and tender in no time you should try fish in a Ninja Foodi or other brand. Once you try frozen fish in air fryer you’ll never go back.

Ninja Foodi Frozen Salmon

OH how we do love cooking air fryer fish! Whether you remember to thaw it out the night before or have forgetful moments like me it will always be a success. You can use the directions below in an AirWave, Cosori or Foodi with the lid that is attached.

We first made Instant Pot frozen salmon in our pressure cooker but I will admit this may be my favorite. You get that tenderness inside but a bit of a crisp on the edges this way. I swear I use this thing on a daily basis!

Air Fryer Frozen Salmon Fillet with Skin

It really doesn’t matter whether there is skin attached or it has been removed. I will say that I don’t eat that part BUT it is best to have it attached if at all possible to keep your pieces moist as they air fry. It has a lot of great Omega 3s in it too so even if you peel it off some will seep in as it cooks.

I’m sure you’ve done this before…. You buy a bag at the grocery store from the freezer section and intend on making it the next day. Then 4:00 rolls around and you remember “OH NO” I never put it into the fridge! NO worries now my friends. Even if it is rock hard this magical machine can essentially thaw it out quickly and have it fork tender for you in no time at all.

To add flavor a marinade of sorts was made. We love our salmon dry rub but one with a bit of liquid is better to keep it moist though. If you had your own mixture that you love you could use that instead. OR you can throw together our Salmon Dry Rub and sprinkle that on instead.

How long to cook frozen salmon in air fryer

Well that is what we’re here to help you with folks. 😉 Once you brush on this garlicy mixture on top you’ll want to spray your basket so it doesn’t stick. Then cook for about 10 minutes until flaky in the middle. It really is that simple at the end of the day. With that said there is a slight range of air fryer cook times depending on the thickness of your fillet(s). Try to put the same size pieces in at a time. If some are thin and others aren’t then a few will be overcooked, yuck.

The worst to me is gray fish. I would rather have it slightly underdone than dry and tasteless so I check frequently at the end until it is just right. One extra minute will make it go from good to cooked too much so stay close.

It doesn’t matter what brand of machine you use, they all work basically the same way. If you want to use the easy butter smear you see here, this is what you’re going to need to have handy….

Ingredients

1. Frozen salmon fillets or of course you could just cook one at a time if need be.
2. Butter should be melted but not completely liquified if you know what I mean.
3. Brown sugar will give this a bit of sweetness. I tell you, savory and sweet is killer y’all.
4. Garlic you can either chop really finely yourself or just do what I do and buy it in a jar. I buy this stuff in huge containers my friends, use it on everything.
5. Parsley
6. Lemon
7. Salt and pepper

You’ll add the last one to taste of course. I like to add a tad and then re-season after it is cooked because you can’t take off too much right?

Frozen Salmon in Air Fryer with Foil

There is no need for foil unless you are concerned with cleanup. I wouldn’t flip it over either or else it will start to break all apart. I would recommend not using any aluminum though as the holes on the bottom will heat your pieces nicely all the way around perfectly.

The only time I will use something on the bottom is when we make grilled frozen salmon but I don’t even wrap those entirely because I want the smoke to flavor the meat.

Defrosted Salmon in Ninja Foodi Air Fryer

Did you remember to thaw your fresh salmon out?? We have instructions for that too with great seasonings on the outside which will stick when thawed. Follow our air fryer salmon with dry rub recipe here for those steps. See which one you like best, or even if you sense a difference between the two.

What is a good side dish with salmon?

I think you should make some air fryer cauliflower as I always do if I have it on hand. Parmesan air fryer broccoli is my daughters’ favorite too! A few other options would be;

• Pressure cooker quinoa is higher in protein than rice but has the same texture
• Air fryer corn on the cob
• I have even made air fryer beets to get my kids to try something new and they actually liked them!

Here are brief instructions but more detailed and amount of ingredients is below in printable recipe card. I always recommend to preheat the air fryer but if you don’t it won’t be ruined:

How to Cook Frozen Salmon in Air Fryer with Lemon Pepper

• Preheat air fryer to 360F for 5 minutes.
• Spray inside of air fryer basket with non stick spray. Put frozen fillets inside basket without overlapping your pieces.
• In a small bowl mix melted butter (you could use olive oil instead), brown sugar, garlic, salt and pepper and parsley together.
• Brush this mixture on top of each piece, then squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of each.
• Close basket and air fry at 360 F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cooked fish should easily flake apart with a fork in the thickest part when done.

at 400 Degrees

Like I said before, cooking the salmon will have slight variations in time depending on how thick it is. Test the biggest piece before removing from the basket and serving. Some like using 400 degrees for 8 minutes, a bit shorter, but I feel a bit lower is better to get as tender as possible, and not as crispy.