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.
This turns out to be a great meal! Even if you’ve forgotten to defrost dinner you can still cook it to tender and flaky. Just one kitchen hack on our easy air fryer recipes page you’ll love. (affiliate links present)
Frozen Salmon Recipe
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!
If you love extra crispy food and quick recipes, here are some resources to start with:
- My Favorite models are this Cosori or for a dual machine, the Foodi.
- You can find more Ninja Foodi recipes here as well; bookmark them both!
- It is best practice to put food into a hot basket. this is how to preheat air fryer first.
- Here’s a printable free air fryer cooking time chart here for your fridge.
with Skin
I will say that skin on is best if at all possible to keep your pieces moist as they air fry. Even if you don’t eat it, it will trap the moisture and can be peeled off later but left on will give you the best results. 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….
Ingredient Notes
- Frozen salmon fillets or of course you could just cook one at a time if need be.
- Butter should be melted but not completely liquified if you know what I mean.
- Brown sugar will give this a bit of sweetness. I tell you, savory and sweet is killer y’all.
- 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.
- Parsley makes it pretty at the end and adds a bit of texture
- Lemon slices from fresh are best
- Salt and pepper are basic seasonings but use ones you love best
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?
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.
FAQ
Nope! You can cook it just as well as white fillets of air fryer frozen fish in just a few minutes. You probably won’t even know the difference. Just about 10 minutes does the trick.
It doesn’t make a difference, so that is great to know right? The vitamins, minerals and Omega 3s stay in tact whether it is rock solid or defrosted when cooked. It’s one of the healthiest foods you could ever eat really.
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 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?
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;
- Imake Pressure cooker quinoa which is higher in protein than rice but has the same texture when we showed you how to smoke salmon too
- 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!
Frozen Salmon in Air Fryer
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 15 oz salmon, 3-5 oz. fillets that are frozen and not defrosted
Lemon Pepper Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp parsley, chopped or dried flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Spray inside of air fryer basket with non stick spray. Put frozen fillets inside basket without overlapping them.
- In a small bowl mix melted butter, brown sugar, garlic, salt, 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 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until fish easily flakes apart with a fork in the center, thickest part. * Timing will vary slightly depending on how thick your pieces are. Try to put the same thicknesses in at a time.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.
I tried this recipe tonight, my little Doxie and i just loved this, when you buy Salmon from the store, on a fixed senior income, you get what you can afford!!! i cannot stand a fishy taste, and between the brown sugar ,lemon, i added some lemon pepper and powdered garlic, no fishy taste!!! win, win.
So glad