Breaded salmon bites in air fryer or in Ninja Foodi is here! Bite size air fryer fish nuggets lightly breaded and fork tender with tons of flavor. If you love seafood as much as we do you and your kids are going to love these for dinner.
You can tell your kids these are salmon nuggets since most love anything with that last term right? 😉 Little will they know though that these aren’t processed at all, homemade with breadcrumbs and super healthy for them too. Get ready for more great air fryer recipes here friends.
Below in the recipe card we will explain how to make salmon in air fryer cut into smaller chunks like this here. You will need to make sure it is defrosted or a fresh fillet or else the coating on the outside will not stick well. I mean plain with just seasoning is wonderful too but this way it will stay together better to be picked up like a finger food if you want.
We have made frozen salmon air fryer style before too but breaded isn’t an option for that. A great option when you forget to thaw it ahead of time but you’d need to follow the recipe above if it is still solid. Our family just cannot get enough fish for dinner. It is likely my fault. I grew up in Hawaii and that was usually a part of each meal. I know, lucky girl.
I’m super grateful my girls have acquired a taste for it too and even will say that their favorite meal would be salmon sushi. Seriously, raw or cooked they are all about this pink fish. In the past I always made baked salmon, which I may say is AMAZING.
Ingredient Notes
You want to pick up a pound of fresh salmon cut into cubes, or bite sized pieces so it cooks super quick. You can either keep them “naked” and toss with sauce like our teriyaki salmon air fryer recipe when done or bread like you see here.
Olive oil spray will crisp up more near the end and help your breading stick well. You can alternatively use a whisked egg or brush mayonnaise on top of each piece.
We used Italian breadcrumbs for the ones you see here but you could use gluten free Panko breadcrumbs if you’d rather have a lighter coating. You can leave these plain or toss with a sauce at the end like our bang bang shrimp sauce which is killer.
Variations
If you didn’t wanted low carbs you could just coat with or salmon dry rub. Like I said above though it won’t be easy to pick up so you’d need a fork to eat those babies. Honestly we love both but we are going to explain the other in more detail here.
Want to add some sweetness to your savory meal? Drizzle a bit of this on top and guaranteed your kids will go crazy over them. To make spicy you can go with our hot honey salmon, try a mustard sauce sometime, try teriyaki or a few of each.
Ninja Foodi Salmon Bites
I don’t like to deep fry anything because it isn’t healthy and in this case the breading will sluff off a bit too. You really can get the same crispy texture using a Ninja Foodi or Cosori. With the foodi you will use the lid that is attached with the air crisp button to make this way.
Tips
You never want to cook fish too long or it will dry out. The best way to get it crisp but not grey is to stay close in this case. After the first 6 minutes is up, check by breaking one in half. If it is not translucent inside they are done. Light pink is what you want.
It is important that the basket is coated well or else the breading will stick and pull off when you remove them. So sad. You don’t necessarily need anything to dip them in but no matter what comes out of the sea that I make, my kids want tartar sauce so there’s that……
Air Fryer Salmon Bites Recipe
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon, cut into cubes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp coriander
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 6 tbsp breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Rinse salmon filet, dry excess moisture on outside with napkins. Remove the skin, then cut into cubes about 1×1 inch thick. Place the salmon pieces in a bowl. Next, add spices, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt on top and toss together.
- Leave for 15 minutes to marinate in the bowl, or you can immediately proceed to the next step.
- Pour breadcrumbs into a deep bowl, roll each piece of salmon in breadcrumbs so that the crumbs completely cover it.
- Spray basket with non stick spray. Transfer coated pieces to the air fryer basket, that has been preheated to 360 F for 6 minutes on one side. Then turn over and bake for another two minutes.
- It is very important not to make the fish too dry. Serve the salmon pieces immediately while the breadcrumbs remain crispy.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Fried Option
Now if you just wanted to fry these you totally could. I would recommend using a deep pan or cast iron skillet with just 1″ of hot oil inside before you add them just to crisp the outsides. It doesn’t need long, please do NOT overcook seafood, that is tragic.
FAQ
I mean baked with just a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper in the oven would be best. Adding bread crumbs does add some carbs and calories but just a dusting can give it a nice texture without adding any fat.
We have a homemade from scratch salmon bites recipe here, that is the healthiest. All you need is fish, breadcrumbs, a bit of olive oil and seasonings. Frozen store bought will have added preservatives in it and may have a fish mixture instead of an actual fillet.
How to Serve
Beyond just serving them on a plate you could make them into salmon kabobs with roasted vegetables or make a salmon bowl out of it too!! OMG this is so good, our favorite creation. Picture a poke bowl of sorts except the protein is cooked. So make a bed of arborio rice to serve it on and then the other sides are many, your choice. A few favorites would be;
Kimchi was always a favorite of my dads. Any type of vegetable cooked to tender is what I like to pile, simple ingredients is where it’s at. Mini marinated corn are fun for the kids. I love air fryer cabbage of some kind whether it is raw like coleslaw or cooked down. It is nice to have something cool sometimes like sriracha mayo drizzled over everything
How to Save Leftovers
Since these are breaded the texture on the outside, when you reheat them the outside will be soft. Best way to crisp it back up is in this same countertop machine for a minute or two. When you save in the fridge lay them in a piece of foil in a single layer for up to 48 hours, then you’ll want to enjoy them again.
