Salmon in the air fryer comes out amazing! With a sweet glaze on top cooking fish in a Ninja Foodi or other brand is easy and a healthy dinner you’ll love.
Have you tried salmon in the air fryer yet? I was hesitant at first. It is one of my favorite foods and wasn’t so sure it would come out tender like we love it. It’s mind blowing!! Find this and many other easy air fryer recipes post. (originally published 12/19, affiliate links present)
OH MY was this a hit at my house the other night. Using this great dry rub you too can make amazing fish in a Ninja Foodi or Cosori hot air machine.
Ninja Foodi Salmon
Use any brand you have on your countertop and the directions are just the same.
If you love air fryer recipes too, here are some resources to start with:
- THIS is my Favorite Air Fryer!
- You can find more Air fryer recipes here, we have Ninja Foodi recipes as well; bookmark them both!
- This is the best air fryer cookbook. It’s important to know and remember how to preheat air fryer for best results.
- Here’s a printable air fryer cook times chart here for your fridge.
- It has temp. and times for making the best frozen foods for air fryer too.
- Then join our Facebook page where you can share and find more ideas you’ll love. We have a Foodi social media group as well.
The wonderful thing about this hot air cooking device is dinner is done fast! We don’t just want it done fast though, we want it perfect too.
It does both! I’ve been amazed at just how much I love this method of cooking.
To start with you’ll want to buy a nice fillet of salmon. Fresh is always best but occasionally you might need to buy frozen salmon and defrost it.
Get out a plate or cutting board so you can prepare it before placing it inside your air fryer basket.
Air fryer salmon
- Salmon fillets
- Brown sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Garlic powder
- Pepper
- Parsley
- Butter
- Or for seasoning you can use our salmon dry rub recipe.
A bit like our oven fried fish method, you need no oil to cook this either. Since there is no breading it won’t have a crunchy outside texture. The inside will be flaky and tender just as you’d want it.
Before this, our favorite method was this smoked salmon recipe which is still incredible. If we don’t want to wait hours and hours though, this is a close second.
Salmon in the air fryer
First you’ll want to make sure your fillet is defrosted and free from any bones. Obvious but let’s take this step by step shall we.
- Mix together the ingredients for your dry rub.
- Lay your fish on a cutting board and season salmon filet well on the side without skin.
Spray the inside of your air fryer basket with non stick olive oil cooking spray so it’s easier to clean later.
- Lay your filet inside and put slices of butter on the top
- Close your drawer and set to 400 degrees for about 13 minutes or until it’s flaky and as done on the inside as you’d like. My husband likes his rather rare while I am closer to well done so cook time will vary.
Remove, slice and enjoy with a side or as is.
Here’s a peek of what air fryer salmon looks like when it’s done to perfection.
How long does it take to cook fish in an air fryer?
Typically if you cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes it is a good beginning. I suggest checking it at this time. Open basket and spray the fish on the side that is facing up if you want the outside super crispy.
For non breaded fish this step isn’t necessary. If there is no skin on your piece, then flip and cook other side for 7 minutes.
- For this piece there isn’t any flipping involved. Just check for doneness and continue cooking 2 more minutes at a time until it is perfectly cooked.
How do you know when salmon is finished?
Salmon will change from translucent (red or raw) to opaque (pink) as it cooks. After 10 minutes of cooking a whole fillet, check for doneness.
- Take a sharp knife to peek into the thickest part.
If the meat is beginning to flake, but still has a little translucency in the middle, it is done. That is what I look for in our best baked salmon recipe too.
- It should not however, look raw.
- If salmon is cooked too long the meat can start to turn grey. (you don’t want that)
The whole process of prepping and cooking will take approximately 30 minutes start to finish.
Cooking in an air fryer has been a game changer for us! Healthy fish recipes take just minutes to make, and pork chops come out nice and tender every time.
Here are a few questions you might have before you get started on this:
Grilled, steamed, or air fryer vegetables. Flaky fish like tilapia, salmon and flounder are probably our favorites. Potatoes always make a great side dish no matter how you prepare them: roasted, fried, or mashed potatoes loaded with toppings are a must for dinner here.
Butter noodles are on the top of my girls’ list as far as side dishes go.
Salad and white rice are a given for almost every meal.
The next day rolls around, and you’re left wondering if it’s okay to still eat it. YES. Salmon lasts in the fridge for up to 3 days after it has been cooked.
Of course it has the best texture and taste the very next day but in case you forget about it you can eat it beyond that.
- Add it into tuna casserole! Skip the canned tuna and substitute what you have left over inside this old fashioned favorite of a meal.
- We’ve done this with our Instant Pot salmon before.
Storing leftover salmon is easy. Just put inside of an airtight container, or we use gallon freezer bags.
Once you have your piece(s) inside make a small opening at the zipper closure and suck the air out. This will ensure it stays as moist as possible in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat it.
Use our printable recipe below and let us know what you think in the comments when you make this. I bet it will become a new family favorite like it has for us here. You might make fish lovers out of your kids with this one too!
It is just amazing I tell you my friends!
Other fish recipes you might like:
- Instant Pot fish and vegetables cooked together is a favorite.
- We have made both air fryer tilapia and Instant Pot tilapia we love this type so much.
- Then try our air fryer fried shrimp another night.
We have a bunch of other air fryer fish recipes here too.
Salmon in Ninja Foodi
Time needed: 14 minutes.
Salmon in Air Fryer
- Mix rub
Mix seasonings together listed, or use our dry rub recipe. Place fillet on a cutting board and rub flesh generously with it.
- Cook
Spray air fryer basket with non stick spray and put piece with skin side down inside. Cut butter into thin slices and put on top evenly across top of fish.
Close and air fry for 13-15 minutes at 400 degrees or until fish is flaky and as done as you desire. - Enjoy
Serve with side dish and eat immediately for best texture and taste.
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Salmon in the Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 lb salmon fillet
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp parsley dry or fresh chopped
- 4 tbsp butter sliced
Instructions
- Mix seasonings together. Place fillet on a cutting board and rub flesh generously with it.
- Spray air fryer basket with non stick spray and put piece with skin side down inside.
- Cut butter into thin slices and put on top evenly across top of fish.
- Close and air fry for 13-15 minutes at 400 degrees or until fish is flaky and as done as you desire.
Barb
Sunday 2nd of January 2022
Easy peasy and delish. I air fried mine in lemon slices as I’m not a fan of cooking spray. New favorite.
The Typical Mom
Monday 3rd of January 2022
Yeah!
Brittany Basurto
Monday 29th of March 2021
can I bake this in the oven instead of air frying?
The Typical Mom
Monday 29th of March 2021
yes you could, I have a recipe for oven baked salmon, just use the search bar to bring that one up
Belinda
Tuesday 9th of March 2021
I am a diabetic and was wondering if this recipe can be made without the brown sugar? wasn't sure if there was another reason why there is brown sugar other than giving it sweetness.
The Typical Mom
Tuesday 9th of March 2021
I know there is a Splenda version of brown sugar, you could try that. Or omit but it would obviously taste much different
Mary
Tuesday 2nd of February 2021
I tried this tonight and it was delicious! Cheated and had a bit more than 1 serving.... Love this recipe. Thank you for this great recipe!
The Typical Mom
Thursday 4th of February 2021
Oh good!!
Jeanie
Tuesday 15th of September 2020
This was probably the best salmon I've ever made! Simple to do and absolutely delicious! I tried to add a picture but it didn't work. I served okra in the air fryer as a side (your recipe), using two Instant Pots with the IP air fryer lid for the salmon and the Mealthy CrispLid for the salmon. The skin of the salmon stuck to the air fryer basket, even though I'd sprayed it. What I could get up was delicious, however. Maybe next time, I'd mist a little oil on the skin side of the salmon. Would the parchment air fryer liners work in the basket?
The Typical Mom
Tuesday 15th of September 2020
So glad you loved it too