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)
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!
- Grab the best air fryer cookbook here.
- 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.
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!
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.
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.
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***** If you LOVED this recipe give it 5 Stars below and let everyone know what you thought about it. 😉
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.
Jeanie says
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 says
So glad you loved it too
Penny says
Tried this tonight. Delicious! Perfect amount of sweet and savory. Thank you!!!
The Typical Mom says
OH yay!
Shannon says
What insert are you using in the air fryer for the salmon?
The Typical Mom says
Not following, it’s just the air fryer basket. If you’re using a Ninja Foodi just use a trivet with fish on top and close crisp lid.
maryam berroa says
Hi, if I want the salmon to be breaded what other steps are involved?
Thanks for your time!
Bianca Barta says
I’ve tried this tonight after I’ve tried your pork tenderloin the other night. This comes out so good as well. I didn’t use brown sugar I used old bay blackened spices. I got a Ninja foodi grill and new to air fryer overall. I will never in a million years I wouldn’t think to put butter in the air fryer. I feel i will be coming back here often :). Thanks!
The Typical Mom says
Yay love hearing success stories, make sure you sign up for my newsletter for more goodies!
Bianca says
Where do I sign up?
Valerie says
Just made this and it was delicious, the only change was I used the Slap Your Mama seasoning, it has salt , pepper and garlic already in it. I poured the over run of brown sugar and butter mixture in the bottom of air fryer over the salmon. This is my new go to recipe.
The Typical Mom says
I will have to try that seasoning!
Jennifer says
That is A LOT of butter on top of the salmon…
The Typical Mom says
Ok, so add less if you’d rather.