Tips For Making Cod In The Air Fryer
A Salmon A Day Will Keep Your Omega
As we all know, salmon isnt only delicious its deliciously good for you! One of the big health benefits is in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosatetraenoic acid , and docosahexaenoic acid . And as a basic rule of thumb, most health officials recommend that healthy adults get between 250-1,000 mg of EPA and DHA combined a day.
And thats where our buddy the salmon filet comes into the picture.
Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential, which means they have to come from what we consume.
So, grab a couple of servings of salmon a week, and your body will say, Thank you! We appreciate the lower blood pressure and decreased risk factors for disease!
Youre welcome, body. Youre welcome.
Simple Air Fryer Salmon Recipes For Quick & Easy Dinners
How to Cook Salmon in Air Fryer with Skin On 3 Tasty Ways!
Simplify your dinnertime hustle with these air fryer salmon recipes that all need just a few minutes to cook! Ill show you how to cook salmon in an air fryer with 3 easy flavor varieties: a zesty lemon pepper paprika salmon, a parmesan crusted filet, and a savory honey soy ginger salmon.
We all want our homemade dinners to be easier and tastier, and the air fryer is here to help on both fronts. I love using the air fryer because I dont have to fuss with the oven or the stove, it can cook protein and veggies quickly, and the result is always delicious!
Salmon is a protein that can be prepped in so many different ways and it cooks quickly in general. But, it can also be fairly delicate and not everyone is comfortable with cooking it. Luckily, these air fryer salmon recipes make the process simple and stress-free. And, the filets turn out so yummy, even those who arent huge fans of salmon can enjoy!
Plus, salmon is one of the most nutrient-dense foods we can eat. In particular, its one of the best sources of the anti-inflammatory omega-3s that we all need. These air fryer salmon recipes can help make salmon a regular in your meal rotation! Ill walk you through how to cook salmon in the air fryer with 3 fun flavor options. Plus, my cooking tips for best results.
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How To Grill Salmon
Grilled salmon is a good reason to fire up the grill in any season. Cooking salmon over an open flame gives the fish that signature smoky flavor and perfectly caramelized crust, plus zero kitchen clean-up.
Get a year’s worth of bbq salmon recipes: 12 Ways to Enjoy the Best Grilled Salmon.
What Are The Best Air Fryers

Theres so many on the market now. You just need to research and find the ones that fits your needs, capacity and style. We group the basket style air fryers into 2 main size groups: 3-4 qt range & the 5-6 qt. range. Heres our favorites:
Cosori 3.7 qt. Digital Air FryerThats a stylish Air Fryer was said as we unboxed the Cosori. Beyond being stylish, it has cooked great. The basket is not as tall and wider than most in its size group, which is perfect. Youll have a lot better results in an air fryer with single layered, spread out foods, then with ones piled high and thick.The non-stick basket style & smoothness of the basket tray is also great for clean up.
Ninja 4 qt. Digital Air Fryer Has a great ceramic coated basket, one of the longest lasting weve used. Super powerful fan that will often cook recipes even faster than other air fryers. We initially returned our first one because we thought we wouldnt like the basket style. After reconsidering, we bought another and are super glad we did. We love its basket and just a platform insert. One less bulky thing to wash. This is a great air fryer.
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Does Air Fried Salmon Keep
Air fryer salmon is a great option for meal prep, you can easily add it to salads and grains for easy and quick lunches and dinners. It will keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the pieces of cooked salmon for up to 3 months, just thaw in the fridge overnight and then warm until heated through.
Helpful Tips To Make Salmon In The Air Fryer
- Spray the basket with a propellant-free oil or use air fryer parchment to prevent the skin from sticking to the basket.
- Theres no need to pre-heat to air fryer.
- Dont overcrowd the basket so you get decent air flow.
- There is no need to flip the salmon, it will cook on both sides fine.
- To know if salmon is ready, the fish will change from translucent to opaque as it cooks. Check for doneness after 6 to 8 minutes of cooking, by peeking into the thickest part with a sharp knife or fork. It should flake, but still has a little translucency in the center when its done.
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Storing & Reheating Best Practices
Salmon is prone to drying out and developing a tough crust in storage. To prevent this from happening, keep it in an airtight container . When stored properly, it will keep for up to 3 days.
Reheating Tip: To reheat the salmon, place it back in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes, or until warmed through. Make sure to top it with a little more butter and lemon to add moisture.
Air Fryer Vs Convection Oven
- Air fryers cook food faster than an oven does. Because of the small size of air fryers, the heat inside is more concentrated and powerful. This results in quick and crispy results.
- Air fryers dont get as hot as an oven. Usually air fryers have temperature controls from 100°F to 390°F. This can be limiting if youre looking to broil something or use a higher temperature.
- Air fryers have limited space for cooking food. For example, the NuWave air fryer is 3.5 quarts which is pretty decent for a family of 4. There are some large ones, but theyll never be as large as your oven.
- Air fryers take up space on a kitchen counter. As convenient as they are, air fryers are still another appliance to place on prime kitchen counter space. So you have to decide if you will use them enough. Im now seeing toaster ovens that have air fryer capabilities as a new trend. Thats great to save on space and get double the functions in one appliance.
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How To Cook Frozen Salmon In Air Fryer
Like our air fryer chicken wings tutorial, you can cook salmon from frozen in the air fryer. Essentially the way it works is that you first defrost the salmon in the air fryer and then cook it as directed.
So, before beginning our recipe, place frozen salmon portions skin-side down on the air fryer basket. Cook at 400ºF for 7-9 minutes, or until defrosted.
Then, follow our recipe as directed.
Honey Garlic Salmon In Air Fryer Ingredients
Air Fryer Salmon or this Honey Garlic Salmon in air fryer is made with less than 5 ingredients. Yup, you read that right! This means less mess, less time, and more time doing whatever the heck you want.
Heres all you gotta pull together:
- Salmon Filets- you can use just about any kind of salmon youd like. I prefer to use 6-8 ounce Atlantic salmon filets but sockeye or coho are also delicious options!
- Honey- the better the quality of honey you use, the tastier the salmon will be. Honey adds an irresistible sticky sweetness and a slightly floral taste. If you dont like or have honey, use maple syrup instead!
- Soy Sauce- I know you might assume soy sauce will impart a distinctly Asian-style flavor to this salmon but you shouldnt. Soy sauce adds salt, depth of flavor, and an umami-like quality to this recipe. For a gluten-free version, you can use tamari. Coconut aminos is also a fun healthy twist!
- Garlic- I prefer to fresh grate the garlic it releases all the flavor and creates a sort of paste that coats the salmon more evenly.
- Salt + Pepper- everything needs salt and pepper so dont skimp out here! If you wanna add some kick, throw a little cayenne into the mix.
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Why This Will Be Your Go
This air fryer frozen salmon recipe is the best! Not only does it make a perfect on-the-go protein choice, but its also a simple dish thats easy and delicious.
- Flaky and tender! Moist and tasty salmon fillets with crisped skin on the edges.
- Convenient and fast! Perfectly cooked salmon in only 16 minutes with 0 prep time!
- No need to thaw! You do not have to defrost salmon in air fryer cooking. The fillets can be cooked frozen.
- No guesswork! I have outlined everything you need to know about the best times and temperatures.
How To Make Salmon In The Air Fryer

Rinse off the salmon filets and pat dry each piece of fish with a paper towel. Lightly drizzle or brush oil over both pieces of salmon, coating both sides of the salmon portions.
Combine garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir together.
Coat salmon with seasonings on both sides of each fillet.
Prepare basket by spraying with a nonstick spray or line with a piece of parchment paper, made for the air fryer.
Place seasoned salmon in the air fryer basket and cook at 380 degrees Fahrenheit with a cook time of 10-12 minutes.
Check for doneness using a fork. Salmon should flake easily, and the internal temperature in the thickest part of the salmon should be 145 degrees F. You can check the internal temperature of the salmon with a meat thermometer.
Serve immediately with a side of lemon wedges and garlic butter, and garnish with parsley flakes.
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Does An Air Fryer Brown Food
You can see how beautiful the color is when they are finished, not to mention extremely juicy and tender.
Salmon has been on the menu a lot more since I started making it this way.
When you reheat food thats been cooked in an air fryer, it remains juicy and tender, as if the juices were locked init is amazing.
If youve been waiting to get an air fryer, I hope this propels you to make it happen. Please check out my other air fryer recipes here.
There are so many things you can make in an air fryer, in fact, the possibilities are endless. I know my kids love these Air Fryer Fish Nuggets. And who wouldnt love a batch of these Air Fryer Spicy Sweet Potato Fries? And who would have thought Air Fryer Roasted Corn would turn out so perfect. And holy wow these Copycat Taco Bell Air Fryer Crunch Wraps sound over the top. But these Air Fryer Reuben Egg Rolls also sound crazy good along with this Air Fryer Chicken recipe that uses buffalo sauce!
One year ago I shared my Grapefruit Cranberry Martini with you, have you made it yet? Five years ago this quick dinner of Loaded Sausage and Gravy Baked Potatoes came into my life and is still a quick dinner for us. Seven years ago I learned to make Chicago-Style Hot Dogs at home and shared them with you. Eight years ago these Cornmeal-Blueberry Scones made me feel like spring in the middle of winter. And nine years ago this Asparagus Popover won me over.
Making Perfect Air Fryer Salmon
Making tasty salmon in the air fryer is a no-brainer and only requires minimal prep work for maximum taste.
- Season the Salmon Fillets: First, season the salmon fillets with garlic parsley salt.
- Assemble the Fillets: Next, place the fillets in a single layer in the air fryer basket with the skin-side down.
- Top the Fillets: Place a bat of butter and a lemon slice on each piece of salmon.
- Air Fry the Salmon: Lastly, air fry the salmon at 400°F for 10-13 minutes. Enjoy!
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How To Make It
- Season the salmon. Season the salmon with olive oil, pressed garlic, salmon rub, and salt . To make your own salmon rub, combine 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon brown sugar.
- Oil the air fryer basket/sheet. If you have an oven-type air fryer, line the baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. If its the basket air fryer, then just spray the basket with cooking spray.
- Cook. If you are using the oven air fryer then cook the salmon for 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have the basket air fryer, then cook it on one side for 10 minutes, and then 7 more on the other side. Then serve your flaky air fryer salmon with a few lemon wedges or as is.
Can I Use Frozen Salmon In The Air Fryer
Answer: Absolutely yes! Salmon in one of those meats which do not require thawing prior to cooking. For best results, we recommend running the salmon filet under cold water to remove any frost or ice crystals. Then pat dry with a paper towel. Now you will have a good surface with which to apply the seasonings.
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Frozen Salmon In Air Fryer Recipe
To air fry salmon from frozen:
- 2piecesfarm-raised frozen Atlantic salmon, skin-on and at 5.5 oz per fillet, about 1 to 1.5-inch thick fillet
For the bacon aioli:
- 3slicesturkey bacon, or pork bacon
- ½tspcoarse sea salt
- ¼+1/2tspgarlic powder
- ¼tspground black pepper
- 2tbsplemon juice, about half of one whole lemon juice
Overview Of Air Fryers
Youve probably been hearing more and more about air fryers lately. They are basically a kitchen appliance that you can set on your countertop. They cook food by circulating hot air around the food the way that a convection oven would. However, the speed at which it circulates the hot air is much faster than a convection oven. And because of this speed, the result mimics that of deep fried golden crispy food.
Its the perfect combination of hot air with high speed circulation all around the food that cooks evenly, quickly and crispy. I was recently at a housewares show in Chicago learning about new kitchen appliances the air fryer is all the rage right now!
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What Is An Air Fryer
As the name suggests an air fryer uses air to fry food. Its a kitchen appliance that basically cooks food by using Rapid Air Technology. Think of hot air circulating really fast around a metal mesh cooking basket that contains your food. Because of this speed and hot air combination, an air fryer requires little or no oil. But the end result still gives you that crispy fried like food.
What Ingredients Do You Need To Make Salmon In The Air Fryer

For the complete list of ingredients with quantities and detailed prep and cooking instructions, please see the recipe card that appears at the end of this post.
You only need a few ingredients to cook salmon in the air fryer. Heres what you need:
- Salmon filletsYou can make use skin-on fillets or skin-off fillets. I usually make this air fryer salmon with skin becuase I love how the skin gets crispy and keeps the fish moist and flavorful.
- Brown sugar or honeyA little bit of sugar here caramelizes and turns into a glaze, which gives the salmon texture and added flavor and eye appeal.
- Olive oilYou could substitute any other cooking oil you like, such as safflower oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil.
- Reduced-sodium soy sauceYou can substitute full-strength soy sauce, but use about 25 to 30 percent less and make up the difference with water.
- Garlic powderYou can substitute 1 minced clove of fresh garlic if you like.
- Ground gingerIf you have fresh ginger, substitute a teaspoon or so of the fresh stuff grated on a microplane.
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Is Air Fried Chicken Healthy
The whole concept of an air fryer is fast-circulating air at very high temperatures. In this process, the moisture from the outside of the chicken gets evaporated, creating a crisp crust. So you get the texture of fried food without frying the chicken in a whole pan of oil.
This way youll make chicken healthier because it will have less fat and less calories from not using much oil for cooking. Just like oven baked chicken is healthy, air fried chicken is healthy of course as part of an overall balanced diet.