Air Fryer Salmon

Air Fryer Salmon

Air fryer salmon is about as low-effort as fish gets: portioned fillets go into the basket skin-side down, no flipping required, and dinner is ready in under ten minutes. The fish comes out moist in the center with edges that turn slightly crisp from the hot circulating air, closer to pan-searing than steaming.

A light coat of oil or melted butter, salt, and pepper is really all the fish needs. Garlic powder and paprika turn that base into a simple spice rub, and if you want something sweeter, a honey-Dijon glaze brushed on after cooking works better than glazing beforehand — the sugar scorches fast at air-fryer temperatures.

Skin-on fillets hold together better in the basket and stay a bit moister, though skinless works fine too, especially for the glazed version. The one thing worth paying attention to is doneness: a fillet pulled around 125–130°F (52–54°C) stays soft and a little translucent at the center, while cooking to 145°F (63°C) gives a firmer, fully opaque piece. Either way, pull the fish a few degrees before your target — it keeps cooking briefly after it leaves the basket.

Serve straight from the air fryer with lemon wedges. It’s plain enough to sit alongside rice, a green salad, or roasted vegetables without much extra thought.

Ingredients

Serves 4

The salmon

  • 4 salmon fillets, skin-on, about 170 g each, ~2.5 cm thick at the center
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (or 1 tbsp melted unsalted butter)
  • ½ tsp fine salt, or to taste
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
  • ½ tsp paprika, sweet or smoked (optional)
  • lemon wedges, to serve

The optional honey-Dijon glaze

  • 1 tbsp honey (or brown sugar)
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • ½ tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder

Directions

The salmon

Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels on both sides. This helps the seasoning stick and lets the edges crisp instead of steam.

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C) for about 3 minutes if your model allows it. This isn’t essential, but it gives slightly crisper edges.

Brush or rub each fillet all over with the olive oil or melted butter, then season both sides with salt and pepper. Add the garlic powder and paprika too if you’re going the spice-rub route.

Lay the fillets skin-side down in the air fryer basket, leaving space between them. If they don’t all fit without touching, cook in batches rather than crowding the basket.

Air fry at 400°F (204°C) for 7–9 minutes for fillets about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, adding 1–3 minutes more for anything thicker. Don’t flip the fish.

Start checking the thickest part of a fillet toward the end of cooking. Pull it at around 125–130°F (52–54°C) for a moist, medium result, or let it go to 145°F (63°C) if you prefer it cooked through. Either way, take it out a few degrees before your target, since it keeps cooking briefly once it’s out of the basket. It should flake easily when pressed with a fork.

The optional honey-Dijon glaze

If using the glaze, whisk the honey, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic powder together in a small bowl and set it aside.

To serve

Let the salmon rest for a minute or two. If you made the glaze, warm it in a small pan for a minute or two until slightly thickened, then spoon it over the fillets just before serving. Serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

Skin-on fillets hold together better in the basket and stay moister; skinless works fine too and is common with the glazed version.

For crisper skin, cook skin-side down as directed, then once the fish is done, peel the skin off, lay it back in the air fryer at 400°F (204°C) for 2–4 minutes, and set it back on top of the fillet — it crisps further as it cools.

Frozen fillets work fine as long as they’re fully thawed and patted dry first.

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.