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Cooking salmon in an air fryer results in the most tender, succulent and delicious piece of fish, and it’s so quick and easy too! This low carb, low calorie salmon recipe takes 10 minutes to make and is perfect as part of an easy weeknight meal. The air fryer browns the fish wonderfully and the result is like restaurant quality seafood!
I love using my air fryer. It’s just so simple to use, and I can’t tell you how delicious this salmon came out! It’s perfect for easy family meals when time is not on your side! If you love your air fryer as much I love mine, be sure to try my Breaded Air Fryer Chicken, Air Fryer Potatoes and Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs.
How to make air fryer salmon
Cut the salmon fillets into even sizes and pre heat your air fryer. You can also purchase them already pre-cut into the fillets. You can remove the skin if you’d like, but it’s not necessary to do so.
Season each fillet with garlic, paprika, salt and pepper and drizzle a little olive oil on top. The paprika really gives the salmon a beautiful browned color when cooked, so I love adding it to salmon. Make sure to rub the spices in for best flavor, and then place the salmon in the air fryer.
Depending on the thickness of the salmon and the exact air fryer you have, the time could range. But on average, expect the air fryer salmon to be cooked within 7-9 minutes – that’s it! You’ll know it’s ready when it flakes off easily. Then you’re ready to serve it.
What do you serve with fried salmon
- Salad: A fresh salad is a great accompaniment to a piece of this perfect air fryer salmon. Try it on top of Corn Tomato Avocado Salad or Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad for a well balanced meal.
- Grains: Rice, couscous, barley and farro all make excellent accompaniments to salmon for a filling meal. Try it with Lebanese Rice, Mediterranean Couscous Salad or Turmeric Rice Salad.
- Vegetables: Bonus for this option because you can make whatever vegetable you’re serving with the salmon right in the air fryer. It’s great with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice and Green Beans with Almonds. I opted for simple green beans and they’re ready within 2-4 minutes!
Tips for making salmon in the air fryer
- Make sure the salmon fillets are comparable thickness. This will ensure that they all cook evenly at the same time. Depending on the size of the air fryer, you may have to cook them in batches. Then you can cook the thicker ones together if necessary.
- Check for desired doneness with a fork. When it comes to air fryers, the time needed to cook the salmon will depend on the thickness of the salmon pieces and the model of air fryer you are using. The best way to check is with a fork to see if it flakes off easily.
- Pre heat your air fryer before adding the seasoned salmon. I recommend doing this in order to allow the salmon to cook evenly. This speeds up the cooking time and gives a more crisped edge to the salmon.
- Don’t over crowd your basket. If you do so, you risk the salmon not being crispy because the moisture from the salmon fillets touching each other can affect the hot air circulating around the salmon rapidly. Air fry the salmon in two batches if necessary.
Frequently asked questions
What air fryer is the best?
There are so many great air fryers on the market. I have tested only two of them based on reviews and I’m currently using and loving the Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer and the Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer with ClearCook (Amazon affiliate links).
Why cook salmon in an air fryer?
Honestly, this is the most succulent salmon and it is really cooked to perfection! It’s so easy to throw together and clean-up is a breeze. I love that it’s hands off so you can prepare the rest of your meal without worrying about flipping the salmon or splattering oil. Also, it’s healthier than shallow frying the fish, and the results really do speak for themselves!
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.
For more air fryer recipes:
- Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs
- Air Fryer Chicken
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Potatoes
- Fried Shrimp
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Air Fryer Fish and Chips
For more tasty fish recipes:
- Grilled Fish Tacos with Coleslaw
- Panko Crusted Salmon with Asparagus
- Sheet Pan Cod
- Salmon Burgers
- Grilled Salmon with Citrus Salsa
I really can’t wait for you guys to try this recipe! My whole family loved this delicious meal and it is just so quick and easy! It’s the perfect easy weeknight meal and another great use for your air fryer.
If you’ve tried this healthy Air Fryer Salmon recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Air Fryer Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets 6 ounces each
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Tartar sauce for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Rub each fillet with olive oil and season with garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Place the salmon in the air fryer and air fry for 7-9 minutes, depending on this thickness of the salmon. Please note, time may vary between air fryers.
- Open basket and check for desired doneness with a fork. You can return the salmon for another 1 or 2 minutes as necessary.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
We just purchased an air fryer and this was the 1st time I’d attempted salmon in it. May I say, IT WAS PERFECTION! 💕. Thank you thank you THANK YOU! The perfect texture, great flavor. I added some seasonings I love (lemon pepper & oregano) but it was the best. My picky 3 year old gobbled it up. #lifesaver
That’s perfect! You’re so welcome. Yum!!
I air fry the salmon fillets also. They remain succulent and moist and taste so good! I do not add oil since the salmon is by itself an oily fish.
It seriously is just so good!
I made this in my new micro/airfryer combo. It doesn’t have a preheat setting, so I wondered if it would work. I needn’t have worried – it was absolutely delicious!
That’s perfect! Glad it worked out!
This salmon was awesome. One of the best and easiest I’ve ever done… so good! I did 5 minutes and checked its temperature… back in for 2 minutes and the thin was done. Back in for 3 minutes and the very thick ones were done. They were all taken out and plated around 130 – 135 degrees and delicious. Made a stir fry of rice with lots of veggies to go with it. So quick and easy. I’ll never go back to pan frying or baking it again. Perfect! Thank you!
Thank you so much! That’s perfect. Sounds like a great meal!
Did I miss what which temp to put the air fryer? I don’t see it
It can be found at the bottom in the recipe card! It is 400°F.
I could not find the air fryer temp.
It can be found at the bottom in the recipe card! It is 400°F.
I found this recipe a few months ago. Everyone in my house loves it so much I make it once a week. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
That’s amazing! I’mm so glad to hear that!
This salmon was amazing! My family won’t eat fish and I don’t eat pasta. I have now found my go to recipe on the nights they want pasta. It was so quick with a lot of flavor.
Thank you so much! That’s perfect!
As good as everyone says.
Glad you concur! 💛
Was good
Yay!
Can I use this recipe for frozen salmon filets?
Yes, but I would defrost it first!
Any insight on how it turned out with frozen fillets?
HI! I’m going to try this tonight. When putting the salmon in the airfryer do you also use a baking paper or as it is straight in the fryer? Thank you
I put it in the air fryer as it is (without baking paper). Can’t wait for you to try the recipe!
hi ive never made salmon before so i was wondering did you use atlantic or stock eye salmon? thanks in advance 🙂
You can use either!
so delicious! took very little time and came out crispy on the top and moist in the middle. the skin also crisped up and was delicious! highly recommend a squeeze of lemon before eating 🙂
Thank you! That’s perfect. I love a squeeze of lemon!
Had a couple filets in freezer that needed to be cooked soon. Getting comfortable with my air fryer, I looked for something fast. This recipe is so good, so easy and so fast it is the only way I will cook salmon. Delicious. I love it and YOU. Thank you Thank you
Thank you so much! That is so kind of you. Always happy to be sharing these recipes!
1st time I’ve tried fish in my air fryer. This was so easy and it turned out perfect. The only thing I did different was used Avacado Oil because that’s all I’ve been using.
That’s amazing!
Love it. Moist and tasty salmon every time! Thank you! Yumna.
Thank you so much! You’re so welcome!
what is the green stuff on the salmon?
Parsley!
So good, and so easy in the air fryer. I have a toaster oven/air fryer and it took 10 minutes for the thinner pieces, and about 13 minutes for the thick pieces. Turned out very moist and flaky. The absolute best way to cook it IMHO!
Thank you so much! That’s perfect!
Easy to prepare – got the time down right, but at what temp???
400°F! The full recipe is at the bottom in the recipe card.
If you like salmon you’ll love it cooked in an air fryer!
It’s seriously so good!
Delicious, easy and even I, a fish hater, found it very tasty.
And with air fryer the fish odor did not overtake the kitchen. Yessss!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Yes!!
good recipes
Thank you so much!
I only had a little filet that I had to share with my husband. So sad. I would have gladly let him have my scallops and lobster tail for his share. This was perfect!
So glad you enjoyed! Next time for sure!
How long did you cook the green beans? What temperature?
I also cooked that at 400°F!
Looking forward to making this! Is it ok to use extra virgin olive oil in an air fryer? I noticed the recipe calls for rubbing it on the salmon, so just wanted to check.
Can’t wait for you to try it! I haven’t had an issue with it yet.
Ho Im on keto and I LOVE salmon! How long should it take for jus 1 6oz fillet in the air fryer? We jus bought a brand new 8qt air fryer with the touch screen.
How exciting! I would still cook it for roughly the same amount of time.
Wow…!
So easy to prepare and was soooo yummy! My family and I enjoyed this recipe so much! Thanks for sharing!
That’s exactly what I was going for! I love that. Happy to have shared!
Excellent salmon recipe, not a big fan of salmon but love this! Easy, quick and delicious….
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed.
This recipe worked absolute wonders! For reference, I used one of the frozen filets from Costco (186g) of salmon. I preheated for 3 minutes. It came out so delectable and moist! This recipe is definitely the best! I’m sending this to all my air fryer owning friends!!!
Thank you! I love that. Hope you all enjoy!
Awesome! I’m hoping this was a repeatable outcome? I’ve boycotted frozen salmon fillets bc every other way I’ve tried cooking them it came out awful, mushy, with a horrible texture, and flavorless. If you confirm that it’s been great multiple times using frozen, I might consider buying frozen again.
I understand your boycott. It has indeed been amazing but I did get one to be mushy (DO NOT use a frozen one directly to the air fryer. That’s why it was mushy). My secret tip would be to remove your salmon filet from the freezer the day before you want to make this recipe. That way it’s softer and the heat will evenly cook your filet. (I work from home so I also leave it on the counter 2-5 hours before I want to make salmon and that works as well). I skipped this once and well… it was edible but not the stunner I raved about.
Give the frozen filets another chance Christina. I think you’ll like them! If you need any tips, I got you:)
I have a Frigidaire gas stove with a built in air fryer. I tried the salmon recipe after heating up the air fryer I tested the salmon after 10 minutes and it was raw in the center. I had to cook it for another 12 minutes. It was very moist but it never browned. It’s a new stove but I wonder if the air fryer is defective?
Did you preheat it? If it’s bigger, it’s going to need more time to heat it up and cook. I’m not sure if it’s defective, but it definitely sounds like it needed a few extra minutes to cook.
Wow, this was the best salmon recipe ever. On rotation now…thanks
Thanks so much Matt! I appreciate it.
Love!! So easy & healthy! Thanks!!
Thank you so much!
I just made…OMG it is soooo delicious!! I seasoned both sides of my salmon. Also, I used smoked paprika. Eating while typing this message…LOL
Thank you! I love that!
Delicious! The absolutely best salmon I’ve ever had. I usually cook it on the grill, but no more. The salmon was crispy on not only the bottom, but the top, as well. And the inside was fluffy and not overdone, which is what normally happens when I cook on the grill to get the top crispy. I used Tone’s Rosemary Seasoning, but look forward to trying the entire recipe.
Thank you! That’s perfect!
Fixed this tonight and so very good . My husband loved them so much . Thank you for recipe .
That makes me so happy to hear! You’re so welcome!
I can’t believe how incredibly delicious this was! I will definitely be making this again!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it that much! Yay!!
Excited to try this – does it also work with frozen salmon?
Hope you enjoy! Yes, you can, but I’d defrost it first.
Soooo good!
Thank you!!
Die hard fan right here. This recipe was epic.
Thank you so much!
First time using an air fryer. It was perfectly cooked! The flavor was great!
Thank you for the pointers as well!
That’s amazing! Yay!!
Love this recipe! Perfect every time. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! So happy to have shared!
Fortunately, you had a “jump to recipe” button. All I want is recipes. No ads, no junk.
I used smoked paprika.
Good recipe.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I hate ads too but it is how she makes a living. And since I am a huge fan of hers, I look past it lol.
Hello… you’re recipes sound amazing and can’t wait to try. I’m going to try the air fry Salmon, can you tell me how much salt and pepper to ad with this recipe? It doesn’t really say.. I just want to use the right amount. Thank you..🌻
I’m so excited for you to make it! You just need a few cracks of salt and pepper!
I love your recipes you are such an amazing chef! I followed your recipe to a T and it was perfect! Thank you so much❤️
Aww, thank you so much! That’s amazing!
U had a recipe for homemade turkey gravy with giblets an I was going to save to my Pinterest 2nd but I hit wrong button an now I can’t find it. Carol
I have two gravy recipes on my recipe: 1) How to Make Gravy, and 2) Vegan Mushroom Gravy.
I’ve made this twice now and it’s delicious!! Thank you for such a simple and yummy recipe!
That makes me so happy to hear! You’re so welcome!
Hi does your estimated nutritional fat content number of 14 grams include the skin?
Yes, it should!
What temperature is best recommended when using the Air Fryer for this recipe? I have a Air Fryer w/ in my Frigidaire Stove?
Cook at 400°F for 7-9 minutes.
Hi could I do this with frozen salmon or does it need to be defrosted first?
If you try this with frozen salmon, I would recommend defrosting it first, or else the cooking time will change.
Hey Yumna,
What is the best way to defrost?
I wanted to cook it directly from the freezer and saw this comment 😀
I want an easy, fast way to defrost
With the salmon in a plastic ziplock bag, place it in a bowl under cool running water. Replace the water every 10 minutes until the salmon has thawed!
Can I use garlic paste in place of garlic powder and smoked paprika instead of paprika?
Yup! That works well!
I tried this recipe tonight for dinner. It was so quick and easy to make! It was crispy on the outside and just right on the inside! Thank you for all of your recipes! It gets 5 yums!
Yay! That’s amazing!! Thank you so much.
Favorite way to cook salmon! Thanks for the recipe
It never fails! You’re so welcome!!
enjoyed
Yay!!
Yummy.. I added a honey lemon glaze to the salmon half way thru cooking.. Will cook again. 🙂
That sounds delicious. Yay!!
This recipe was wonderful! This is my new favorite way to cook salmon! Fast, no pans needed and cooked through perfectly 🙌🏽
That’s so great to hear! Yay!!
By the way Yumna, I don’t know why it only shows 3 stars! I got 5 but it changed! I’m so sorry. Can you delete my comment? I don’t want to negatively affect your rating
Thank you for letting me know! I appreciate it!!
Yummy.. I added a honey lemon glaze half way thru cooking will make again.. the best ever
Can u cook broccoli in with the salmon or should I cook broccoli after the salmon is cooked? Sorry, I’m new to air frying…
It really depends on how big your air fryer is and what temperature you’re cooking it at. If you can fit the broccoli in with the salmon and are also going to be cooking it at 400°F, you can cook the broccoli in with the salmon. You might have to take the broccoli out before the salmon though (if the broccoli is finished cooking before the salmon).
THIS RECIPE IS INSANE.
I LOVE salmon and you have no clue how bad I felt the whole time making these perfect salmon cuts up just to go in the air fryer….
however this is BY FAR the best finished salmon I have EVER had. And I really mean it, I have had more than my body weight in salmon over my life.
This is better than mommas recipe,
Its better than my neighbors,
Its better than my grammas,
Its better than any of the many (nice) restaurants I’ve had salmon at,
My relationship is doing great and the sex is good.
This salmon is better.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! Wow, thank you so much!!
So simple and so good!!
Yay!! Thank you!
Delicious! Just made it for the family! Thanks a lot for the recipe.
Yay! You’re so welcome!
So I ran out of olive oil is there a way that I can use vegetable oil instead?
Yes, the recipe should still work that way!
Is there not an option to print the air fryer salmon recipe.
When you scroll all the way to the bottom where there’s a recipe card (a card that summarizes the recipe), there will be a little printer icon on the recipe photo. You can click on that and print the recipe. Please let me know if that works!
Hi I was just wondering will coconut oil be a good replacement for the olive oil?
It should still work! You may want to use refined coconut oil, as it’s mostly flavorless.
Made this tonight, followed your recipe exactly (except cooked for 12 min) and it was perfect! So easy and delicious!! Thank you.
Yay! You’re so welcome!!
Delicious and easy
Thank you!
I made this last week and I’m making it again tonight…so easy, so healthy, so very good!
Yay! Hope you enjoy once again!
This is the second recipe that I have made from your blog. I equally give it five stars! I love my air fryer attachment for my instapot and I usually buy salmon with the skin on and it’s important for me that the skin is crispy. This was super easy and a quick dinner. I am definitely now a loyal follower of your blog.
Aww, thank you so much! I really appreciate it!
Use this all the time. Great recipe.
Thank you so much! I’m glad to hear it!!
I added coconut sugar to this mixture – delicious
I love that! Thank you!!
This was my first ever salmon meal and with my new air fryer. I didn’t have paprika but I used some Old Bay seasoning, lemon pepper, and garlic powder. I used avocado oil, (I had it on the shelf); cooked for about 18 minutes since my filets were a little thicker. Served with a side of asparagus. Thanks for the great start with your recipe.
Sounds like it ended up being a delicious meal! Most welcome!!
I wanted to no the recipe on salmon
Salmon turned out fantastic in the air fryer. So much better than the oven.
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you 🙂
Delicious!! Thank you!
Thank you!!
So good and so easy
Thank you for the feedback!
This was amazing!
So happy to hear it! Thank you!!
Made this today used lemon pepper, garlic seasoning along with the paprika and salt and pepper. Left in air fryer extra 5 minutes…delish!
Yay, so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Do you cook it skin side down? I want the skin to be crispy. I’m new to the air fryer and have only cooked fries in it! 😂
I cook skin side down because I just remove the skin. But if you want it to be crispy, you can cook with the skin side up!
Best way to make salmon. We really loved it.
So glad to hear it. Thank you!!
Going to make it tonight. Don’t particularly like fish but I’m trying to try new things. Let you know later how it was
Hope you liked it Janet!
I also added some ginger root. It’s really tasty
Glad you liked it! Thank you!
I made this recipe tonight and everyone in my family loved it. I will make it again!!!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thank you!!
Definitely a quick and easy way to cook the salmon. Thanks for introducing the air fryer.