Air fryer salmon is one of the easiest ways to cook salmon. The salmon turns out flaky, juicy, and flavorful. As it cooks in the air fryer, prepare a simple but rich and buttery lemon sauce to cover the salmon before it’s served.
After I’ve tried cooking salmon in the Air Fryer, I will never cook it in any other way again! I mean, why bother with preheating a whole oven, and placing the fish on a tray when all of this can be done in a small-ish Air Fryer basket? Minimal effort, no mess, quick and the result is always great!
Air Fryer salmon turns out perfect every single time! It’s definitely the easiest way to cook salmon, and perfect for a quick mid-week dinner. Depending on the size of your basket, you will be able to fit 2-3 pieces of salmon at once.
Cooking the salmon in air fryer ensures that the fish is evenly cooked from all sides, and is cooked through by the end of the cooking. I also love the fact that I don’t need to stand by it and watch it as it cooks worried that it might get burnt.
Recommended Tools
- An Air Fryer. This is my favorite air fryer.
- Stainless steel locking tongs
- I can’t live without this non-stick grill pan accessory, I use it all the time!
- I love these stainless steel measuring cups and use them every time I cook, as well as those measuring spoons.
- These are the mixing bowls that you see in all of my pictures, they’re honestly the best!
- This air fryer magnetic cheat sheet is very handy, it contains cooking time and temperature to cook 66 most common ingredients which I find very useful.
- I also really like these air fryer parchment liners, they’re not just for steaming and you can use them for cooking things like salmon, fries or chicken without worrying that the food will stick to the basket. They’re also quite cheap and there are 100 pcs in a package.
- And for a full set of air fryer accessories, I recommend this set.
How to Cook Salmon in the Air Fryer?
Depending on your air fryer, but if you’re worried that the fish might stick to the basket then lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. My air fryer has a non-stick basket so I skip this step.
Season the salmon with salt and pepper. You can also sprinkle it with other spices such as Cajun seasoning, garlic, or herbs.
Cook at 200°C (390°F) for 15 minutes. This is usually enough for the salmon to cook through, but if you’re using thicker slices then do check using a knife and see if it needs to be cooked for a couple of more minutes.
Take the salmon out of the air frying basket, and either serve it with a side salad and grilled veggies. Or make a lemon butter sauce to drizzle it with.
Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce
To make the garlic lemon butter sauce, take a small saucepan and melt the butter. Add the garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes until it’s fragrant. Add the lemon juice, and vegetable stock and simmer until it reduces in half.
Pour the sauce over the fish once it’s ready. It gives so much flavor to the fish and keeps the fish moist. If I’m watching my calorie intake, I just leave the sauce out.
What to Serve With Air Fryer Salmon
- Garlic butter pasta
- Air fryer asparagus and mushrooms
- The best ever oven-baked fries
- Middle Eastern Batata Harra
- Cheesy mashed potato cakes
- Baked potato wedges
- Instant Pot garlic green beans
- Roasted swede
More Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Fish Sticks
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Crispy Air Fryer Fish
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Air Fryer Baked Potato
- Air Fryer Hamburgers
- Air Fryer Hotdogs
Feeling a bit fancy? Try my Salmon Wellington recipe! It’s much easier to make than it looks!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Air Fryer Salmon
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 3 x 4oz (3 x 115g) salmon fillets
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Place the salmon in the air fryer basket and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook at 200°C (390°F) for 15 minutes. This is usually enough for the salmon to cook through, but if you're using thicker slices then do check using a fork or a knife and see if it needs to be cooked for a couple of more minutes.
- Take the salmon out of the air frying basket, and serve.
For the Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce:
- Take a small saucepan and melt the butter. Add the garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes until it's fragrant. Add the lemon juice, and vegetable stock and simmer until it reduces in half. Pour over the salmon when serving.
Notes:
- Don’t overcrowd your Air Fryer. Make sure that the pices of salmon are not touching each other.
- You don’t need to preheat the Air Fryer. Just pop the salmon in the Air Fryer basket, set the timer and temperature and start.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Annah Ross says
Wow. This is a game changer for me. I don’t really oily fish but do like salmon so trying to eat it more. This recipe is absolutely delicious, fuss free and minimal effort. My first attempt at using the air fryer and I’m hooked. I added seasoning and chilli flakes and wrapped around fresh dill. Served with couscous with dill and spinach, shredded carrots and beans. I didn’t do the butter as trying to diet. I’ll make this at least once a week now. Thank you!
Linda Rolen says
Loved it, turned out awesome! Loved the sauce
Diana says
Glad you loved it, Linda!
Ed Morris says
Wow! Turned out great. Did not use butter sauce. Instead halfway through the 15 minutes in the fryer, I drizzled the Salmon pieces with lime juice and then sprinkled that with Montreal Steak seasoning plus seasoned salt. The fish was thoroughly cooked and flavorful.