Salmon is a fantastic addition to any diet, particularly for those seeking to increase their intake of healthy fats. It's packed with essential fatty acids crucial for optimal bodily function and serves as an excellent protein source. This recipe combines the health benefits of salmon with the speed and convenience of air frying, seasoned with a sugar-free and sweetener-free zingy dressing and fresh herbs for the best flavor.
Why Air Fry Salmon?
If you have been paying attention to food trends, you might have noticed that air fryers are all the rage. If you’ve never invested in an air fryer, I highly recommend it. The air fryer saves you the time it takes to preheat your oven and the mess and splatter from cooking salmon in a pan. All the while, it gives your salmon the best crispy coating while keeping the inside juicy and tender! It can cut down cooking time by half if not even more. Using an air fryer to cook salmon means that less oil is used during the preparation and cooking process, which in turn gives the fish less fat and calories. Air fryer salmon is also healthier than pan-seared or oven-baked salmon. This recipe uses less than a teaspoon of oil!
Ingredients You'll Need
This air fryer salmon recipe comes together with just a few basic ingredients, plus any additions of your choice. Here's what you'll need:
- Salmon Fillets: 4-6 ounces each, wild-caught.
- Avocado Oil Spray: Or olive oil spray.
- Salt & Pepper: To taste.
- Onion Salt: We use the one from Trader Joe’s.
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Cream cheese
- Minced garlic
- Grated Parmesan
- Dijon mustard
- Red wine vinegar
- Fresh herbs or other seasonings of choice
Feel free to add some coconut aminos, ginger, lime and chili for an oriental twist.
Choosing the Right Salmon
Choose good quality salmon fillets. I like wild salmon for the best health benefits, and I definitely recommend it over farmed fish. Wild salmon is regulated and also good, but definitely more expensive. Farmed salmon has come a long way in the past decade, and is very sustainable and reasonably priced. Either will work for this recipe depending on your budget and availability in your region.
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Whether you are using farmed or wild salmon, the most important thing is that you use the freshest you can get. Sometimes that means buying frozen salmon - which has been frozen at it’s peak, rather than buying so called fresh salmon that has been shipped and sitting in your grocers cooler for days. Choose individual salmon fillets that are 4 to 6 ounces each. Alternatively, you can buy one large fillet and ask your fishmonger to portion it out for you.
Yes! Frozen salmon is fine to use; just thaw it out in the fridge first, then let it come to room temperature before cooking it. If you notice any soft spots or discoloration on your fish, it’s best to throw it out. The salmon should be clean and vibrant.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to cook salmon in the air fryer:
- Prepare the Salmon: Wash the salmon pieces and pat dry with paper towel. Lightly rub salmon fillets with olive oil.
- Season: Put in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil (1 tbsp), lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and spices. In a bowl, mix together cream cheese, minced garlic, black pepper, and lemon juice. Spoon mixture onto the top of salmon fillets. Sprinkle grated Parmesan on top.
- Create the Dressing: Mix the dressing together in a small bowl (olive oil, dijon, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt + pepper, plus any other optional ingredients).Spoon the dressing over the top of the salmon.
- Prepare the Air Fryer: Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper (makes for easy clean up)! Create an aluminum foil sling for your air fryer basket. See above photos for details. Place the foil sling in the basket and press to the bottom and up the sides. Lightly spray the foil and basket with oil. Carefully place the salmon onto the sling. Preheat your air fryer to 400F.
- Air Fry the Salmon: Add salmon fillets to the air fryer, skin side down. Set the temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 5-6 minutes. Cook the salmon in the air fryer for 5 to 10 minutes. Times will vary depending on the thickness of your salmon fillets and whether you used wild or farmed salmon. Mine took 5 minutes for wild caught, 1 inch thick pieces so start checking at about 5 minutes. Try not to overcook the salmon or it will become dry. Salmon also firms up as it rests. Internal temperature should read 125 degrees for medium or well done, 140 degrees F.
- Serve: Sprinkle with fresh herbs to serve and your chosen low carb vegetable or salad. I served mine with steamed green beans in olive oil and a good dollop of tartar sauce.
Tips for Success
You’ll be cooking salmon in the air fryer like a pro in no time. Just take note of these simple tips and tricks!
- Pat Salmon Dry: To get that crispy golden crust on your salmon fillets, it’s important to pat the skin down with a paper towel. Drying the salmon also prevents sticking, so don’t skip this step.
- Bring Salmon to Room Temperature: If your salmon is cold, allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 15-20 minutes.
- Lay Salmon Skin-Side Down: Don’t forget to lay your fillets in the air fryer skin-side down. The skin is tough and can withstand direct heat without turning dry.
- DO NOT OVERCOOK: Do not leave the salmon in the air fryer any longer than necessary. Once it becomes a light pink color with tender and flaky pieces, the salmon is cooked to perfection with super crispy skin. You can dig in a little with a fork to test for flakiness if you can’t tell whether or not it’s done.
- Know Your Air Fryer: It’s always best to underestimate the cook time if you’re not too familiar with your air fryer, because you can always leave the salmon in for longer. Some air fryers require preheating, so if yours does, be sure to preheat it to 400°F before cooking your salmon.
Serving Suggestions
Crispy air fryer salmon is delicious on it’s own, but it also goes well with tons of tasty sides. These are some of our favorites:
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- Pair with Roasted Asparagus: This crunchy Roasted Asparagus is seasoned with lemon and garlic for the most irresistible flavor. It goes so well with air fryer salmon!
- Serve with Broccoli: Roasted Garlic Broccoli is another healthy and crave-worthy side dish to pair with your salmon fillets.
- Serve with Teriyaki Sauce: Finish off your salmon by drizzling it with this delicious Homemade Teriyaki Sauce! It’s made with honey and chopped pineapples for a sweet and savory delight.
- Make a Salmon Salad: Turn your fish fillets into a hearty dinner salad with this easy Salmon Salad Recipe!
- Wash and clean carrots and zucchini. Grate to get long thin strips similar to spaghetti.Add 1 tbsp olive oil, two pinches of dried herbs and two pinches of salt. Stir. While the salmon cooks, transfer the zucchini & carrots to a large, hot skillet and sauté over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. They may remain half cooked - this is normal.Serve the salmon hot by placing it on top of the zoodles, or place the zoodles on the side.
Alternative Cooking Methods
If you’re not ready to invest in an air fryer you can two options. If you want to bake, simply add the salmon filets to a baking sheet pan and place into a preheated 400 degree F oven. If you’d like to pan sear your salmon, heat oil in a cast iron or ceramic skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt over skin and rub in with hands. Place salmon, skin side down, into hot skillet.
Storing and Reheating
Best fresh. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the fridge, but the skin won't be crispy. This air fryer salmon recipe is really best if served fresh because you will get that delicious crispy salmon skin that just can’t be beat. It can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the fridge, but the skin will lose its crispness.
Refrigerate leftover salmon in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the air fryer at 350°F until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 145°F. You can also reheat your salmon fillets in the oven, if desired. Bake them on a foil-lined baking sheet at 275°F for about 15 minutes.
Cooked salmon can be frozen for up to 2 weeks in a freezer-safe container. Just thaw it out completely in the fridge before reheating it.
Is Salmon Keto-Friendly?
Absolutely! Salmon is good for a keto diet. It is fun, flavorful, and healthy; it will fit in with keto or pescatarian diets. A 4 ounce salmon fillet has approximately 180 calories, 0 carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, and 10 grams of fat. Salmon is also a great option for anyone on a low carb, diabetic, carnivore, or gluten free diet. It’s extremely versatile. Something I absolutely love about salmon is that 4 ounces of salmon have zero carbs. For half a cup of cream cheese, there are 4.5 grams of carbs which makes it super easy to incorporate into your day. Overall, this dish is keto-friendly, and you can choose the number of ingredients you put into it.
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Important Considerations for Cooking Salmon
There are a few other rules to cooking salmon, that if followed will give you delicious results every time. Salmon is best enjoyed at a medium consistency, rather than well done. The final product should be cooked enough to flake apart when pressure is applied, but still be soft, juicy, and even a little pinkish at the center.
People think that because salmon is a fatty fish, that it’s ok to cook at higher temperatures than a leaner fish. Principally that’s true, but when salmon is cooked at high temperatures, you will get a lot of the white discharge called albumin (same protein as in egg whites) leaking out - it’s edible but ruins the look and the texture. If you’ve ever wondered: What’s that white stuff on my cooked salmon? So what IS the best temperature for cooking salmon?
Because salmon fillets typically have a a fat side (from the back) and a thin side (from the belly) they won’t cook evenly. To get a more even cook, you can trim the slim end off before cooking this air fryer salmon, or simply fold it under to give you a more uniform thickness.
Many people wonder: should you cook salmon with the skin on or off? Salmon skin is edible, and even tasty if it’s crispy, but I usually don’t eat it. The primary purpose of salmon skin for me is to protect the fish and help release it from the pan. Salmon can be air fried with or without the skin. I like it with the skin and my kids prefer it without the skin. It’s definitely a personal preference. The skin of this air fryer salmon will likely stick to the basket and may not get crispy enough to be enjoyed, but that’s ok because you will be able to easily slide a spatula between the skin and the flesh to get the fish from the air fryer to the plate intact. Then you can either return the skin to the air fryer for a few minutes to crisp up if you want to eat it, or simply discard it.
Brushing your salmon fillets with oil or melted butter before cooking is a simple trick, but it keeps a hard, dry crust from forming on the top of your salmon during air frying, and also helps any seasoning to adhere to the fish.