One of my go-to ways of making salmon is in the air fryer. I love a slow oven baked salmon but when I need salmon and I need it fast, the air fryer is the way to go. It cooks salmon evenly and perfectly; it’s juicy and flaky every time. Sometimes I’ll even meal prep salmon fillets at the beginning of the week so I have salmon in the fridge just ready to go on salads or on top of grain bowls.

The other day we bought a giant side of salmon and I was so happy. I LOVE salmon. It’s truly one of the best kinds of fish out there: heathy, full of flavor, easy to cook, and super versatile. It tastes great with just a little bit of salt and pepper and tastes even more fantastic dressed up with seasoning and flavors. The best part is probably that it cooks so quickly – if you’re hungry, you can go from hangry to sitting down to food in no time at all.

How to cook salmon in the air fryer

Cooking salmon in the air fryer is super simple.

1. Lightly pat your salmon dry so the the surface has more of a chance to lightly crisp up.
2. Season it generously. I went with a classic combination of lemon pepper, but feel free to add your favorite seasoning mix.
3. Place the salmon in the air fryer basket. I like to line the basket with foil so it’s easy clean up.
4. Drizzle the salmon with olive oil.
5. Air fry for 10 minutes at 300°F.
6. Remove and enjoy!

Air fryer salmon ingredients

All you really need is salmon, but I drizzle on a bit of extra olive oil for flavor and add thinly sliced lemons that get lightly caramelized while the salmon’s cooking.

Skin on vs skin off salmon

Both skin on and skin off salmon work great in the air fryer. Skin on salmon has an extra layer of protection against overcooking, so if you’re worried about dry salmon, go with skin on salmon; you can always easily remove the skin after the salmon is cooked.

What temperature for air fryer salmon

I like cooking salmon at a lower temp so there’s less of a chance of overcooking. Most air fryer salmon recipes have you cook salmon at high heat for a shorter period of time, but in this case, low and (slightly) slow wins the race. Your salmon will be tender and juicy, flake perfectly and be opaque and just cooked through.

What internal temperature should I cook salmon to?

For wild salmon, aim for 120°F internal temperature
For farmed salmon, aim for 125°F internal temperature
Note: the FDA recommends 145°F.

How to tell if salmon is cooked

The best and easiest way to tell if salmon is cooked is to gently press it with the back of a spoon, when it’s cooked properly it will flake apart. Perfectly done salmon will be tender, barely opaque, and juicy. Over cooked salmon will flake too but it will be dry, lighter in color, completely opaque, and tough.

Which air fryer do you have?

If you’re wondering which air-fryer we have, it’s this one. I don’t know if it’s the best on the market because it’s the only one we’ve used, but it works great. It’s quiet and easy to clean and really big (which is good because you can put a lot of food in it and bad because it takes up a lot of room in our place).

What about oven baked salmon?

If you don’t have an air fryer you can simply bake your salmon in the oven at a low temp for flaky, juicy fillets. Bake at 275°F until flaky and cooked through, about 30-45 minutes. Check out this post for more information on oven baked salmon.

Air fryer salmon ideas

If you’re looking for seasoning ideas, try these:

• Honey Garlic: Mix together 1 tbsp honey with 1-2 cloves minced garlic. Lightly pat the salmon dry, season generously with salt and pepper and coat in the honey garlic mix. Air fry for 10 minutes at 300°F.
• Everything bagel: Lightly pat the salmon dry, season generously with everything bagel  spice. Air fry for 10 minutes at 300°F.
• Maple Soy: Mix together 1 tbsp maple syrup with 1 tbsp soy sauce. Lightly pat the salmon dry, season generously with salt and pepper and coat in the maple soy mix. Air fry for 10 minutes at 300°F. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds to finish.

What to serve with air fryer salmon

• A side of creamy baked feta pasta would be delicious
• Thick cut potato wedges for a healthier take on fish and chips
• This broccoli salad is amazing with salmon
• A side of texas toast because: garlicky crisp thick cut toast!