Melt in the mouth delish, Air fryer salmon comes out perfectly tender and flaky on the inside with an amazing top crust.
Ingredients
- 2 skin on salmon fillets boneless. Mine were 1 and ¼ inch thick. I used “BBQ CUT” Trader Joe’s Norwegian fresh Atlantic salmon.
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper or to taste
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dill dry or fresh, finely chopped
- 1 lemon sliced for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C)
- Prepare the salmon fillets by patting them dry with paper towels and removing any pin bones (if any) with tweezers.
- In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, sea salt and black pepper to taste, and half a teaspoon of each: garlic powder, paprika, and dill, if desired. Or use any custom seasoning that you have on hand. Below you will find 4 more recipe variations with other seasonings.
- Brush the mixture onto the skin side of each salmon fillet. Cover and let the salmon marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes (optional).
- Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, into the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching.
- Cook the salmon for 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. You can check for doneness by gently
Notes
Should I flip the Salmon in the air fryer?
Yes! Flipping the salmon allows for even cooking on both sides, but it also interrupts the cooking process and can cause the delicate fish to fall apart. If you’re using a thicker piece of salmon, flip it gently using a large spatula to make sure the center is fully cooked (avoid using thongs). If you’re using a thinner fillet, it may be best to cook it on one side only to prevent overcooking or breakage.
I personally turn the salmon. I cook the flesh side up first, then flip it, and air fry the skin side up. What I especially like is that the flesh cooked in the grease from the skin, turns out with a gorgeous char on top.
However, it’s up to you to decide whether or not to flip your salmon in the air fryer. Try it both ways and see which method works best for you!
Helpful Tips
- Fillets should be similar in width.
- Your air fryer should be preheated, before putting the fillets into it.
- Check its doneness.
- If you have a smaller size air fryer, then you should not overcrowd your basket. Add fillets in separate batches.
- Do not worry about undercooking the salmon. If your salmon is undercooked, you can always send it back to the air fryer for a minute or two.
- Learn by trial and error. Once you achieve the perfect tenderness and doneness of your salmon in the air fryer, you will become a pro. Different Air fryer brands may cook slightly differently. The air fryer that I use for cooking my salmon is Ninja Foodi XL 6-in-1.