Salmon is considered luxurious seafood all around the world but cooking it in an air fryer makes all the money worth spending on this. It can be paired up with so many side dishes for a mouthwatering food experience.
Air-fried salmon is a deal breaker. It comes out flakey, juicy, tendered, fulfilling, and crispier than ever that you won’t go out again for this specific meal. This foolproof dish is better than most of the famous foods you’ve tried and tasted.
Air fry is the ‘beloved friend’ we all need in dire times. It’s the secret to a healthy and quick meal with low-fat but fulfilling proteins because let me tell you, this appliance requires no oil, no attention just a preheating time. This method is efficient for health and also money.
It also makes reheating easy, just set the temperature and lock up the basket in its place and you’ll have your food freshly plated just as new-cooked.
Believe me, when I say air fryers do magic, 10 total minutes and your delicious salmon for lunch or dinner is ready to be served on the table. So, Embrace yourself to get your hands on this irresistibly delicious recipe.
How long should I cook my salmon in the air fryer?
Cook your salmon for 10–12 minutes maximum. Preheat the air fryer to 380 Fahrenheit or 190 Celsius. Meanwhile, coat your salmon with salt and pepper.
Put the salmon fillet on the skin side in preheated air fryer basket and let it cook until it gets flaked easily with a fork. Or to check doneness alternatively, insert the meat thermometer right in the middle and the readings should be 145 Fahrenheit.
Sometimes, increasing the temperature to 400 °F might look convenient, but it will burn the skin and your salmon will dry out in a matter of minutes without any moisture or juiciness inside it. So it’s better to stick with the 380-degree rule.
How do you make salmon fish in an air fryer?
Ingredients:
- Salmon
- Paprika
- Salt
- Ground pepper
- Lemon edges
- Olive oil
Directions:
- Lightly drizzle olive oil on the salmon, covering every bit of the fillet. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper according to your preferred taste.
- Place the fillets (skin-side down) in the air fryer basket with or without parchment paper or foil. Lightly spray lining with cooking spray (if using any).
- Close the basket and let it cook for 10-12 minutes at 380 Fahrenheit, flipping it mid-cooking.
- Once the cooking time is up, check the doneness using a fork or a thermometer having a reading of 145F. Serve hot.
How do I keep salmon from drying in my air fryer?
There are some rules for making moist salmon in the air fryer. The first of them is to preheat your air fryer for several minutes before cooking.
This lets the cooking base heat up so that it sears the outsides of salmon first while the insides cook slowly, resulting in a crispy skin and moist fillet.
The second is, you need to use enough oil. If not used, they will come out burnt, hard, and leathery.
The third way is to cover the salmon with foil as tightly as you can. This will help with no evaporation whilst cooking. Because salmon is a delicate fish, it is best not to cook it above 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can you put aluminum foil in an air fryer for Cooking salmon?
Yes, you can put aluminum foil in an air fryer.
It is completely safe to use as long as you do not cover any critical parts of the fryer that could cause uneven cooking, and it also makes cleanup easier by covering the base or just the food.
If you choose to cover your base only and not the food, then make sure you don’t completely cover the base but roll the foil up on the sides so that the hot air can circulate easily.
What enhances the flavor of salmon?
Honey, mustard, salt, and pepper make a delicious salmon fillet without a doubt.
However, salmon is a fantastic fish because it pairs up with so many spices and herbs that you won’t go wrong with this flaky fish. Here are some of the combinations you can definitely try for a unique taste:
- For a sweet taste: brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, lemon zest, or orange juice.
- For a sour taste: vinegar, salt, pepper, fresh lime cuts, and lemon juice.
- For a sharp, strong taste: sesame, horseradish, onion shallot, garlic, and ginger
- For a veg taste: cucumber, asparagus, fresh herbs like dill, basil, bay leaves, thyme, or cilantro.
- For a creamy taste: yogurt, cream cheese, creme fraiche, butter, and spices.
Tip: spray cooking oil or rub a little bit of olive oil on your fillet to make herbs stick more firmly onto it.
How do you know when the salmon is done?
Examining the color, temperature, and texture is all that it takes to know if your salmon is done cooking or not.
The perfectly cooked salmon has a whitish pink color on the outside and a translucent pink inside. If salmon is dark pink, then it needs more cooking; if it has turned light or opaque pink on the inside, then it’s overcooked.
The texture of cooked salmon will not be bouncy, rather it will flake down when checked with a fingertip or a fork, meaning it will fall apart along the white lines running across the fillet.
The last and easiest way to know cooked salmon (without ruining the fillet) is to insert the probe thermometer in the middle, the temperature should be around 145 Fahrenheit degrees, then it’s cooked to perfection.
Nutritional value:
Air-fried fish isn’t only a luxurious meal, but it also contains some of the essential vitamins needed for a healthy body. Let’s look at the nutrition packed in it:
Nutrition | Per serving |
Calories | 468 |
Total fat | 28g |
Cholesterol | 143mg |
Sodium | 138mg |
Potassium | 872mg |
Total carbohydrates | 0g |
Proteins | 50g |
The table gives an idea of which and how many important proteins are fulfilled just by eating a single filet serving of 227 grams. No doubt, salmon fish is flavorful, flakey, tender, and full of vitamins to keep you healthy and fit.
What is the 10-minute rule for cooking fish?
The 10-minute rule, or the Canadian cooking method, is a foolproof method to cook any fish, whether it’s salmon or any other type. It’s a simple method. The general rule is to cook fish for 10 minutes per inch of thickness and flip it once midway through the cooking time.
Whether you choose to follow a recipe or not, it’s best to measure the fillet thickness with a clean ruler and then cook for 10 minutes per inch, based on the thickness.
You can adjust the cooking time according to the thinness and thickness of the fish but a key to remember is to give extra 5 minutes if the fish is covered with sauce or wrapped in foil or parchment paper. Always check for doneness before serving.
The 10 miute general rule doesnt apply if you choose the deep-frying or microwaving method to cook the fish.
Do you put the skin side down in an air fryer?
Yes, place the skin-side down in an air fryer. Keeping fish skin creates a barrier between the scorching heat and delicate fish meat, retaining juices and cooking evenly.
When the skin side is put down-faced, the skin gets more time to crisp up whilst the heat cooks meat perfectly, and flipping it with a spatula will not ruin the fish fillet. If the skin side is upwards, flipping the fish will tear the fillet because the meat is cooked first and the skin is still very soft to hold it together.
How do you stop the Formation of the white stuff when cooking salmon?
There are two ways to stop the white stuff (a protein, i.e., albumin) from appearing on fish again and again. In this regard, cooking fish at the low temperature of 375-380 Fahrenheit in an air fryer will cook the fish by searing it first. Hence, the albumin won’t ooze out of the fillet again.
The second technique to stop albumin film is to submerge the salmon in a highly concentrated brine. A brine is a mixture of 2 tablespoons of salt mixed in one cup of water, soaking fish for 10-15 minutes will prevent the albumin from appearing.
Tip of the day: Submerging salmon in a mlik prior to cooking will neutralize any fishy smell.
Should I add salt to the salmon before cooking?
Yes, you should season salmon with salt and pepper before cooking.
However, never sprinkle salt 15 minutes before cooking it in any way. Wait until you are all ready to put the fillet into the air fryer basket.
Using salt will not only enhance the taste but also protect the vibrant color of the fish while keeping it together and firm. If salt is sprinkled on salmon too soon, it will break the proteins present in the salmon, thus resulting in dry and broken salmon fillets.
Here are some tips that can help you cook perfect salmon:
Is it better to bake or pan-fry salmon?
Air frying or baking is the best and most effective method to cook salmon.
It doesn’t require constant attention. Making salmon with these two methods will not only give you beautiful and succulent salmon, but the skin will be seared and crispy.
While some people prefer the texture and taste of pan-fried or grilled salmon, air-frying is still the healthiest option to make salmon because it will result in easy cleaning, no time-consuming, delectable fish while cutting down on excess fat and cholesterol, unlike pan-frying or grilling.
Cuisine | American |
Course | Main course |
Total time | 15 minutes |
Prep time | 5 minutes |
Cook time | 10 minutes |
Serving | 1 (227 grams) |
Calories | 468 calories |
How Much Time Does It Take To Air Fry Salmon?
Depending on the thickness of the fillet, salmon will take roughly 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
This one-pot air fryer dish is made with simple, healthy ingredients and can be customized with your favorite vegetables.
Other vegetables with a similar cooking time, such as asparagus, green beans, and cauliflower, can be included. Broccoli, caulini, and bell peppers are other nice options.
Can You Cook Salmon and Broccoli in an Air Fryer?
This simple and popular mix of air-fried fish and vegetables.
If you want to make a full dinner in your air fryer, salmon and vegetables are a terrific option. It’s simple and quick to prepare, as well as low carb and healthful. Air-fried salmon and veggies can be made with broccoli, as I do in this recipe, or with other vegetables of your choice (possibly with an adjusted cook time).
SUMMARY:
- Air-fried salmon fish is luxurious, indulgent, and packed with proteins.
- It’s a versatile fish but still pairs up with so many herbs or spices resulting in a tendered and delicious meal.
- Salmon is a feeble fish hence requires you to follow the instructions and tips to get a delicious meal.
- Making salmon fish in an air fryer combined with sauce tastes out of this world.
- Air frying requires no extra preparation, no or just a slight oil drizzle, and cleaning is just like breeze.
- Air-fried salmon have technical and health benefits over so many of the cooking methods.
- Even if salmon is air fried, it is important to check the internal temperature to be 145 Fahrenheit degrees.