Emilie Meyer
Cooking salmon in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to prepare a delicious, healthy meal. The air fryer is a versatile kitchen appliance that can cook salmon fillets to perfection in under 15 minutes, resulting in a tender, flaky centre and crispy edges. This method is simple, flexible, and foolproof, allowing you to cook up to two fillets at a time and customise the seasoning to your liking.
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What You'll Learn
Preheat the air fryer to 360-400°F
Preheating your air fryer is an important step in the cooking process. It ensures that your salmon fillets cook evenly and efficiently. By preheating your air fryer to the desired temperature of 360-400°F, you create a consistent cooking environment, which is crucial for achieving the desired level of doneness in your salmon.
When preheating your air fryer, it is recommended to allow it to heat up for at least 5 minutes. This ensures that the appliance reaches the desired temperature and maintains a stable cooking temperature throughout the cooking process. The preheat time may vary slightly depending on the model of your air fryer, so it is always a good idea to refer to your user manual for specific instructions.
During the preheating process, you can also prepare your salmon fillets. This includes patting them dry with paper towels, as any excess moisture can affect the cooking process and the final texture of the salmon. You can then brush the fillets with a fat source, such as melted butter or olive oil, to promote browning and enhance the flavour.
Additionally, while the air fryer is preheating, you can season your salmon fillets. A simple seasoning mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika is a popular choice. You can either sprinkle this mixture directly on top of the fillets or melt the butter or oil and brush it onto the salmon before applying the seasonings. This allows the seasonings to adhere better to the surface of the fish.
Preheating your air fryer to 360-400°F is a crucial step that sets the foundation for the rest of the cooking process. It ensures that your salmon fillets will cook evenly, develop a crispy exterior, and have a moist and flaky texture. By taking the time to preheat your appliance properly, you are already on your way to creating a delicious and well-cooked meal.
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Season salmon fillets with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika
To season the salmon fillets with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, you can follow these steps:
Firstly, pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. This step is important, as moisture on the fish can lead to sogginess. Next, brush the fillets with olive oil. You can also use melted butter if you prefer. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika over the fillets. You can either eyeball the amounts or mix the seasonings together beforehand and then sprinkle them over the fillets.
If you want to get creative, you can add other seasonings like Greek seasoning, dill, or honey. You can also try a sweet and savoury marinade or a soy/mustard mixture.
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Place salmon fillets skin-side down on foil
When you're ready to cook your salmon fillets in the air fryer, place them skin-side down on foil. This is a good idea if you want to remove the skin after cooking, as it will protect the fish and help it hold together. If you want to eat the skin, you can still cook the salmon skin-side down, and it will crisp up into a crunchy bonus to your meal.
Before placing the salmon on the foil, brush the fillets with melted butter or olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. You can also add other seasonings like Greek seasoning, dill, or honey. If you're using frozen salmon, defrost the fillets first and preheat your air fryer to 360-390°F.
Once your salmon fillets are prepared and placed on the foil, you can put them in the air fryer. Set the temperature to 390°F and cook for about 10 minutes. If you're cooking more than two fillets, you may need to cook them in batches to avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket. Check the salmon with a fork to make sure it flakes easily and has an internal temperature of 145°F when it's done.
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Air fry for 7-10 minutes
Air-frying is a quick and easy way to cook salmon, resulting in seared edges and a tender, flaky centre. It is important not to overcrowd the air fryer basket, as this can prevent the salmon from crisping. If necessary, cook the salmon in two batches.
When air-frying two salmon fillets, the cooking time will be around 7-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon and the model of the air fryer. For example, thinner fillets of around 1 inch will take 8-9 minutes, while thicker fillets may take closer to 10 minutes or slightly longer. It is important to keep an eye on the salmon towards the end of the cooking time to ensure it does not overcook and dry out.
Before air-frying, the salmon should be seasoned. This can be as simple as a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, or a more complex combination of seasonings and marinades can be used. Some popular seasoning choices include garlic powder, paprika, Greek seasoning, dill, honey, brown sugar, dijon mustard, and soy sauce. The salmon can also be brushed with melted butter before seasoning for added richness.
During the air-frying process, the salmon will develop a crispy exterior and a flaky, tender interior. The cooking time may need to be adjusted depending on the desired level of doneness. For a medium level of doneness, the internal temperature of the salmon should reach 135°F, while for a well-done salmon, the internal temperature should be 145°F. It is important to note that the salmon will continue to cook slightly after being removed from the air fryer due to carryover cooking.
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Serve with salad, vegetables, or potatoes
Air fryer salmon is a quick, easy, and tasty way to cook salmon. It is a versatile dish that can be served with salad, vegetables, or potatoes.
If you want to serve your salmon with salad, a fresh salad goes well with air fryer salmon. You could try a Corn Tomato Avocado Salad, a Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad, or a simple salad with a ginger honey dressing.
When it comes to vegetables, you can cook them right in the air fryer! Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice and Green Beans with Almonds are great options. Simple green beans are also a good choice and only take 2-4 minutes to cook.
If you prefer potatoes, you can serve your salmon with rice. This could be plain rice, or you could try something more flavorful like Lebanese Rice or Turmeric Rice Salad.
No matter how you choose to serve it, air fryer salmon is a delicious and healthy meal that can be ready in under 15 minutes.
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Frequently asked questions
It takes around 10 minutes to cook 2 salmon fillets in an air fryer. However, the exact time can vary between 7 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets and the model of the air fryer.
Preheat your air fryer to around 390-400°F. If you are cooking frozen salmon, preheat it to 360°F.
You can season the salmon fillets with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and olive oil or melted butter. You can also coat them with herb seasoning or a sweet and savoury marinade.
