Air-Fried Salmon: A Quick, Crispy Delight

Cooking salmon fillets in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to achieve tender, flaky fish with a crispy skin. The key to success is ensuring there is no excess moisture on the salmon before cooking, and seasoning generously. Depending on the thickness of the fillets, cooking time will vary between 6 and 11 minutes.

Marinade: mix brown sugar, Dijon, oil, soy sauce, garlic powder, and ginger

To make the marinade, mix brown sugar, Dijon mustard, oil, soy sauce, garlic powder, and ginger in a small bowl or larger liquid measuring cup. You can also add smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Spoon the marinade all over the top of the salmon fillets, making sure they are fully coated. The brown sugar will melt during cooking and caramelise, giving your salmon a beautiful colour and a touch of sweetness.

Place the salmon fillets in the air fryer basket so that they are not touching. It is important to ensure that there is no excess moisture on the salmon or in the air fryer, as this can lead to soggy fish. Spray the salmon and the air fryer basket with cooking oil and position the salmon skin-side down.

Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the salmon in batches. The cooking time will also depend on the thickness of your fillets and the model of your air fryer. For 1-inch fillets, cook for 8 to 9 minutes at 200C/400F or 390°F. The salmon is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.

Do not overcook the salmon, as it will dry out. If you like your salmon medium, remove it from the air fryer a few degrees early and let it rest. The carryover cooking will finish the job.

Cooking time: 6-11 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets

Cooking time for salmon fillets in an air fryer depends on the thickness of the fillets. For fillets around 1 inch thick, cook for 8 to 9 minutes. For thinner fillets, 6 minutes should be enough. If your fillets are on the larger side, or you're cooking more than one or two at a time, you may need to increase the cooking time to 10 or 11 minutes.

It's important not to overcook the salmon, as this will dry it out. The salmon is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (or 135°F if you prefer it medium-rare). If you don't have a thermometer, you can check if the salmon is cooked by flaking it with a fork.

Temperature: 200C/400F or 390F

Cooking salmon fillets in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to prepare salmon that turns out tender and flaky every time. To do this, you should set your air fryer to a temperature of 200C/400F or 390F. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your salmon fillets, but generally, it should take between 6 and 11 minutes. If you are cooking at 200C/400F, 6 minutes should be enough, but if you are cooking at 390F, you should leave the salmon in the air fryer for 10 minutes.

Before cooking, make sure to pat your salmon fillets dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. This will ensure that your salmon doesn't turn out soggy. You can then brush the fillets with melted butter or olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.

When you are ready to cook, place the salmon fillets skin-side down in the air fryer basket and cook for the recommended time. The salmon is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145F. If you like your salmon medium-rare, you can remove it from the air fryer when it reaches 135F and let it rest for a few minutes to come up to temperature.

Seasoning: salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder

To cook salmon fillets in an air fryer, you'll need to season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder. First, pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Then, in a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder. Coat the salmon fillets with oil and then rub the seasoning mixture over the salmon. Make sure the salmon is fully coated.

Place the salmon fillets in the air fryer basket skin-side down, making sure they are not touching. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the salmon in batches. Preheat the air fryer to 390°F and cook the salmon for 6 to 11 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. The salmon is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.

Moisture: pat the salmon dry to avoid soggy fish

To ensure your salmon fillet isn't soggy, it's important to pat the salmon dry before cooking. This will ensure there is no excess moisture. Use paper towels to pat the salmon dry and then place the fillets in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are not touching.

The size and thickness of the salmon fillet will impact the cooking time. For fillets around 1 inch thick, cook for 8-9 minutes at 200C/400F. If your fillets are smaller, they may only need 6 minutes. If you are cooking frozen fillets, or if your fillets are particularly thick, they may need longer.

You can check if your salmon is cooked by using an instant-read thermometer. The salmon is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (or 135°F if you like it medium-rare). If you don't have a thermometer, you can check if the salmon is cooked by flaking it with a fork.

It's important not to overcook the salmon, as this will dry it out. Once the salmon is cooked, remove it from the air fryer and let it rest. The carryover cooking will finish the job.

Frequently asked questions