Air-Fried Salmon: Crispy Skin, Tender Meat

Cooking salmon in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to get a tasty, crispy-skinned fillet. The key to success is to keep the skin on during cooking, which helps the fish hold together, and then remove it afterwards. You can either peel the skin off the salmon before serving, or transfer the skin back to the air fryer basket to crisp up. To prevent the skin from curling up and flying around the air fryer, place a metal heat-safe trivet or rack on top of it.

Preheat the air fryer to 200°C (392°F) and cook for 6 minutes

Cook the salmon for another 5 minutes, then check again. If the skin is still not crispy, keep cooking, checking every 2 minutes to make sure it isn't burning. The skin is ready when it's lightly browned, curled and crispy.

If you like your salmon well-done, the skin will get fairly crispy as the salmon cooks skin-side-up. However, if you are cooking your salmon to between 120°F and 140°F, you will need to do an extra step. If you leave the salmon in for long enough for the skin to crisp up, the salmon will be too dry. To prevent this, you can transfer the skin to the air fryer basket once the salmon is cooked.

Use tongs or a fork to carefully remove the skin from the top of the fish

Once the salmon reaches your desired internal temperature, remove it from the air fryer with the skin still up. Use tongs or a fork to carefully remove the skin from the top of the fish. It should only be loosely attached and will come off with some gentle pulling. If you're cooking your salmon to between 120°F and 140°F, you'll need to do an extra step. If you leave the salmon in there for as long as it takes the skin to crisp up, the salmon will be too dry. So, put the skin back into the air fryer basket and cook it at 400°F until it is nice and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. You can also preheat the air fryer to 200°C (392°F) and add the salmon skin, cooking it for about 6 minutes. Check on it and make sure it hasn't stuck to the bottom. Give the air fryer basket a gentle shake and add it back to the fryer, cooking for another 5 minutes. Check again and either stop cooking or keep going, checking every 2 minutes to make sure the skin isn't burning. When it's lightly browned, curled and crispy, place the cooked skin on a wire rack to cool down.

Place a metal heat-safe trivet or rack on top of the salmon skin to hold it down

To cook salmon in an air fryer with the skin on, you'll need to place a metal heat-safe trivet or rack on top of the salmon skin to hold it down. This will prevent the skin from flying around the air fryer and curling in on itself. Many air fryer models come with a small rack that allows you to cook two layers of food at once, which is ideal for this purpose. Place the rack on top of the salmon skin, then put the basket back into the air fryer. Set the temperature to 400°F and cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until the skin is nice and crispy.

If you're cooking the salmon to a temperature between 120°F and 140°F, you may need to take an extra step to ensure the skin gets crispy without overcooking the salmon. One option is to remove the salmon from the air fryer when it reaches your desired internal temperature, then use tongs or a fork to carefully remove the skin from the top of the fish. Transfer the skin back to the air fryer basket and cook until crispy.

Another approach is to preheat the air fryer to 392°F and add the salmon skin, cooking for about 6 minutes. Check on it occasionally to ensure it hasn't stuck to the bottom of the fryer. Give the basket a gentle shake if needed, then continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Check the salmon skin again, and if it's not crispy enough, keep cooking and check every 2 minutes to prevent burning. When the skin is lightly browned, curled, and crispy, remove it from the air fryer and let it cool on a wire rack.

Some people prefer to keep the skin on when serving the salmon, allowing guests to peel it away themselves. The cooked salmon will flake off easily with a fork.

Cook the salmon skin-side-up for a crispier finish

To get a crispier finish on your salmon, you can cook it skin-side-up. If you like your salmon well-done, the skin will get fairly crispy as the salmon cooks. However, if you are cooking your salmon to between 120°F and 140°F, you will need to do an extra step as leaving the salmon in for long enough to crisp the skin will dry out the fish.

To get extra crispy salmon skin, you can remove the salmon from the air fryer with the skin still up, then use tongs or a fork to carefully remove the skin from the top of the fish. Transfer the skin back to the air fryer basket and cook until crispy.

To prevent the skin from flying around the air fryer, you can place a metal heat-safe trivet or rack on top of the salmon skin. This will hold the skin down while still allowing air to circulate. Many air fryers come with a little rack so you can cook two layers of food at once.

Preheat your air fryer to 200°C (392°F) and add the salmon skin, cooking for about 6 minutes. Check on it to make sure it hasn't stuck to the bottom and give the air fryer basket a gentle shake if necessary. Add the skin back to the fryer and cook for another 5 minutes, checking again and either stopping there or keeping going, checking every 2 minutes to make sure the skin isn't burning. When it's lightly browned, curled and crispy, place the cooked skin on a wire rack to cool down.

Lay the salmon on aluminium foil in the air fryer and cook for about 7 minutes

To cook salmon in an air fryer with the skin on, you should first preheat the air fryer to 360°F. Then, lay the salmon on aluminium foil in the air fryer and cook for about 7 minutes. You can also add a drizzle of soy/mustard mixture over the top of the fillets, then cook for another 6 to 11 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets.

If you want extra-crispy skin, you can remove the salmon from the air fryer with the skin still up and use tongs or a fork to carefully remove the skin from the top of the fish. Transfer the skin back to the air fryer basket and cook until crispy.

Some recipes suggest preheating the air fryer to 200°C (392°F) and cooking the salmon for about 6 minutes, then checking to make sure it hasn't stuck to the bottom. You can then add it back to the fryer and cook for another 5 minutes, checking every 2 minutes to make sure the skin isn't burning.

To prevent the skin from curling and flying around the air fryer, you can place a metal heat-safe trivet or rack on top of the salmon skin before putting the basket back into the air fryer.

Frequently asked questions