Air Fryer Salmon
Air fryer salmon is a weeknight game-changer: perfectly cooked fillets with a lightly crisp exterior and a moist, flaky center in under 10 minutes. A simple garlic-herb butter or olive oil rub does the heavy lifting for flavor. And yes — this works beautifully from frozen, which means no thawing drama on busy nights. Serve this with Lemon Butter Asparagus and Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables.
Dinner · Air Fryer, High-protein • 15 min
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets (6 oz each), skin-on or skinless
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried dill (or 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped)
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges, for serving
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Steps
- If using fresh salmon, pat the fillets dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil (or melted butter), minced garlic, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper into a paste.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes. Rub the garlic-herb mixture all over the salmon fillets — both the top and sides.
- Place the fillets in the air fryer basket skin-side down (if skin-on). Cook at 400°F for 7–8 minutes for medium-rare to medium (the salmon will flake easily with a fork and register 125–130°F at the thickest part; USDA recommends 145°F). For well-done, add 1–2 minutes.
- For frozen salmon: do not thaw. Rinse under cold water to remove any ice glaze, pat dry, season as above, and air fry at 400°F for 12–14 minutes, checking for doneness at 12 minutes. No need to preheat — the frozen fish benefits from the gradual ramp-up.
- Let the salmon rest 2 minutes in the basket before serving. Squeeze lemon over the top and serve with your favorite sides.
Tips & Variations
Make Ahead
Mix the garlic-herb oil up to 24 hours ahead and store covered at room temperature. You can also season the salmon and refrigerate for up to 2 hours before air frying.
Storage
Refrigerate cooked salmon in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Eat cold over salad or gently reheat in the air fryer at 300°F for 3–4 minutes. Over-reheating dries it out — cold salmon is genuinely delicious.
Substitutions
Steelhead trout and arctic char cook identically. For a different flavor profile, swap the garlic-herb rub for a miso-ginger glaze, teriyaki, or lemon-pepper blend. Skinless fillets work fine — just watch the cook time, as they may cook 1 minute faster.
Reviews
Reviews coming soon! In the meantime, let us know what you think of this recipe.
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