Air Fryer Salmon (in 10 minutes!)

two salmon fillets cooked in an air fryer basket.

Air Fryer Salmon (in 10 minutes!)

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: paleo

Keyword: air fryer salmon

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 7

Total Time: 12

Servings:

Calories: 281kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

Air Fryer Salmon turns out perfectly flaky and cooks in less than 10 minutes! You can use fresh or frozen salmon with this easy cooking method, so it will quickly become a new favorite.

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Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets , about 1 1/2-inches thick
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove , minced
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF if your machine requires it. (Not all do; you can skip this step if you prefer.) In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Stir well, then spoon the mixture over the fish.
Sprinkle each fillet generously with salt and pepper. I use roughly ¼ teaspoon of salt on top of each filet, and then a heavy sprinkle of black pepper. Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with oil to prevent sticking, if desired. Arrange the two fillets about 1 inch apart from each other in the air fryer basket and cook at 400ºF for 7 minutes.
When the cooking cycle is complete, check the internal temperature of the salmon. It should reach at least 140ºF in the thickest part, and when you take it out to rest it should reach 145ºF. (The recommended safe temperature by the FDA.) The fish should look opaque and flake easily with a fork. If it's not done yet, return it to the air fryer for 1 to 2 more minutes or until it reaches your desired doneness level.
Let the salmon rest briefly, then serve warm with your favorite side dishes. You can store cooked salmon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for one of the 6-ounce fillets. This is automatically calculated and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.

How to Cook Frozen Salmon: Preheat your air fryer to 360ºF. Once it's hot, place the frozen salmon on the air fryer basket and cook at 360ºF for 7 minutes. (This is for 1 1/2-inch thick fillets that are roughly 6 oz. each, if yours are thinner, start with just 5 minutes.) This is the "thawing" step.

After this, spoon the lemon mixture over the top and season generously with salt and pepper on top. Return the salmon to the air fryer to cook for another 7 minutes at 360ºF. When the cooking cycle is done, check the internal temperature of the salmon in the middle, to make sure it reaches 140-145ºF.

The outer edges are usually done before the center when you're cooking frozen fish, so you may need to cook the fish for an additional 1 to 3 minutes. (This results in slightly uneven cooking; since the outer edges will be more done, but this is the nature of cooking fish from frozen.)

Nutrition