Here's how to cook Salmon in you Air Fryer, so it turns out perfectly tender every time! The whole process takes less than 10 minutes, for a fast meal.
Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF. While it's preheating, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl. Spoon the mixture over the fish.
Sprinkle each fillet generously with salt and pepper. I use roughly 1/4 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 in the air fryer basket and cook at 400ºF for 7 minutes. If your fish is thinner than 1 1/2 inches in the thickest part, lower the time by 2 minutes, just to make sure you don't over-cook it.
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 more minute at a time, until it's done.
Serve the salmon warm, with your favorite side dishes. You can store cooked salmon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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.
While the salmon is thawing, stir together the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. When the salmon is done, spoon the 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 is when you're cooking totally frozen fish, so you may need to cook the fish for an additional 1 to 3 minutes, until the center is hot. (This results in slightly uneven cooking; since the outer edges will be more done-- this is the nature of cooking fish from frozen.)
When the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, serve warm with your favorite sides. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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Notes
Nutrition information is for one of the 6-ounce fillets. This is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.