Make the best salmon of 2024 in your air fryer


I have over a decade of experience covering food, kitchenware, and home tips. In the last year alone, I've tested dozens of air fryer recipes. What did I discover during this time? That this 10-minute air fryer salmon recipe is one of the easiest and most delicious meals you can make with the simple kitchen appliance.

Salmon made on the stovetop in a frying pan is great, but then you'll end up with a greasy, fishy stovetop. Grilling or baking salmon in the wall oven is another good option, but you'll have to heat up that big appliance for a few servings of fish. It really can be a total pain to have the smell of seafood wafting through your kitchen for hours on end after you've finished cooking.

Air Fryer the salmon was a revelation to me, and the quick and clean method had me eating more seafood than ever before. An air fryer cooks fish quickly, isn't messy, and uses less energy than the big oven. The entire recipe can be completed in under 15 minutes, leaving you with a tasty cut of medium-rare salmon to pack in some protein when you're in a rush.

As with most fillets of fishthe salmon does well with a burst of high heat to give the outer layer a crust without overcooking it in the middle. Air fryers are designed to do just that with superconvection which blows hot air at high speed using a powerful fan into a small cooking chamber.

Air fryers only take a few minutes to preheat, so if you're making a quick weeknight meal for one or two, cooking salmon in the air fryer is an ace up your sleeve. Air fryers too costs less to operate and they use less energy than large ovens, and they don't create an oily mess like stovetop-seared salmon.

raw salmon fillet on cutting board with sauce ramekin

A fresh fillet and seasonings are all you need to make the perfect air fryer salmon dinner.

David Watsky/CNET

Making salmon in the air fryer takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. See how to make a perfect fish fillet every time.

For more information, see our favorite places to order salmon online and the best air fryers we tested for 2024. If you're wondering how these modern, efficient countertop stoves work and which model is best, read my complete guide to air fryers.

Ingredients for 10-Minute Air Fryer Salmon

  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1 green onion cut into cubes
  • Salmon fillet
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Parchment paper (optional)

5 Easy Steps: The Perfect 10-Minute Air Fryer

  • Step 1: Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F on “fry” or “bake.”
  • Step 2: Mix the olive oil, brown sugar, soy sauce and chives.
  • Step 3: Dry the salmon fillet and place it in the fryer on baking paper (paper optional).
  • Step 4: Pour the soy sauce mixture over the salmon and brush to coat completely.
  • Step 5: Close the basket and cook for about 8 minutes, checking for doneness with a fork or internal probe (cook another minute or two if you prefer your salmon well-done or well-done).

medium-rare revealing center-cut salmon

Just 8 minutes in the air fryer and you'll have perfectly rare salmon.

David Watsky/CNET

The air fryer is my go-to for roast chicken, replacing my slow and dirty heavy oven recipe. I recently learned how to make juicy cheeseburgers in the air fryer and how to fry bacon in less than 10 minutes without messing up the pan or baking dish.

Air fryers are incredibly convenient and can perform many of the same tasks as an oven. They only take a few minutes to preheat, contain many of the kitchen messes you would otherwise have to spend time cleaning up, and are generally more energy efficient kitchen appliances.

When planning to cook meals with an air fryer, you need to have enough space inside the appliance for the food you want to cook. Many air fryers can accommodate a single person's portion size, but you'll likely have to turn it on several times to make enough food for the entire family.

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