Air Fryer Salmon is moist, tender, flaky fish with savory lemon pepper seasoning. This air fried salmon is delicious and cooks in 12 to 15 minutes.
Cooking salmon in air fryer is easy with minimal clean up. Uses less oil and no oil splatters to clean either.
Salmon is a mild flavored oily fish, tender and delicate that can easily pick up the flavor of herbs and seasonings.
This easy salmon recipe is simple and it is delicious with wild-caught or farm raised, skin or skinless.
Looking for other salmon recipe that can be air fried at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, try Cilantro Lime Salmon and Lemon Dill Salmon. These are delicious fish recipes, as well.
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Ingredients substitute
If lemon pepper seasoning is not available in your area, you can use the following ingredients.
Lemon – 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. You can add more if you prepare it lemony.
Fresh Ground Black Pepper – ½ to 1 teaspoon depending on your taste.
Garlic Powder – ¼ to ½ teaspoon depending on your taste.
Onion Powder – ¼ teaspoon.
Tips for a perfect tasting salmon fillet
- Thaw salmon fillet in the refrigerator overnight. Cook as soon as it is thawed for fresh tasting fish. Don’t let it sit uncooked for a long time in the refrigerator.
- Pat dry fish with paper towel if washing.
- Brush both sides lightly with oil and be sure to turn salmon halfway through cooking.
- Do not overcrowd salmon in air fryer basket. Air should circulate to cook your food evenly. Cook in batches, if needed.
- Salmon is tender and delicate and it can get rubbery when overcooked.
- Use a meat thermometer or instant read thermometer to be sure it is perfectly cooked. Temperature should reach 145 degrees F at thickest part of fish.
- It is best to consume fish within 2 days.
How long to cook salmon in air fryer
If your air fryer is small like mine (7 quarts) 2 fillets 6 ounces each and 1 inch thick takes 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees F. You can add more fillets if your air fryer is bigger.
Note: If you have it in a foil, you might need to add another minute to cook depending on your preference.
Storing and reheating leftovers
Store leftover salmon in an airtight container up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat leftover in the microwave for 30 seconds and 15 seconds increments until warmed through or air fry at 300 degrees F for 2 minutes or more, depending on the size. Salmon will get tough and rubbery if reheated for a long time.
FAQ
Salmon fish is done cooking when the flesh flakes when pressed with a fork and fish fat (white lines) runs across the fillet. If not sure, it is best to use a food thermometer placed in the thickest part of the fish with temperature reaching 145 degrees F.
Overcooking salmon will make it tough and rubbery.
Try other easy salmon recipe
Recipe
Lemon Pepper Air Fryer Salmon
Ingredients
- ½ pound salmon thawed
- 1-1 ½ teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika optional
- salt to taste
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley minced garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Thaw frozen salmon overnight in the refrigerator.
- Pat dry with paper towel, if washing.
- Brush both sides with olive oil, drizzle lemon juice then sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning and paprika.
- Salt to taste.
- Air fry at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Preheat NOT set. Turn salmon halfway through cooking.
- Remove salmon from air fryer basket as soon as it is done. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Be sure salmon is fully thaw so it cooks evenly.
- You can place salmon in aluminum foil but be sure it doesn’t occupy the whole basket so air can circulate.
- If air fryer is small, do not overcrowd salmon and cook in batches so salmon cooks evenly.
- If watching salt (sodium) intake, you can eliminate it. The lemon pepper seasoning is delicious on it’s own.
- Lemon pepper seasoning can be substituted with the following ingredients: Lemon – 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. You can add more if you prepare it lemony. Fresh Ground Black Pepper – ½ to 1 teaspoon depending on your taste. Garlic Powder – ¼ to ½ teaspoon depending on your taste. Onion Powder – ¼ teaspoon.
- Use a meat thermometer or instant read thermometer to be sure it is perfectly cooked. Temperature should reach 145 degrees F at thickest part of fish.
- Storing and Reheating - Store leftover salmon in an airtight container up to 2 days in the fridge. Air fry at 300 degrees F for 2 minutes or more depending on the size or in the microwave in increments of 15-30 seconds. Reheating for too long can make salmon tough and rubbery.
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