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These air fryer salmon bites are made with fresh salmon chunks, simple seasonings, and finished with a quick homemade garlic butter. They cook in under 10 minutes, turning out crisp on the outside and tender in the center, and pair easily with just about any side. Perfect for a fast weeknight dinner or an easy weekend meal, this recipe shows you exactly how to make flavorful, perfectly cooked salmon bites in the air fryer with minimal effort.
These air fryer salmon bites are one of those dinners you make when everyone’s hungry and you need to get a flavorful dinner on the table fast. Cutting the salmon into bite-size pieces helps it cook quickly and evenly, while the air fryer gives you lightly crisp edges and a tender, flaky center. They’re easy to season, easy to pair with sides, and flexible enough to finish with whatever sauce you’re in the mood for.
Why This Is My Go-To Recipe for Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Fast and easy: Minimal prep and under 10 minutes in the air fryer makes this a true weeknight-friendly recipe.
- Perfect texture: The salmon cooks up lightly crisp on the outside and tender and flaky on the inside, no overcooking.
- Work with your favorite sauce: These bites work with buttery, spicy, sweet, or creamy sauces, so you can change up the flavor without changing the method. For example, you can use my lemon garlic butter sauce, cajun garlic butter (uses cajun seasoning), sweet chili sauce, bang bang sauce, alfredo sauce, and even the Hennessy BBQ sauce that I used on my Hennessy Wings.
- Easy to pair: Serve them with vegetables, add them to bowls or salads, or enjoy them on their own for a simple, satisfying meal.
Ingredients Needed
You’ll only need a few ingredients to make these air fryer salmon bites. Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Skinless Salmon Fillets: I used center-cut fresh (or thawed frozen salmon filets) with the bottom skin removed. I prefer Atlantic Salmon and cut it into about 12 bite-sized pieces (or salmon cubes).
- Herb Sprinkle Seasoning: I love herb blends because they pack a lot of flavor without requiring you to buy a lot of spices. If you don’t have the blend I use, you can make air fryer salmon bites with salt-free Garlic and Herb, Original Blend Mrs. Dash, Herbs de Provence, Cajun Seasoning, or Italian seasoning.
- Natural Ancient Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
- Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
- Sauce: I’m using lemon garlic butter sauce, but you can use keto sweet chili, bang bang sauce, alfredo sauce, and more.
How to Air Fry Salmon Bites
Making air fryer salmon bites is similar to the process of making my popular air fryer salmon. You’ll need about 10 minutes start-to-finish.
- Prepare the fish: I dry each salmon fillet with a paper towel, and ensure there aren’t any bones. Then, I cut the fish into bite-sized pieces with a sharp knife.
- Season the fish: Add the fish bites to a small bowl with the olive oil and spices. Then, gently toss the fish in the olive oil and spices to coat.
- Add the salmon bites to the air fryer: make sure they are in your air fryer basket in an even, single layer.
- Air Fry the salmon bites: Add the fish to the air fryer basket and cook at 390 degrees. Once they are air fried, you toss the air fryer salmon nuggets in creamy garlic butter sauce with lemon, hot sauce, or another dipping sauce that you enjoy.
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Top Cooking Tips & FAQs
- No need to flip: Salmon bites cook evenly in the air fryer without flipping. Just check them near the end of cooking to avoid overcooking and you’re good to go.
- Cut the salmon into even pieces: Try to keep the salmon chunks roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate. This helps prevent some pieces from drying out while others are still underdone.
- Cooking spray is optional: Lightly spraying the air fryer basket with cooking spray can help keep the salmon from sticking, especially if your basket isn’t nonstick or is well-used.
- Don’t overcook: Salmon cooks quickly in the air fryer. As soon as the bites are opaque and flake easily with a fork, they’re done. Cooking them longer will dry them out.
- Add heat if you like spice: For a little kick, sprinkle in a pinch of cayenne pepper or your favorite spicy seasoning before cooking.
I choose to cook my salmon at 390 degrees so it’s done in less time. But, 375 and 380 also work (especially for frozen salmon), just be sure to adjust the cook time with a lower temperature.
In this recipe, I am using thawed salmon. But you can make frozen salmon in an air fryer.
How to Store Leftover Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Store in the fridge: Let the salmon bites cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Place them back in the air fryer for a few minutes until warmed through. This helps bring back some of the crisp edges without drying out the fish. Avoid microwaving if possible, as it can make the salmon rubbery.
Ways to Enjoy Salmon Bites
- Salads: Toss the salmon bites onto a simple green salad, a chopped salad, or a Caesar-style salad for an easy protein boost. They’re especially good with creamy or lemony dressings.
- Grain Bowls: Add them to bowls with rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or couscous, plus roasted vegetables.
- Wraps and Pitas: Tuck them into wraps or pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
- Pasta Dishes: Spoon the salmon bites over pasta with garlic butter, Alfredo sauce, or even a light olive oil and herb combo.
- Tacos: Use them as a taco filling with slaw, shredded lettuce, or cabbage and a drizzle of your favorite sauce.
More Salmon Recipes
Looking for more ways to enjoy salmon?
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Air Fryer Salmon Bites
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Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz Salmon Filets , I used center-cut fresh, or thawed salmon filets with the bottom skin removed. I prefer Atlantic Salmon, cut into about 12 bites-sized pieces.
- 1 tsp 24 Herbs Sprinkle Seasoning (Salt-free), Salt-free Herb Blend like Mrs. Dash, Herbs de Provence, or Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 tsp Natural Ancient Sea Salt, fine
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp garlic butter, click for recipe
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Dry your filets with a paper towel and run the surface gently to ensure that there are no bones. Cut the salmon into bite sized pieces.
- Add the fish bites to a bowl with the olive oil and spices. Gently toss the fish in the olive and spices to coat.
- Turn your air fryer to 390 degrees and cook for 5-7 minutes. I recommend starting with 5 minutes, checking the fish, and increasing the time by 1 additional minute until the salmon bites are translucent pink is solid in color and it flakes easily with a fork.
- Melt the seasoned butter in the microwave for 15-30 seconds, mix in the lemon juice, and pour it over the fish.
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Recipe Notes
- No need to flip: salmon cooks well without flipping it in the air fryer. So, you only need to check on the fish to check for doneness.
- Add different sauces to switch things up: I’m using lemon butter garlic sauce, but you can easily vary this recipe by adding other sauces. Some of my personal favorites are: keto sweet chili sauce, keto teriyaki sauce, bang bang sauce, Alfredo sauce and the Hennessy BBQ sauce that I used on my Hennessy Wings
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used.
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