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If you’re wondering how to make salmon in an air fryer, then look no further. This easy recipe for air fryer salmon takes less than 10 minutes to complete. It includes tips to cook your salmon filets perfectly. Plus, I share several recommendations for delicious, low carb & keto-friendly side dishes. This recipe is great if you want a quick & easy healthy meal.
How do you make salmon in an air fryer:
- Ensure that all of the bones are removed from your salmon by rubbing the tops gently with your hand
- Pat your salmon filets dry with a paper towel
- Drizzle olive oil on your filets and spread it evenly on both sides
- Season the filets with salt and pepper or a spice mix
- Turn your air fryer on 390 degrees and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until your fish flakes easily with a fork
How to not overcook your air fryer salmon filet:
The amount of time that this dish takes largely depends on how thick your fish is. I would always start with less time and add more time in 1 minute intervals. For Sockeye Salmon, 5 minutes was more than enough. If you have a thicker fish, start with 5 minutes, then add more time until it flakes easily.
Just like salt, you can always cook the fish longer if it’s not done. But you can’t reverse time, if it gets overcooked. Air Fryers are perfect for doing quick checks, since you can open the lid, test the fish, and return it if needed.
Does the bottom skin get crispy?
After making salmon in an air fryer several times, one thing that I noticed is that the bottom skin does not get as crispy as when you sear salmon in a hot pan. For me, I opt to eat the salmon without the skin when I make it in my air fryer.
Which salmon did you use?
In this recipe, I used two, 4-oz Sockeye Salmon fillets. My fish came pre-portioned from Sizzle Fish. Since this fish is light and not as thick (when compared to Atlantic Salmon), it cooked pretty quickly. My fish was thawed and had sat on the counter for about 15 minutes to come closer to room temperature.
Which air fryer did you use?
In this recipe, I’m using the “Air Crisp” function on my Ninja Foodi. As I mentioned in my Ninja Foodi product review, this performs exactly like an air fryer. One of the perks though is that it’s a pressure cooker too! So, with one machine, I can make things like this dish and Keto BBQ Pulled Pork, which I used to make Keto BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza!
Ninja Foodi
If you don’t have a Ninja Foodi, I’ve also used this air fryer in the past to make Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings and Air Fryer Buffalo Wings. I enjoyed it because it has a large capacity, making it easier for me to cook 3-4 servings at one time. I only gave it away because the Foodi had more functions and allowed me to save some counter space!
GoWiseUSA Air Fryer – 5.8qt
What spice mixture did you use?
This recipe uses an easy spice mixture with items that you likely have in your pantry. The spice mixture includes:
- Herbes de Provence
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
What about spice substitutions?
If you don’t have Herbes de Provence, I commonly substitute it with Italian Seasoning. They have lots of the same flavors like basil, oregano and thyme. The major difference is that Herbes de Provence has other flavors like lavender.
What are some side dishes for air fryer salmon?
To create a keto & low carb meal, I paired this salmon with Low Carb Roasted Vegetables. But, there are so many options to make this cooked salmon a meal. For example, you might pair it with any of these Low Carb Zucchini Recipes (which also features some desserts).
You might also add some of these keto-friendly side dishes:
- Cauliflower Rice Risotto
- Easy Sauteed Asparagus
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Loaded Cauliflower
- Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts with Bacon & Cranberries
- Southern Green Beans
- Roasted Bok Choy
- Filipino Garlic Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Feta & Zucchini
Looking for other keto & low carb air fryer recipes, check out these:
I love cooking in an air fryer because it turns almost anything into a quick meal! If you have an air fryer or are new to having one, then here are some other delicious recipes that you can make in it.
- Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Air Fryer Fried Chicken
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Air Fryer Green Beans with Bacon
- Air Fryer Shrimp Scampi
- Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
Don’t have an air fryer?
If you don’t have an air fryer, but still want to make salmon, then some are options are to make grilled salmon or baked salmon.
The baked salmon can be prepared with vegetables in a foil packet. And, the grilled salmon pairs well with a fresh salsa.
Just a note, the grilled salmon recipe includes honey as an optional ingredient. Since honey is not keto-friendly, then you can always substitute it with Honest Syrup (1g net carb per serving).
Ingredients
- 8 oz Sizzle Fish Salmon Filets I used two, 4-oz Sizzle Fish Sockeye Salmon filets
- 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Medlee Seasoned Butter I used Medlee Lemon & Herb. You could swap this for regular butter and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Instructions
- Dry your filets with a paper towel and run the surface gently to ensure that there are no bones
- Drizzle the olive oil on the fish and rub it in on both sides of the fix
- Mix the seasonings & sprinkle them on both sides of the fish
- Turn your air fryer on 390 degrees and cook for 5-8 minutes. I recommend starting with 5 minutes, checking the fish, and increasing the time by 1 additional minutes until it flakes easily with a fork.
- Melt the seasoned butter for 30 seconds in the microwave and pour it over the fish before eating.
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