Air Fryer Salmon
The fastest respectable dinner we know: 5 minutes of prep, 8 minutes of cooking, restaurant texture. The air fryer was quietly built for salmon.
Salmon at a glance
5 minPrep
8 minCook
400°FTemp
2Servings
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets (5–6 oz each)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Steps
- Dry and season. Pat fillets very dry — wet fish steams. Oil and season all sides.
- Skin down, spaced, 400°F, 7–9 minutes. An inch-thick fillet needs 8; thin tail pieces need 6–7.
- Pull at 125–130°F. Carryover adds ~5 degrees during the rest. 145°F is the safety line but the texture line is lower — your call.
- Rest 3 minutes. Then lemon and serve. Skin either peels clean or eats crispy.
Frozen fillets work too
No thaw? Rinse off ice glaze, pat dry, season, and cook at 400°F for 12–14 minutes. Texture is 90% as good — a legitimate weeknight backup plan, not a compromise to be ashamed of.
The white stuff is fine
That white protein (albumin) seeping out means the fish cooked a touch hot or fast — harmless, and wiping it off is purely cosmetic. A 10-minute salt brine beforehand minimizes it if presentation matters.
