No matter how I have prepared salmon, nothing compares to my healthy and delicious air fried salmon recipe.
You gotta try this!
Do you have an air fryer?
I actually own 3 and that’s because they are my go-to in the kitchen when I am making most foods.
Air fried foods contain zero to very little oil making them a healthier alternative to traditional deep fryer frying.
Traditionally air fried foods have a crispy outer coating (skin, texture, exterior) and a very moist interior.
What I’ve found after years of cooking with the air fryers is that it’s a game-changer in my recipe repertoire.
Cook anything from baked goodies like brownies to chicken, pizzas, veggies to salmon and the results are perfect every time.
Since I use my air fryer to cook healthy and delicious air fried salmon I want to share it with you.
Find the salmon in any store, I grabbed mine at Trader Joe’s.
Ready for fast, fabulous, and 2 ingredients big, my healthy and delicious air fried salmon will please even the most finicky seafood connoisseur?
Before We Make Healthy and Delicious Air Fried Salmon Read This
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The Secret To Perfect Air Fried Foods
I gotta level with you before I understood how I got such great results, I had to know how to actually work the air fryer.
While it’s a pretty simple small kitchen appliance to work with, it’s what you don’t know that will lead to less than marvelous results
Nonstick Sprays Matter
First, cook with a release, nonstick spray.
I use coconut oil because coconut oil can handle those higher heats for longer periods of time.
Plain and simple. Before I drop anything into the basket, I spray it with Coconut Nonstick Spray.
I stick between my Trader Joe’s Nonstick Coconut Oil Spray and LouAna Coconut Oil Spray, those are simply my faves.
I love my Trader Joe’s Nonstick Coconut Oil Spray, here’s what t looks like.
Alternatively, I use Olive Oil Nonstick Spray?
Why?
Remember I have a child with severe food allergies and he is allergic to coconut oil.
I also use a separate air fryer (now you get why I have a few) when I prepare his food.
For Niko, I use my own EVOO and put it into this spray bottle, it is reusable and helpful to have on-demand.
Heat Matters
Think back to when you cook in a traditional oil deep fryer.
The oil in there has to come to temperature before YOU drop anything in there right?
Well, following that education it only makes sense to preheat your air fryer right?
Simply program your air fryer to the mode (temperature you want) and set it at 4 minutes.
Trust me, preheating is a crucial piece of air frying perfect foods time after time.
Once it beeps the four minutes are up and it should be up to temperature.
Please note, all air fryers are different, so learn yours.
Healthy and Delicious Air Fried Salmon Recipe
I promised you a very easy recipe.
In fact, it is so easy you will love this.
You can use fresh or frozen boneless, salmon, I chose fresh.
If you use frozen, do make sure to defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Additionally, you will need some sort of rub, I am preferential to Applewood Rub by McCormick, but you can choose any!
Don’t forget to have Nonstick Coconut Spray.
Basic Directions for Preparation of Air-Fried Salmon
Preheat the air fryer to 330° F.
While the air fryer is preheating, prepare your salmon.
Remember, if you use an air fryer that is not pre-heated you will not yield great results.
Make certain to spray the air fryer basket lightly, just enough to dust it, with your choice of nonstick spray.
Skip down to the end of this post for exact recipe amounts and directions or keep reading, we are almost there.
In the end, you will LOVE this recipe because it is easy with minimal ingredients.
Your air fryer is one of the best small kitchen appliances you will invest in.
Air Fryer’s are a solid investment because of how versatile they are.
For seafood, it’s a jackpot of a find because it comes out perfect every time.
The exterior will pack a nice crunchy texture, while the inside will be bursting with juicy flavor!
If you need more air fryer inspiration try my firecracker shrimp, garlic dough knots, air fried donuts, and more! Enjoy~ Dana XO
Recipe for Air Fried Salmon with Images to help you prepare!
Healthy and Delicious Air Fried Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 Pound piece of Salmon I got mine at Trader Joe's refrigerated meat/seafood case
- Applewood Rub by McCormick
- Nonstick Coconut Spray
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 330° F.
- While the air fryer is preheating, prepare your salmon.
- Dust generously with the Applewood Rub (you can choose other rubs, we like this one).
- Now the salmon is ready.
- Please note I did not add oil or anything else to it, I just put the Applewood Rub on it.
- There's not much to this recipe but the end result is incredible-tasting.
- The salmon from Trader Joe's is portioned into 3 even pieces, which is great.
- I did not separate them.
- Instead, I kept it as one full piece.
- My preference is to cook as a full large piece, rather than small, you could make each piece separate and still yield the same results.
- Once it is preheated, open, and spray the basket lightly, just enough to dust it, with your choice of nonstick spray.
- Now you are ready for the seafood to enter the basket.
- My air fryer has preset time and modes, so I use that.
- I just use the seafood setting and it pre-programs it to 330° F and 20 minutes for cooking.
- However, I add 4 more minutes on because it is necessary to get it fully cooked (1 1/4 Pound) and I know this from cooking this amount of salmon over and over.
- Conversely, if you prepare just a pound, back it down by 4 minutes to 20.
- Basically 5 minutes per 1/4 pound.
- In the end, you will LOVE this recipe because it is easy with minimal ingredients.
- Your air fryer is one of the best small kitchen appliances you will invest in.
- Air Fryer's are a solid investment because of how versatile they are.
- For seafood, it's a jackpot of a find because it comes out perfect every time.
- The exterior will pack a nice crunchy texture, while the inside will be bursting with juicy flavor!