Air-fried salmon is an excellent meal for a busy weeknight, and there are many great recipes available for this popular fish. The cooking process is similar to broiling and produces a moist, succulent texture. While it doesn’t require any marinade, the method will require a dry, clean piece of fish. You can use many types of Salmon in an air-fryer recipe, including farm-raised Salmon and wild varieties.
Salmon Nutrition Facts
What Is Salmon?
Because of its high protein and omega-3 fatty acid content, Salmon is classified as an oily fish. In Norway, a major producer of farmed and wild Salmon, the differences in food quality and safety are minor, with farmed fish having lower environmental pollutants and wild Salmon having higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
Farmed Salmon are fed fish oil and smaller fish pellets, ground-up chicken feathers, poultry litter (yes, that’s dung), genetically modified yeast, soybeans, and chicken fat. Salmon is abundant in potassium and omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA). When combined with potassium, omega-3 and -6 fatty acids promote heart health by reducing arterial inflammation, lowering cholesterol, and regulating blood pressure.
Salmon has a moderate flavor and a creamy, slightly oily texture. Salmon that has been baked, grilled, or poached will have a lemony, buttery flavor and whatever other flavors have been added to the dish. Smoked Salmon has a mild fishy flavor, whereas canned Salmon is often bland and oily.
The Best Air Fryer Salmon Recipe
In your air fryer, cook tender, flaky salmon fillets to perfection. This recipe takes less than 15 minutes to prepare and has only a few simple ingredients.
In real-time, that’s 15 minutes. Isn’t that incredible? We can acquire a healthy, protein-rich salmon fillet much faster than in a fast-food drive-thru! air fryer has become an integral part of our daily supper preparation. It’s perfect for us! It’s truly the ideal kitchen appliance, and it’s one of our favorites.
When it’s scorching hot outside in the summer, we use the air fryer for cooking quick, healthy (or delicious) dinners in the blink of an eye. And it can do so much more than “cook” food in the air. A compact convection oven with a heating element above the cooking surface (tray or basket) that drives hot air down and around the food is known as an air fryer. It’s ideal for various dishes, including air fryer salmon, which is one of our faves. We’d want to take our air fryer out for a cup of coffee with us.
Breading is used in many air fryer recipes, and no breading is required for this recipe! Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper, lay them in the air fryer basket or tray (depending on the air fryer you have), and cook on the “air fry” setting. You’ll see that the outcomes are fantastic.
Ingredients
Our Salmon is prepared by brushing melted butter over the fillets, then seasoning with fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and a pinch of salt. That’s all there is to it! We like to use black pepper that has been coarsely ground straight from the pepper mill. However, any ground black pepper would suffice. You can also use smoked paprika instead of ordinary paprika. The earthy, smoky flavor of smoked paprika helps fish sing and dance. Grab the spicy smoked paprika for a bit of zipping if you want to watch your Salmon do a two-step.
Preparation
Salmon fillets are perfect for air frying. We obtain flawlessly cooked Salmon that is soft, flaky, and has a lovely caramelization on top with just five ingredients and 10 minutes on the air fry setting. We like to use aluminum foil in the basket or on the air fryer tray for this dish. After that, please give it a quick spritz with non-stick cooking spray. Salmon skin (using skin-on fillets) is notorious for sticking. Thus the foil will make cleanup a breeze. It won’t influence the recipe’s conclusion, so don’t worry. Season the salmon fillets with the seasonings after brushing the tops with butter.
Air Fry At 390 Degree F. For Ten Minutes
Preheat the air fryer to 390° for 5 minutes (F). It’s crucial to start with a preheated air fryer since it helps give the Salmon a good color on top. After preheating, cook for 10 minutes at 390°F for 6-ounce fillets. If your fillets are more significant, you can increase the cooking time by a minute or two. The salmon fillets will have a gorgeous caramelization on top and will readily flake apart with a fork when the time is up. When measured with a meat thermometer in the thickest portion of the Salmon, the internal temperature should be at least 145°F.
Ready To Serve
Your salmon fillets are ready to serve as soon as the cooking time is finished. Squeeze some lemon juice over the fish to give it a bright, excellent flavor. You can also add fresh dill or parsley flakes. Asparagus and Salmon go together like a dream. In the air fryer, you may cook the asparagus alongside the Salmon. Snip off the woody ends, toss with a bit of olive oil and salt, and cook for 2 minutes in the air fryer. Because the asparagus cooks a little quicker than the fish, adding it after 2 minutes ensures that everything is precisely done simultaneously.
Points To Remember While Cooking Air Fryer Salmon Recipe
Here are some essential points that should be remembered while making Salmon:
- The best air-fryer salmon recipes include garlic, thyme, and maple syrup. These herbs are great with the fish, and they will keep it moist and delicious. You can serve your Salmon with roasted vegetables or serve it with a side of lemon wedges. And, you can always make extra portions and store them in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
- To make the most delicious air-fryer Salmon, start by prepping the ingredients. You’ll need a bag of paprika and olive oil for the spices. Then, pat the Salmon dry with the spice mixture. You can also add an ounce of butter to the oil for extra flavor.
- Once the Salmon is cooked, flake it off and enjoy! This is one of the best air-fryer salmon recipes and is the perfect meal for a weeknight.
- To make this recipe tasty and straightforward, prepare your fish as you would any other dish. You can either use a marinade or use a seasoned marinade. The best air-fryer salmon recipes combine brown sugar with garlic, which gives it an excellent smoky finish.
- The best air-fryer salmon recipes will depend on the fish you use, and it should be seasoned with spices, such as paprika and black pepper. You can also substitute your favorite seasonings, like salt, by making your own.
Salmon Nutrition Value
Carbs
Salmon is naturally free of carbohydrates, including fiber and sugar.
Fats
A 3-ounce serving of raw Salmon has 13 grams of fat. About 1.5 grams are from beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, including EPA and DHA, and less than 1 gram comes from saturated fat. The fatty acid profile of Salmon varies depending on whether it is farm-raised or wild-caught. Farmed Salmon is a higher overall fat content, including saturated fat, and wild Salmon is leaner.
Protein
There are 20 grams of protein in a 3-ounce fillet of raw, wild-caught Salmon. Because farm-raised Salmon has more fat, it contains slightly less protein by weight. Regardless, Salmon is an excellent source of high-quality complete protein that provides all of the essential amino acids our bodies require.
Calories
A three-ounce serving of Salmon provides 208 calories, most of which come from protein. Some calories also come from healthy fat.
Vitamins And Minerals
Salmon is high in vitamin A and a variety of B vitamins, and it’s one of the few natural vitamin D sources (wild Salmon is an excellent source). Salmon is also high in magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, etc. In addition, canned Salmon is high in calcium (due to the edible bones).
Health Benefits Of Salmon
Although there are many health benefits of eating Salmon and some of them are here:
- The American Heart Association recommends eating fish twice a week for heart health. Regular fish eaters tend to be protected from a variety of cardiovascular illnesses.
- Vitamin D and calcium, both important for bone health, are rich in canned wild Salmon. While vitamin D is present in farmed Salmon, the amount varies depending on the feed utilized. Increasing the vitamin D content of farm-raised Salmon has improved human bone health in tests.
- Salmon protein contains all amino acids, including those that serve as precursors to mood-regulating neurotransmitters.
- Omega-3 fatty acids found in Salmon, notably DHA, have been related to brain and nervous system development during pregnancy. Infants’ brain development has been hindered due to inadequate omega-3 intake during pregnancy and nursing.
- According to specific research, omega-3 fatty acids may protect against cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s disease. While further research is needed to confirm this effect, consuming all of the nutrients included in whole foods has cumulative benefits beyond omega-3 supplementation.
- If you consume Salmon regularly, you can lose weight and keep it off.
Like other high-protein foods, it helps regulate the hormones that govern hunger and make you feel full. Furthermore, eating protein-rich foods like Salmon raises your metabolic rate faster than eating other foods.
Conclusion
Salmon is a beautiful and easy option for cooking in the air fryer. This recipe is ideal for people who want to cook Salmon at home without spending money on a professional kitchen. You can add brown sugar and garlic to your fish and season it with the spices of your choice. Then, let the air fryer do the work, and you’ll have perfectly cooked Salmon in no time. You can also use your air fryer to reheat cooked fish.
To prepare the best air fryer salmon recipes, pat the fish down with the seasonings and season with salt and pepper. This will ensure the skin of the fish is crisp and juicy. Then, put the fillets in the air fryer and allow them to marinate for 30 minutes. After that, you can then reheat them in the oven, using the remaining sauce. If you want to enjoy restaurant-quality seafood, opt for an air fryer.