The exact cook time can vary. Read below for our tips!
This air fryer salmon is a delicious way to enjoy fish for dinner. It cooks in just around 10 minutes – and has a tasty mustard-dill marinade to create a complex flavor combination.
Served with sides like roasted potatoes or your favorite green veggie, this salmon is slightly crispy on the outside and tender and flakey on the inside!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients that you will need to air fry salmon like in this recipe:
- Salmon fillets – You’ll need 2 larger fillets (10 ounces each) or 4 smaller fillets (5 ounces each). Make sure they fit into your air fryer without overlap.
- Avocado oil – Alternatively, you can use canola oil and olive oil (we’d recommend light olive oil, not extra virgin).
- Dijon mustard – To give the salmon its flavor. You can also use honey dijon mustard if preferred but we wouldn’t recommend yellow mustard.
- Dill – Fresh dill is best, but you could also use dried dill (in that case use slightly less than 1 teaspoon)
- Lemon juice – For the marinade; can also squeeze more onto the salmon once cooked.
- Salt – For flavor. Add more or less to taste.
- Black pepper – For flavor. Add more to taste if desired.
Recipe Tips
Before you make this air fried salmon, read through these recipe tips so that you know exactly what to expect!
- You can change up the marinade if you like. We like a slightly tangy mustard-dill marinade since the mustard helps the salmon stay moist. You might want to try something like air fried teriyaki salmon if you’re looking for a different flavor!
- We used fresh farmed salmon fillets for this recipe. If you use wild salmon, the cooking time might be slightly reduced since it typically contains less fat than farmed salmon.
- The thickness of the fillets will affect the cooking time. Thinner fillets will be done sooner, thicker fillets will take slightly longer.
- Don’t overcook the salmon as this will make it dry, but at the same time make sure that it is actually cooked. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Some people find that this temperature is too high and use 125 degrees Fahrenheit as a guideline – but better safe than sorry. If you have any questions, you can refer to the official guidelines by the FDA.
- You can also make this recipe with frozen salmon in the air fryer – but in this case, the cooking time is slightly longer.
Step by Step Instructions
In this section, we’ll show you exactly how to make salmon in the air fryer. We’ve included the recipe process photo so that you can follow along to see how we did it and track your progress at home.
Of course, the detailed recipe card is located at the bottom of this post with all the cooking times and temperatures.
Start by preheating the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add the oil, Dijon mustard, dill, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to a small bowl.
Mix until everything is well combined.
Brush this mixture onto the salmon. Coat both sides of the salmon fillet if it doesn’t have skin.
If the skin is on, only brush a thick layer onto the non-skin side. But you can brush a little bit of extra oil onto the skin side first if desired.
Once the salmon fillets are coated and the air fryer is hot, place the salmon into the air fryer tray.
Make sure there is some space between the fillets and they don’t overlap. This helps with even cooking.
Air fry the salmon fillets at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-12 minutes total until fully cooked through.
The salmon is cooked when it flakes apart easily and is no longer raw on the inside.
If the salmon is thicker, flip it halfway through the cooking time. If you have very thin fillets, there’s no need to flip them.
Remember that the exact cooking time can vary and is influenced by your air fryer, the thickness of the salmon fillets, and your personal preference.
When done, remove the cooked salmon fillets from the air fryer. You can drizzle more lemon juice on top and garnish with more dill (optional). Enjoy!
Storage Tips
After you’ve made this air fryer salmon recipe, you can store any leftover salmon in a sealed container in the fridge. Properly stored, it will keep for 3 to 4 days. However, we’d recommend eating it sooner rather than later since it can dry out over time.
How to Reheat Salmon in the Air Fryer
This salmon can be reheated in the air fryer for just a few minutes at 280 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the “reheat” setting on our air fryer and we find it works quite well.
Just be sure not to air fry the salmon too long or at too high of a temperature because you’re just warming it up and not cooking it through again! Also remember, overcooking the salmon dries it out.
Depending on how much you have left, you can also use the microwave but it might make the salmon a little rubbery.
What to Serve Air Fryer Salmon With
If you’ve made this salmon for dinner, there are plenty of great sides that pair well:
- You might want to enjoy a potato side dish with this salmon. We’d recommend red potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or baby potatoes because they usually turn out tender and don’t take too long.
- As for a vegetable, some of the classics like air fryer broccoli, broccolini, or green beans work well. You might even go with roasted butternut squash for a hint of sweetness that pairs nicely with the mustard-dill marinade.
FAQ
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about air frying salmon:
To cook fresh salmon in the air fryer, prepare the marinade and apply it to the salmon. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook salmon for 8-12 minutes until fully cooked, but not overcooked. The thickness of the salmon may vary the cooking time.
The thickness of the salmon fillet will vary the cooking time in the air fryer. A typical 10-ounce fresh salmon fillet will cook in about 8-12 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. However, keep an eye on the salmon so that it doesn’t dry out.
Related Recipes
If you liked this recipe for salmon, here are some other fish recipes for the air fryer that you might enjoy:
- Honey Garlic Salmon in the Air Fryer
- Air Fried Homemade Salmon Burgers
- Air Fried Honey Mustard Salmon
- Air Fried Fish Tacos
- Salmon Bites in the Air Fryer
- Unbreaded Frozen Fish in the Air Fryer
Air Fryer Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 10 ounce salmon fillets, alternatively 4 smaller fillets (5 ounces each)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, more to taste
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While you wait, mix the oil, Dijon mustard, dill, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl.1 tablespoon avocado oil, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon fresh dill, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Brush this mixture onto the salmon fillets. Coat both sides if the fillets don't have skin or only one side if they have skin (in that case, you can brush the skin side with a little bit of oil first).2 10 ounce salmon fillets
- Once coated and the air fryer is heated, place the salmon into the air fryer tray. There should be some space between the fillets and they shouldn't overlap. This helps with even cooking.
- Air fry the salmon fillets at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-12 minutes total until fully cooked through (don't overcook it!). The salmon is cooked when it flakes apart easily. If the salmon is thicker, flip it halfway through the cooking time. If you have very thin fillets, there's no need to flip them. The exact cooking time can vary based on your air fryer, the thickness of the salmon fillets and your personal preference.
- When done, remove the cooked salmon fillets from the air fryer. You can drizzle them with more lemon juice and garnish them with more dill (optional). Enjoy!
Notes
- The exact cooking time can vary. Thinner fillets will be done sooner, thicker fillets will take slightly longer. Also, wild salmon fillets often cook a bit quicker than farmed salmon. Keep an eye on the salmon you have so that it doesn’t overcook – this can make it dry.
- We used fresh farmed Atlantic salmon for this recipe.
- The FDA recommends an internal temperature for salmon of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Some people find that this temperature is too high and use 125 degrees Fahrenheit as a guideline for internal temperature – but better safe than sorry.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
