These simple instructions for an Air Fryer Half Side of Salmon will ensure that you make the most of this beautiful piece of salmon. The same instructions apply if you have a larger air fryer and need to air fry a whole salmon side too!
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I absolutely love salmon and I’m a a big fan of cooking larger pieces so it is easier to keep the centre a little pink. A half side isn’t really that large and buying bigger pieces of salmon is often much more cost effective than buying individual fillets. For me, a roughly 225g/8oz piece of protein is about right for a main meal. So a half side would tend to serve 3, or 4 with smaller appetites/a lighter lunch.
I have written this recipe for a half side as I think this is more achievable for most people with their air fryers. I don’t have any air fryer that would fit a whole side. Such machines do exists – usually the flex drawer types where you can remove a central divide to create one long and thin air fryer basket.
Jump to…
- HOW TO SERVE
- INGREDIENTS
- HOW LONG TO AIR FRY A HALF SALMON SIDE
- HOW TO AIR FRY SIDE OF SALMON FROM FROZEN
- LEFTOVERS
- COMMON AIR FRYER QUESTIONS
- THE RECIPE IN FULL
The Air Fried Fish & Shellfish Collection
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Featuring everything from king prawns and scallops to haddock fillets, sea bass and sea bream as well as whole plaice, cod loins, mackerel fillets and of course I couldn’t miss out salmon fillets!
How to Serve
Salmon is incredibly versatile – there is basically no cuisine that is doesn’t suit and yuo can serve it hot, cold or at room temperature. Not so relevant for this recipe but you can also serve it at any stage between completely raw and fully cooked through.
Serving cold/room temp is ideal if you’re looking to serve an impressive buffet or take salmon on a picnic or in a packed lunch. Salmon with Caesar salad is especially delicious.
I looked to Latin America for inspiration for how to serve my salmon. I served my easy green rice with coriander & garlic, heaps of fresh mango salsa, corn tortilla chips, green salad and as a cheeky bonus treat, some air fried whole prawns.
Ingredients
Salmon
This recipe is for a half side of salmon. A side of salmon is simply how we refer to the two large fillets that are taken off a whole salmon. Because the sides are generally very large, and can be really quite massive from a very large fish, they are then generally cut into chunks which are the individual size servings that are usually referred to a as salmon fillets. Like what I’ve shown you how to prepare and cook in my How to Air Fry Salmon Fillets post.
A half side is exactly what you think it is, half of a whole side of salmon. It is very common to see them sold in UK supermarkets and of course any half decent fishmonger should be able to provide you with a half side. The piece that I’ve cooked in this recipe was around 600g/1lb5oz in size. It is important to check that whatever you buy will fit in your air fryer basket.
You can often buy whole sides at a good price around Christmas time. This is always worth considering picking up. Cut fillets from one end and then cook the other half whole – or just create two halves. Salmon freezes very well. Or if you want to air fry a whole side and you have one of the long and narrow air fryers, you can follow exactly the same instructions to cook that – obviously double the butter and salt quantities as appropriate.
Sides are usually sold with the skin on. I’ve chosen to air fry with the skin side down which means that it doesn’t get especially crispy. I’m not actually a fan of fish skin but I always leave it on to cook the salmon as it helps to hold the fillet together.
If you’d rather crispy skin and aren’t so bothered about the presentation, you can simply cook with the skin side up instead. You may need to add an extra couple of minutes to the cooking time.
Butter
I’ve used melted salted butter in this recipe. I like to use butter as it helps the salmon to get a little brown in the air fryer. As the cooking time isn’t very long, it can cook without taking on any colour without a little help.
If you prefer, you can use any oil or fat as you like – just make sure that the flavour profile of the fat matches the how you intend to serve it. Any hard fats are best melted and then brushed on, just like with the butter.
Seasoning
I’ve stuck with just simply using sea salt as seasoning. As I was intending to serve the salmon with very flavourful sides and a salsa, I was happy for the salmon to just bask in all of its salmony glory.
But salmon does stand up well to heavier seasoning. So if you want to use a spice blend or an oil based marinade etc, then you absolutely can. I have a coconut and lime seasoning that I especially love with salmon.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, gluten and nuts.
Dairy Free: Swap the butter for a dairy free butter alternative or use any other suitable oil/fat.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How Long to Air Fry A Half Salmon Side
Salmon cooks surprisingly fast, even when we’re talking about a whole big slab of it. This half side cooked to perfection in 12 minutes. This leaves the centre just the tiniest bit pink. For a slightly more rare side, I would suggest 10 minutes.
A very thick side may need couple of minutes longer and naturally, if your side is especially thin, you may want to cook for a couple of minutes less.
How to Air Fry Side of Salmon From Frozen
You can air fry from frozen with a couple of extra steps. The main thing to do is to make sure the surface of the salmon is free from any water or moisture. So the easiest way to do this is to run the frozen salmon under the tap and then dry it thoroughly. This will give a surface that you can add the butter and seasoning to as normal.
2 extra minutes on the cooking time is all it takes to cook the salmon from frozen.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
You can actually air fry salmon the day before serving if you are looking to serve them cold. Cooked salmon will keep for a total of two days if kept in the fridge in an air tight container.
You can also freeze cooked salmon, it will be ready to eat or reheat as soon as it is defrosted.
I don’t love reheating salmon fillets as you always lose some of the soft pinkness in the middle but you can either in the microwave or put back in the air fryer. To reheat in the air fryer you should allow around 5 minutes at 200c/390f. Wrapping in foil first will help to retain some of the moisture but it may take a couple of minutes longer.
Common Air Fryer Questions – A Brief Guide to Air Frying
- What exactly is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of using an air fryer?
- Are all air fryers the same?
- Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
- Do air fryers need to be pre-heated?
- What is the best temperature to air fry at?
- What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
- Can food be cooked from frozen in an air fryer?
- Can I reheat food in an air fryer?
- Are air fryer liners a good idea?
The Air Fried Feast Community
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What Exactly is an Air Fryer?
Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.
Are all air fryers the same?
Nope! The term air fryer is now used very broadly. I consider there to be 4 main types:
Basket Air Fryers
These are what I would consider to be the most common, especially in the UK. A boxy type unit has a pull out drawer/basket. Food isn’t usually visible whilst cooking.
Some larger models have two drawers so different items can be cooked at different temperatures or for different times.
This is the type that you’ll see in the images in this recipe. I mostly use a Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. It isn’t an overly expensive or fancy model.
I’ve also recommended to several friends and family the model with a slightly larger basket. This is the Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501) with a 4.7 litre basket. The unit is no larger than the 3.8 litre model on the outside but does have a larger internal basket capacity. I’ve since bought this version to use for some recipes where my smaller model was just too small. I’ll always note this in the recipe.
Rotary Air Fryers
Round air fryers with a paddle in the centre that rotates to move the food. This is the type I used for years – the most common is a Tefal Actifry.
Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.
My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.
Mini Oven Air Fryers
These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.
Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions
Some like Ninja 11 in 1 and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.
Some electric pressure cookers like Instant Pots can also air fry when used with a specific lid.
Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.
Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.
I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.
Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?
The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.
What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?
It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.
What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.
There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.
Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.
Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.
It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.
Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.
Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?
Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.
There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.
When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.
If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.
More Air Fryer Recipes
All my recipes with instructions for how to cook or bake them in the air fryer can be found in my Air Fryer Recipe Index.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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The Recipe
Air Fryer Half Side of Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ Salmon Side - roughly 600g/1lb5oz each
- 2 tbsp Salted Butter - see notes
- 1 tbsp Sea Salt Flakes - see notes
Instructions
- If your air fryer requires pre-heating, Start this setting now.
- Melt 2 tbsp Salted Butter in a small bowl. I do this in the microwave but you could use a small heatproof bowl in the air fryer if you like. The preheat setting will likely do the trick.
- Thoroughly dry a ½ Side of Salmon.
- Use your fingers to check for any rogue bones and remove them if you find any.
- Use a pastry brush to coat the skin side of the salmon with the butter – be generous, the butter will start to solidify as it touches the cold salmon so it won't slide off.
- Sprinkle over around 1 tbsp Sea Salt Flakes. Crush the flakes between your fingers as you sprinkle for a thinner, more even coverage.
- Place the salmon side into the air fryer basket skin side down.
- Brush the remaining butter over the top of the salmon and sprinkle over the remaining 1 tbsp Sea Salt Flakes.
- Cook for 12 minutes at 200c/390f. There is no need to turn the salmon.
- Be careful removing the salmon from the fryer as it will be delicate.
To Air Fry From Frozen
- Run the salmon under cold water to remove any surface ice crystals. Thoroughly dry them then proceed with preparing it as normal.
- Cook for 14 minutes at 200c/390f.
Notes
- Butter – You can use an oil instead of butter but I do find that butter helps the fish skin crisp a little more and adds a nice flavour.
- Salt/Seasoning – You can use any seasoning mix or sauce instead of just salt but make sure that salt is included in the mix. You can also add a little citrus juice. If you use a sauce with a high sugar content, you may want to brush this on towards the end of cooking so it doesn’t catch and burn.
- The air fryer version of this recipe is tested in a 4.7 litre capacity Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501). This was needed to fit in the side of salmon but if I was only cooking a smaller piece, my smaller Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) which has a square(ish) shaped basket of 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal would have been big enough. I could have squished this larger piece in if needed.
- As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time.
- Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
- Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.
Hazel says
We really enjoyed the salmon cooked like this. It was easy to make and stayed nice and moist.
Lesley says
I made this for dinner at the weekend and everyone enjoyed it the fish was perfectly cooked and not at all dry.