Find out how to quickly and easily Air Fry Salmon Fillets from either fresh or frozen in this easy to follow guide. I've kept things simple so these instruction are a great starting point to add your choice of extra seasoning, marinade or glaze.
If your air fryer requires pre-heating, Start this setting now.
Melt 1 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 2 Salmon Fillets. Use your fingers to check for any rogue bones and remove them if you find any.
Use a pastry brush to coat all sides of the salmon with the melted butter. Don't forget the sides.
Sprinkle over ½ tsp Sea Salt Flakes. Crush them between your fingers as your sprinkle for a thinner even coverage. Again don't forget to season all sides.
Place the fillets into the air fryer basket skin side down. Leave a little space between each fillet so the air can circulate.
Cook for 12 minutes at 200c/390f. There is no need to turn the fillets.
Be careful removing the fillets from the fryer as they will be delicate. Serve hot straight away.
To Air Fry From Frozen
Cook for 14 minutes at 200c/390f.
Check the fillets half way through the cooking time and use a kitchen towel to mop off any surface water if needed.
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 Cosori Lite (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal.
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.
For this recipe, I can easily fit 2 fillets in the basket at a time. This gives plenty of room to allow air to circulate - I can just fit two more 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. Some models include stacking shelves which will increase capacity.
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.