There’s a reason you’re seeing air fryers popping up everywhere these days. Essentially a countertop convection oven, the air fryer is one of the best tools to cook everything from vegetables to French fries, meat and fish. Salmon is particularly delicious in the air fryer, coming out crisp on the outside, and perfectly tender and flaky on the inside. If you’re new to air fryer cooking, we’ve rounded up our best tips and hacks, plus 30 air fryer salmon recipes you’re sure to love!
7 Air Fryer Tips and Hacks
1. Preheat Before Cooking
Think of your air fryer like an oven. It works best when preheated. If yours doesn’t have a preheat function, allow it to warm up for 3 to 5 minutes before you start cooking.
2. Spray the Basket
Even if your recipe doesn’t call for oil, make sure to spray the basket’s bottom for best results. You can use cooking spray or grease it with a little bit of olive oil.
3. Line the Basket with Aluminum Foil
If you’re cooking something that may get a bit messy, consider lining the basket with aluminum foil or parchment paper. It makes for a super easy clean up and also keeps your food in place, preventing it from moving around and spilling in the air fryer.
4. Shake the Basket Halfway for Even Cooking
If you want your food to have a crispy, evenly cooked exterior, be sure to shake the basket halfway through cooking (depending on the type of food of course). This will rotate your food and makes sure every part of it is cooked evenly. Just don’t shake so much that you cause spillage.
5. Use it to Reheat Leftovers
Instead of using your microwave to reheat leftovers, which can leave your food soggy, use your air fryer instead. Just add a bit of cooking oil to the basket, air fry for a couple minutes and it will make your food hot and crispy again!
6. Clean It After Every Use
Be sure to clean your air fryer each time you use it. Since the air fryer locks in juices, you’ll barely have any clean up, but it’s still an important step to keep it from getting dirty and sticky inside. This way you can air fry new foods without worrying about residue buildup or any unfortunate smells.
7. Leave Space Around Your Air Fryer
For proper ventilation, make sure to place your air fryer at least 5 inches away from walls or cabinets. Otherwise they can cause damage to your kitchen appliances and create a fire hazard. You should also ensure that the surface you have it on is heat proof.
3 Tips for Cooking Salmon in an Air Fryer
1. Create a Wet Rub with Powdery Seasonings
If you’re planning to use any powdery seasonings, such as paprika or pepper, it’s important to mix them with oil outside the air fryer to create a wet rub for your salmon. If you shake them on inside the air fryer, they’ll be blown off due to the strong air ventilation.
2. Don’t Overcrowd the Basket
It’s important not to overcrowd the basket in your air fryer and not to let your salmon pieces overlap. If you try to squeeze too much in, your salmon could end up soggy and undercooked. Cook in batches if you need to, but don’t force in more than you can fit.
3. Get Creative with Your Recipes
There are plenty of different flavour combinations you can use to cook salmon in the air fryer. Get creative with your recipes and consider seasoning options like honey garlic, miso and soy sauce, dijon mustard and brown sugar and honey hot pepper.
15 Healthy Air Fryer Salmon Recipes
1. Brown Sugar Garlic Air Fryer Salmon | The Recipe Critic
2. Air Fryer Salmon with Maple Soy Glaze | Skinny Taste
3. Honey Glazed Air Fryer Salmon | Healthy Fitness Meals
4. Best Damn Air Fryer Salmon | Recipe Teacher
5. Cajun Air Fryer Salmon | All Recipes
6. Garlic Butter Air Fryer Salmon | Simply Delicious Food
7. Perfect Air Fryer Salmon | Fit Foodie Finds
8. Lemon Garlic Air Fryer Salmon | Sweet C’s Designs
9. Air Fryer Salmon with Zucchini | Everything Air Fryer
10. Air Fryer Keto Miso Salmon | Two Sleevers
11. Air Fryer Salmon with Garlic Maple Dijon | Daily Yum
12. Healthy Air Fryer Salmon | The Stay at Home Chef
13. Sweet and Spicy Air Fryer Salmon | Recipe Girl
14. Air Fryer Miso Glazed Salmon with Brussels Sprouts | Food.com
15. Crispy Air Fryer Salmon | The Roasted Root
15 Frozen Air Fryer Salmon Recipes
1. Frozen Air Fryer Salmon with Lemon Cream Sauce | Summer Yule
2. Air Fryer Salmon (Fresh or Frozen) | Kara Lydon
3. Air Fryer Spiced Salmon | Chef Lola’s Kitchen
4. Frozen Salmon in the Air Fryer | The Typical Mom
5. Frozen Salmon in the Air Fryer with Green Beans | Recipe This
6. Garlic Herb Frozen Salmon in the Air Fryer | Whole Lotta Yum
7. Low Carb Frozen Salmon in the Air Fryer | Winding Creek Ranch
8. Lemon Herb Frozen Air Fryer Salmon | The Food Hussy
9. Keto Air Fryer Frozen Salmon | Joy Filled Eats
10. Air Fryer Frozen Salmon with Skin | The Dinner Bite
11. Maple Dijon Frozen Salmon in the Air Fryer | Fork to Spoon
12. Lemon Pepper Frozen Air Fryer Salmon | Detoxinista
13. Air Fryer Garlicky Frozen Salmon | Melanie Cooks
14. Brown Sugar Dijon Frozen Air Fryer Salmon | All Recipes
15. Seasoned Frozen Air Fryer Salmon | Recipe Diaries
Salmon is a healthy, tasty meal that’s easily cooked in the air fryer to perfection. Try these awesome air fryer salmon recipes any night of the week!
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