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Air Fryer Salmon

Air fryer salmon is a weeknight game-changer: perfectly cooked fillets with a lightly crisp exterior and a moist, flaky center in under 10 minutes. A simple garlic-herb butter or olive oil rub does the heavy lifting for flavor. And yes — this works beautifully from frozen, which means no thawing drama on busy nights.

Air Fryer Salmon — finished dish

Dinner · Air Fryer, High-protein • 15 min

Servings:
2 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 salmon fillets (6 oz each), skin-on or skinless
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon dried dill (or 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped)
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Steps

  1. If using fresh salmon, pat the fillets dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil (or melted butter), minced garlic, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper into a paste.
  2. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes. Rub the garlic-herb mixture all over the salmon fillets — both the top and sides.
  3. Place the fillets in the air fryer basket skin-side down (if skin-on). Cook at 400°F for 7–8 minutes for medium-rare to medium (the salmon will flake easily with a fork and register 125–130°F at the thickest part; USDA recommends 145°F). For well-done, add 1–2 minutes.
  4. For frozen salmon: do not thaw. Rinse under cold water to remove any ice glaze, pat dry, season as above, and air fry at 400°F for 12–14 minutes, checking for doneness at 12 minutes. No need to preheat — the frozen fish benefits from the gradual ramp-up.
  5. Let the salmon rest 2 minutes in the basket before serving. Squeeze lemon over the top and serve with your favorite sides.