You’ll Crave This Easy Air Fryer Salmon Recipe With A Delicious Honey Garlic Glaze

This salmon recipe is ready in about 15 minutes and is a family favorite for adults and kids alike. The salmon is made in the air fryer for hands-off cooking and comes out evenly cooked every time. Plus, you can make the glaze in a few minutes while the salmon is cooking for an easy weeknight meal. And if you don’t have an air fryer, no problem! Below I will tell you how to make it in the oven too.

The best part about this salmon recipe is the glaze. It’s sweet from the honey and salty from the soy sauce – you’ll want to savor every bite! This recipe will even win over picky eaters because the glaze makes this a delicious sweet and savory dish. You can easily make the glaze while the salmon is cooking or make it ahead and quickly heat it up when you are ready to use it.

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If you don’t have an air fryer to make this salmon recipe, consider getting one. They are great when you want hands-off cooking or when you don’t want to heat up the oven. Amazon offers a few air fryers that are affordable and have great ratings. If you have a big family and want to cook large portions in the air fryer at once, here is a great extra-large option with several shelves. If you are cooking in small batches, here is a fantastic 2-quart air-fryer option. There is also an air fryer lid for your InstantPot, sold here, so you won’t need an additional appliance.

And good news for anyone without an air fryer! You can still make this salmon recipe in your oven. Just set your oven to bake at 400 degrees for about 8-11 minutes, depending on the thickness of your salmon fillets. Also, if you have a convection setting on your oven, use it for this salmon recipe with the same time and temperature as you would for baking. It is similar to an air fryer and you will be able to get the same even cooking benefits. 

If you have a few extra minutes before making this or any salmon recipe, it is worth it to brine your fish before cooking. This helps break down the albumin (white protein) in the salmon and allows it to cook nicely. Simply place your salmon in a glass bowl or container and pour salt water to cover it. Let it sit in the saltwater in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes. Then remove from the water, rinse under cold water and pat dry before seasoning. This is an easy step that makes a big difference in the texture and appearance of the fish.

Air Fryer Salmon Recipe Ingredients

• 2 Salmon Fillets
• Smoked Paprika
• Salt
• Pepper
• For the glaze:
  • 2 cloves of garlic, smashed or minced 
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 2 tablespoons of honey
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 lemon wedge

Air Fryer Salmon Recipe Instructions

Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Lightly brush the salmon with olive oil on all sides. Next, add the salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Gently pat the spices into the fish. Set aside while you prepare your air fryer.

Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 390 degrees. Cut parchment paper to fit the size of your air fryer basket. This is the easiest way to air fry fish for a simple clean-up. Once the preheating cycle completes, place your parchment paper on the bottom of your air fryer basket, then place the salmon fillet on top. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you might be able to cook more than one piece of fish at a time. For the Instant Pot air fryer basket, it’s best to do one fillet at a time. 

Set the air fryer for 10 minutes at 390 degrees and hit start. Your air fryer may prompt you to flip your food halfway through the cooking time, but you can just ignore this. There is no reason to flip your salmon and if you do, you’ll unnecessarily risk the fillet coming apart.

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While the fish is cooking in the air fryer, melt the butter in a small pot on low. Add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the honey, soy sauce and juice from the lemon wedge. Simmer until the glaze gets slightly thick (about 3-5 minutes), then turn off the heat. Remove and discard the pieces of garlic cloves.

Once the fish has cooked for 10 minutes, remove it from the air fryer and place it on a plate. Brush or pour the glaze over the salmon and serve.