Easy Air Fryer Salmon (with oven option)
A lovely balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy is the hallmark of this speedy salmon, which can be on your plate within 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 (6-8 ounce) salmon fillets
- 2 tablespoons (30g) Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon (12g) packed brown sugar**
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (may use 1 clove or omit if you’re not a fan)
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- A pinch (1/16 teaspoon) cayenne pepper
- Optional for serving: lemon wedges, a sprinkle of fresh snipped chives or thyme leaves
Instructions
- Helpful hint: If you enjoy eating the skin and don’t want it to stick to the air fryer basket, rub it with oil. If you prefer not to eat the skin, do not oil it. In that case, it will stick to the air fryer basket, and you can easily run your spatula between the flesh of the fish and the skin, leaving the latter behind.
- In a small bowl, stir together the Dijon mustard, brown sugar, garlic, oil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Spread the mixture evenly over the top of the salmon fillets.
- Place the salmon in the air-fryer basket. Cook at 400°F until desired degree of doneness, about 7 to10 minutes, depending on variety and thickness of the fish. You can cut into the fish to check or use a quick read thermometer and look for a temperature of 120℉ to 125℉ for medium rare or 130℉ to 135℉ for medium.
- Storage: Leftover salmon will keep well for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Prefer to cook in the oven? Bake in an oven pre-heated to 400℉ for 12-14 minutes, or until the salmon is not quite opaque in the center when pulled apart with a fork. (Or refer to temperatures above.) If desired, you may broil it the last 1-2 minutes, watching very closely, to brown the topping.
Notes
* Depending on the model, air fryers will generally accommodate two or four fillets. If wanting to cook more than the rack accommodates, cook in two batches, or use the oven method instead.
** In this instance, maple syrup would not be a good substitute for the brown sugar, only because it will make the mixture thinner and more likely to run off the salmon.
Helpful hints:
Salmon size – Choose fillets that are similar in size and thickness, so they cook evenly and finish cooking at the same time.
Air fryer pro tip: Until you’ve made a recipe once or twice, check your food as it cooks. Air fryers vary from model to model and paying attention will ensure that nothing burns.
Pat the fish dry – If the salmon is wet, blot it dry with a paper towel, so the topping adheres well.
Mix it up – Instead of the Dijon topping, you could brush the surface of the salmon with a thin coating of olive oil and then sprinkle with your favorite spice rub, whether homemade or store-bought. Even a simple seasoning of salt and pepper will make perfectly cooked salmon sing.
Tried this recipe?Click here to rate and comment.