Frozen Salmon in Air Fryer
How to Cook Salmon with Skin in the Air Fryer – Use our amazingly easy and practically foolproof recipe to air fry skin-on frozen salmon to moist, flaky perfection in under 15 minutes!
Why We Love This Easy Air Fryer Salmon Recipe
By now you either love your air fryer or you really love your air fryer. And it’s not hard to see why! These countertop wonder machines are great to quickly cook your favorite foods, while also keeping the oven free.
Another fabulous feature of the air fryer is its ability to “fry” frozen foods in only a matter of minutes… Including skin-on salmon! That’s right, there is no need to defrost most meats – including seafood – before air frying to golden, slightly crisp, and mouthwateringly tender perfection.
Seriously, this Frozen Salmon in Air Fryer recipe is the easiest and most flavorful way to make salmon fillets, even if they come straight out of the freezer! They’re brushed with a simple and delicious honey, lemon, and spices blend, and from start to finish are ready to enjoy in less than 20 minutes. Pair crispy skin salmon with nearly any side dish for a satisfying dinner any night of the week.
Ingredients You Need
Air Fryer Salmon with skin is made with just a few simple pantry staples! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Atlantic salmon – frozen salmon filets or fresh, with skin (pat it dry with a paper towel)
- Honey – preferably the real stuff
- Olive oil – or other high heat and neutral-flavored oil
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed for best flavor
- Seasonings – salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, dried or fresh dill
How to Cook Salmon in the Air Fryer
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Allow it to run for several minutes while you prep the salmon fillets.
Set out a small bowl. Mix together the honey, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dill. Set aside.
Steps to Cook Salmon from Frozen:
- Place the salmon fillets in the basket and air fry for 6 minutes.
- Open the air fryer and brush the glaze over the top of the salmon fillets.
- Close, and fry again for 6-8 minutes.
Steps to Cook Defrosted or Fresh Salmon in Air Fryer:
- Place the fresh salmon skin side down in the air fryer.
- Brush the glaze over the top.
- Close the air fryer and set the timer for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.
Recipe Variations
This air fryer frozen salmon recipe uses a blend of black pepper, garlic, and dill. However, you can definitely use other spices and spice blends! Try with homemade Blackened Seasoning or Adobo Seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, or any seasoning combo with dried herbs you want.
Want to really mix up the taste? Consider using another combination of flavorful ingredients, like:
- Asian – Sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic
- Creole – Lemon, smoked paprika, cajun seasoning, and parsley
- Italian – Italian seasoning, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes
Don’t want to air fry? No problem! We have fantastic recipes for How to Grill Salmon and Broiled Salmon with Garlic Herb Butter.
Top Tips for Air Frying Salmon
- If you prefer not to get the bottom of the air fryer basket dirty, you can place a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper in the basket before adding the salmon fillets. This really helps with cleanup!
- Let the air fryer preheat all the way before adding the pieces of fish. You want that perfect high heat for quick cooking!
- Place frozen salmon fillets in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Don’t overlap them or let the pieces touch so the hot air is able to cook around the fish evenly. If you have large fillets you might need to cook in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the fryer.
- Take care that you don’t overcook the fillets. Start with the lowest end of the cook time range, and check for doneness before adding more time. Perfectly cooked salmon will be slightly firm and flaky, with still a bit of pinkness in the center.
What to Serve with Air Fried Salmon
Garnish this crispy-skin salmon recipe with a slice of lemon wedge, and serve with tartar sauce and your favorite seafood-friendly sides. (PS – You can eat the salmon with the crispy salmon skin, or without.)
Pair with cool and crunchy coleslaw, tender air fryer asparagus, or a refreshing green salad. Serve on top of a Detox Salad or Caesar for a delicious, hearty, and healthy Salmon Caesar Salad!
We also love tender fillets alongside fluffy rice or cauliflower rice, quinoa salad, and lots of other types of plant-based goodness like grilled or roasted vegetables.
You can even use this technique for other delicious salmon recipes like salmon sandwiches, salmon pasta, salmon burgers, or salmon salads!
Frequently Asked Questions
Set the air fryer to 400°F for frozen or fresh salmon with skin.
Frozen salmon cooks in about 12-14 minutes. Fresh salmon only takes 5-8 minutes, max.
Salmon should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 F. You can check the internal temperature with an instant-read meat thermometer! You can also tell that the salmon is finished when it is an opaque yet firm pink color and the meat easily flakes with a fork..
Nope! The fish is placed skin-side down in the air fryer basket and left alone until done.
Leftovers will keep well for up to 3-4 days stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge.
Previously frozen salmon should not be frozen again once cooked.
Looking for More Easy Air Fryer Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
- Crispy Air Fryer Toasted Ravioli
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets (Gluten Free!)
- How to Reheat Pizza (and Everything Else!)
- Air Fryer Everything Bagel Chicken Roll Ups
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
Get the Complete (Printable!) Guide for How to Cook Salmon from Frozen in the Air Fryer Below. Enjoy!
How to Cook Frozen Salmon in Air Fryer (with Skin-On)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound salmon 2-3 fillets
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill or 1 tsp fresh dill
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Allow it to run several minutes while you prep the salmon fillets. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels.
- Set out a small bowl. Mix together the honey, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dill. Set aside.
- Frozen salmon in the air fryer: place the salmon fillets in the air fryer basket close and air fry for 6 minutes. Open the air fryer and brush the glaze over the top of the salmon fillets. Then close the air fryer and fry again for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Fresh salmon in the air fryer: place the fresh salmon fillets in the air fryer. Brush the glaze over the top. Close the air fryer and set the timer for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.
This is perfect! I made it exactly as described, except that I added 1tsp of paprika (I love it on salmon).
I can’t believe how easy this is to make! Delicious!
I love eating salmon and using my air fryer. This air fryer salmon recipe is amazing. Super easy to make and perfect for someone like me who is single and doesn’t need to cook a lot of food.
I love how easy this is to cook with the air fryer. Comes out delicious every time!