Air Fryer Salmon
Eight minutes at 200 degrees, skin side up, and the salmon stays translucent in the middle.
- Preparation
- 5 min
- Cook/bake time
- 9 min
- Total
- 14 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 355 kcal
- Servings
- 2
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cooking & baking
- 9 min
Eight minutes at 200 degrees, skin side up, and the salmon stays translucent in the middle. Fish cooks faster in the air fryer than anywhere else, and that is exactly where the danger lies: two minutes too long turns juicy into dry. With the right timing, it is the easiest good fish dish ever.
Why this works
Fish protein coagulates between 50 and 60 degrees, which is significantly earlier than meat. From about 62 degrees, the muscle tissue contracts so strongly that it squeezes out water; this is the white coating that appears on the surface of overcooked salmon. The target range is therefore a core temperature of 50 to 55 degrees, and a two-centimeter thick fillet reaches this in the air fryer in eight minutes. The skin goes on top and not on the bottom: in the basket, the fillet lies on a perforated base, and the skin would get neither contact heat nor fat there. Lying on top, however, it protects the meat from the direct airflow and dries out less.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Mix the marinade
Mix the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil and garlic. Ten minutes of marinating time is perfectly sufficient, as fish absorbs flavors quickly, and after more than half an hour the salt begins to firm it up.
- 2
Pat dry and brush
Pat the fillets dry and brush them with the marinade. Being dry is important: a wet surface costs the first few minutes just to evaporate, and with an eight-minute total time, that is a good quarter of the cooking process.
- 3
Eight minutes at 200 °C
Place the fillets skin side up in the preheated basket. Cook for eight minutes at 200 °C without turning. The skin on top protects the meat from the direct airflow, and on the perforated bottom it would have no chance of getting crispy anyway.
- 4
Check for doneness
The salmon is done when it separates into flakes with light fork pressure and still has a translucent shine in the middle. If you wait until it is completely opaque, you have overcooked it. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onions.
Our best tips
- Eight minutes for a thickness of two centimeters. For every half centimeter more, add two minutes to the time, as the thickness determines the time, not the weight.
- Skin side up. In the basket, it gets neither contact heat nor fat on the bottom and becomes tough; lying on top, it protects the fillet from the airflow.
- A translucent middle is the goal, not a mistake. From 62 degrees, the muscle tissue squeezes out water, and that is the white coating on overcooked salmon.
Tasty variations
With miso instead of soy sauce
Mix one tablespoon of light miso with the honey and brush it on. Miso browns more strongly and forms a glossy crust, but then bake at 190 °C, otherwise it will get dark at the edges.
Mediterranean
Instead of the Asian marinade, use olive oil, lemon zest, garlic and oregano. Add cherry tomatoes to the same basket, as they need exactly the same eight minutes.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 355 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 31 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4 g |
| – of which sugar | 3 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
Where the 355 kcal come from
per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know when the salmon is done?
By the resistance: press lightly on the thickest part with a fork, and if the meat separates along the flakes, it is done. Visually, the middle should still be slightly translucent. With a thermometer, 50 to 55 degrees is the target range, which is significantly less than for meat.
Does this also work with frozen salmon?
Yes, without thawing: bake at 180 °C for fourteen minutes, and brush on the marinade only in the last five minutes. If applied directly to frozen fish, it will run off with the thaw water before it has any effect.
Does the fish stick to the basket?
Only if the basket was cold or unoiled. Preheat and lightly oil the bottom, then the salmon will release easily. A piece of perforated parchment paper also works, but it must be perforated, otherwise it blocks the airflow from below.
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