Name: Blackened Air Fryer Salmon
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 salmon filets (4-6 ounce portions, skin on); 1 tablespoon butter (preferably grass-fed); 1 teaspoon blackening seasoning (*see notes to make your own); Kosher salt (to taste); lemon wedges (to serve)

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Try this delicious Blackened Air Fryer Salmon recipe for a quick and nourishing lunch or dinner! I’ve fallen in love with how easy it is to cook healthy recipes in my air fryer. Try this salmon air fryer recipe and you’ll see why.

If you love to use your air fryer, you’ll also love these Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs and this Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Bacon recipe!

A piece of blackened salmon shown on a plate with salad and lemon slices.

This post is sponsored by Dak’s Seasonings, makers of some super fun, salt-free seasonings that make healthy cooking easier! Thanks for supporting the brands I love.

Contents

Blackened Salmon Made SO EASY in my Air Fryer!

Say hello to your new favorite lunch! I adore this recipe and it makes it easy to eat healthy while I am busy working during the day.

If you’re fortunate enough to have access to an air fryer during your days, bookmark this recipe. You’ll come back to it again and again.

You might just be searching for healthy dinners to get on the table fast in the evening (especially weeknights!), and this air fryer salmon is just the ticket.

I use a blackening seasoning from Dak’s spices that I adore. If I have the time, I will make my own.

Dak’s has a range of super fun seasonings – from Everything But the Bagel, to sweet blends like Chocolate Crave.

What You’ll Need

Wild Salmon
Pastured (Grass-Fed) Butter
Kosher Salt
Blackening Seasoning (or make your own! See below).
Lemon Wedges, to serve

A photo of the ingredients needed to make air fryer salmon.

How to Make Salmon in an Air Fryer

Step 1: Add softened butter and blackening seasoning to a bowl. Combine together well. If the butter isn’t fully softened, add the bowl to a larger bowl with hot water to soften more so it easily spreads on the salmon. Adding a layer of butter to your salmon keeps it from drying out in the air fryer!

Step 2: Sprinkle salmon with kosher salt, to taste, and then spread the salmon with a thin layer of the seasoned butter.

Step 1 shows to make a blackened seasoning butter blend, and step 2 shows to spread the salmon with seasoned butter.

Step 3: Preheat an air fryer to 400º F.

Step 4: Air fry the salmon for 10 minutes. If you’re only cooking 1 salmon fillet, only air fry for 8 minutes. Larger air fryers with more salmon fillets might require up to 12 minutes.

Step 3 shows to preheat the air fryer, and step 4 shows to air fry the salmon for 10 minutes.

Variations on Air Fryer Salmon

Make it Less Spicy: Most blackening seasonings have quite a kick to them. You can use half the amount of blackening seasoning, or make your own seasoning and omit the cayenne and half of the black pepper to lighten it up.

Lemon Pepper Air Fryer Salmon: Instead of blackening season, use 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper in the butter blend. Check your seasoning to see if it contains salt, and adjust the amount of salt you use on the filets accordingly.

Southwest Air Fryer Salmon: Make a blend of 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 paprika, 1/4 garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder. Use this seasoning in place of the blackening seasoning and follow the recipe otherwise.

Can I Air Fry Frozen Salmon?

Luckily, salmon defrosts fairly quickly, so if you haven’t thought about dinner plans yet, this is a great recipe!

Add frozen salmon to a bowl of warm (not hot water), and let it sit as you prepare the softened spiced butter mixture.

If you have 20 minutes, the salmon will be fully defrosted when it’s time to cook the salmon.

Otherwise, once the salmon is about half defrosted, spread it with the seasoned butter, and throw it in the air fryer. The salmon will need to cook for 12-14 minutes, depending on how much is had defrosted first.

What Air Fryer is the Best?

For Small Families: I use the 4 quart Ninja Air Fryer, and love it.

Recommended for Larger Portions: If you have more mouths to feed, try the Ninja 5.5 quart Air Fryer.

How to Store Air Fryer Salmon

Store leftover salmon in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Reheat Salmon: Preheat air fryer to 400º F and cook salmon for 5 minutes to heat without drying out too much.

More Air Fryer Recipes

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