Marinated Air Fryer Salmon

This Marinated Air Fryer Salmon recipe is a delicious, quick, and easy air fryer meal. Seasoned in a tangy soy sauce and mustard marinade, it's quick to prep and make.

 

Full Recipe/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

If I could give you one more reason to love your Air Fryer, then I think this is it! Perfectly cooked salmon in your Air Fryer each and every time. I’m a huge fan of making this Crispy Air Fryer Fish recipe, but now I’ll have to add this marinated salmon recipe to the list.  

I bet you’re wondering, why make salmon in your Air Fryer? Well, here’s why. This recipe is fast, hands-off, and results in tender flaky salmon.

The air fryer cooks this salmon dish perfectly each and every time for a tasty, healthy, and simple weeknight dinner. This recipe is so fuss-free, and the clean-up is so easy. It's great for a healthy low-carb dinner, and it's one that the whole family will enjoy.

If you don't have an air fryer, no worries, you can bake this salmon in the oven too.

Be sure to try my Air Fryer Salmon Patties and Easy Teriyaki Salmon too!

How to make Marinated Salmon in your Air Fryer

Step 1: Gather your ingredients. You'll need four salmon fillets and the marinade ingredients.

Step 2: Place soy sauce, dijon mustard, brown sugar, and minced garlic in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Step 3: Pour marinade over salmon. Use a food storage bag for marinating to gently swish the marinade over all the fish, or use a container and roll the fish in the marinade, making sure each piece gets fully covered. Place the fish in the refrigerator and marinate for about 15-20 minutes.

Step 4: Remove fish from the refrigerator. Prepare the Air Fryer basket by spraying it with oil. You can also use an air fryer parchment paper liner.

Step 5: Cook salmon in your Air Fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 7-12 minutes. Make sure the salmon is not touching so that the air has a chance to flow around it. 

Once done, remove and serve with your favorite sides.

How long can you marinate salmon?

I find that 20 minutes is enough time for the salmon to take on the flavors of the soy sauce marinade. Because this marinade is not acidic, you can let it marinate for up to 24 hours.

Seafood is very delicate, so marinades with acid, such as lemon juice, shouldn't be marinated for too long, as they can start to break down the fish.

Can you make this recipe without an air fryer?

This is hands down my favorite method of cooking salmon, but you can marinate the salmon and then either pan fry it or oven-cook it at 400°F for 12 to 15 minutes.

Can you use frozen salmon?

I prefer to use fresh salmon fillets, but you can use frozen if you have those to hand. If you have thinner fillets, the cooking time will need to be reduced. If using frozen, thaw the fillets thoroughly before marinating and cooking.

Best Salmon to use in the Air Fryer

There are many kinds of salmon, and all do well in the air fryer. Do note that farmed Atlantic salmon, a fattier cut of salmon, can withstand longer cook times in the air fryer. When cooking wild salmon with less fat, such as sockeye salmon, reduce the cooking time and temperature to prevent overcooking and drying out.

What do you serve it with?

This marinated air fryer salmon makes for one tasty and easy weeknight meal. Serve it up with a salad, veggies, or potato side dishes for a complete dinner. Try it with Kale Rice or these Air Fried Sweet Potatoes, or try it with some of these other favorites:

• Creamy Dill Potato Salad - a nice spin on a classic potato salad. We love this as a side.
• Quinoa Avocado Salad - this is such a refreshing side dish.
• Roasted Cauliflower and Sweet Potato - A classic vegetable side dish. I add rosemary, salt, and pepper for an added layer of flavor.

Feel free to mix this up a bit and season the salmon with my fish seasoning.

More Air Fryer Recipes

I have so many air fryer recipes on the site, but here are a few of my most popular:

• Air Fried Coconut Shrimp with Thai Chili Dipping Sauce - a delicious appetizer resulting in crispy shrimp.
• Perfect Air Fryer Steak with Garlic Herb Butter - I love cooking steak this way. It comes out perfect everytime.
• Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs - the flavor of these is incredible.
• Air Fryer Crab Cakes - these crab cakes are so tender and come out great in the air fryer.
• Air Fryer Lobster Tails - another recipe that comes out perfectly cooked in the air fryer. I like to top these with a little garlic butter.

I hope you love this air fryer salmon recipe as much as we do. If you have tried this or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! Your feedback is invaluable and helps us grow. I appreciate your support!

Originally published March 26, 2019. Updated with new photos and additional helpful tips.