This air fryer teriyaki salmon is so quick and easy to make, it’s the perfect healthy midweek meal. The air fryer cooks the salmon in under 8 minutes and creates the most perfectly tender, flaky fillet of salmon you’ve ever had, and an easy homemade teriyaki sauce takes everything to the next level. You’ll never want to cook salmon another way!
Looking for more air fryer dinners? Try my air fryer pork chops, air fryer lamb chops or air fryer chicken schnitzel next.
2024 is the year of eating more seafood. It’s super healthy and good for you, not to mention delicious, but for some reason I just am not in the habit of cooking it at home.
That was until I discovered that salmon cooked in the air fryer is not only super tasty and easy, it literally results in the most perfectly cooked piece of fish ever with zero effort. Think golden and caramelised bits on the outside thanks to the sauce and soft, flaky, tender fish on the inside.
Absolute perfection.
What we’re looking at today is making a piece of salmon that is so easy, while it’s cooking you can prep any sides to round out your salmon rice bowl and you’ll have the most simple and delicious dinner that is not only good for you but you’ll actually love eating it.
To make the salmon extra delicious, we’re making a quick and simple homemade teriyaki sauce which pairs so well with the salmon but if you really want to make this the most low fuss dinner ever, you can 100% use a store bought sauce instead which is going to cut down your prep time.
Key Ingredients
To make this teriyaki salmon in the air fryer, most of the ingredients you’re going to need are for the homemade teriyaki sauce.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Salmon – you want two evenly sized pieces of salmon to ensure similar cooking time. You may need to trim the fillets slightly to fit into the air fryer depending on the size of your basket and salmon fillets. You can use skin on or skin off for this recipe.
- Soy sauce – the base of the teriyaki sauce providing that rich, umami taste.
- Brown sugar – adds sweetness and helps the sauce caramelise when it’s cooked.
- Ginger and garlic – rounding out the flavour of this sauce, do not skip the ginger and garlic as they are going to give us that depth.
- Honey – for sweetness and flavour.
- Sesame oil – a little bit goes a long way in this sauce.
- Mirin – this sweet and tangy Japanese cooking wine adds essential flavour to the sauce. If you don’t have it you can use a dry sherry instead.
- Cornflour – we add a little corn flour or corn starch in the US, mixed with water to the sauce which is going to thicken the sauce and help it coat the salmon. You could also use tapioca starch.
Equipment and Tools
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Air fryer – It’s no surprise you’ll need an air fryer to make this recipe. This is the one I have which I love and use a lot! It is perfect for 2 people, but if you’re feeding a family look for an XL or XXL size.
Step-By-Step Instructions
You will need an air fryer of course to make this salmon. I am using my Philips Essential Air Fryer which is a smaller one at 4.1 Litres but is the perfect size to cook 2 fillets.
Start by making the teriyaki sauce for the salmon. In a small saucepan, combine all of the sauce ingredients and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and let simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce has just thickened, making sure to stir it regularly. As soon as it starts to thicken take it off the heat as you don’t want the sauce too thick for this recipe.
Set your sauce aside to cool before you marinate your salmon.
Using about half the cooled sauce, in a shallow bowl coat the salmon in the sauce. It doesn’t need to marinate for very long, around 10 minutes. While the salmon is marinating you can preheat the air fryer to 200°C.
Lightly spray the basket of the air fryer with cooking oil and place in the salmon fillets. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until the flesh is flaky. The cooking time will vary depending on your air fryer and also the size and thickness of your salmon fillets. Start with a lower time and check to be sure you don’t overcook the salmon. The best way to check if the salmon is cooked is testing if it easily flakes with a fork.
About halfway through, brush the fillets with some additional teriyaki sauce before continuing to cook. And that’s it! Now your salmon is ready to serve.
AIR FRYING TIP: when cooking in the air fryer, make sure that you don’t overcrowd your basket. If you want to make more than 2 fillets (this amount of sauce is suitable for 4-6 fillets depending on size), make sure there is still enough room either side of the salmon as you want to make sure the air can circulate which is how the air fryer does its rapid cooking. You may need to cook your salmon in batches.
What to serve with air fryer teriyaki salmon
Your salmon is the hero here, so when serving it I like to keep things simple but you can really pair it with any combination you prefer.
My preference is over a bed of white rice with some greens. Here I’ve used air fryer broccolini because it’s in season but you can also use asparagus, green beans, or broccoli. You could also add some edamame which would be delicious.
You could also use any combination of salad on the side. Lettuce, avocado, carrot, cucumber all would be delicious.
For toppings you can use sesame seeds, green onion, or seaweed.
And finally the sauce, don’t forget to drizzle that extra teriyaki sauce over the salmon. Some kewpie mayo is also delicious!
This air fryer teriyaki salmon could also be used to make my teriyaki salmon and avocado bowls which are a favourite of mine when I need an easy and delicious dinner.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can, place the marinated salmon fillets on a lined baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 10-12 minutes or until the salmon is flaky.
The cooked salmon will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can enjoy the cooked leftover salmon cold, flaked in a salad or over rice or you can warm it up in the microwave for a minute. Don’t heat for too long or you’ll over cook your salmon and it will be a bit rubbery.
I prefer not to as it allows the air to circulate and the moisture to drain away giving an almost crispy outside to the salmon while the inside remains tender. However for an easier clean up you can place the salmon fillets on parchment paper if you prefer.
Yes you can, however you just need to thaw them first before marinating in the sauce.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More easy salmon recipes:
Creamy Salmon Tagliatelle (Dairy-Free)
Sheet Pan Salmon and Broccoli
Whole30 Salmon Patties
More air fryer recipes:
Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Air Fryer Chicken Schnitzel
Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken
Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets skin on or off
For the sauce:
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon fresh ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons mirin
- 3 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Start by making the teriyaki sauce. Combine all of the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and let simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened, making sure to stir it regularly. Set aside to let the sauce cool.
- Once the sauce has cooled down, pour about half of the sauce into a shallow dish and add the salmon fillets, turning to coat in the sauce. Let the salmon marinate in the sauce for 10 minutes. Preheat the air fryer to 200°C.
- Lightly spray the basket of the air fryer with cooking oil and place in the salmon fillets. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until the flesh is flaky. About halfway through, brush the fillets with some additional teriyaki sauce before continuing to cook. Note that cook times will vary depending on your air fryer and the thickness of your salmon.
- Once cooked, you can serve your teriyaki salmon however you like, but it’s delicious over a bed of rice with your favourite greens, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and green onions and of course, more of that leftover teriyaki sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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