Air Fryer Salmon Bites

This quick and easy air fryer salmon bites recipe is made by tossing cubes of salmon with a savory and slightly sweet Asian-style sauce before air frying until tender and flaky. This entire recipe takes less than 20 minutes to make and is the perfect weeknight dinner alongside rice and your favorite crunchy veggies.

My kid loves fish and has since she was three or four years old. Her favorite is trout, with salmon coming in at a close second.

I mean, her mom’s a food blogger and her dad worked in fine-dining kitchens for a decade. I guess this shouldn’t really be much of a surprise, but it’s still a little unusual to hear a kindergartener beg for you to make fish for dinner.

But even though she loves fish, she is weird about having sauce on it. So we have to get a little creative with how we season it before cooking.

These air fryer salmon bites are the perfect solution. They’re tossed in a flavorful sauce just before cooking, which becomes more of a glaze in the air fryer. So they’re full of flavor without being saucy.

They also take less than 20 minutes to make, so it’s a recipe that makes all of us happy.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Salmon: Make sure the skin is removed and cut it into 1-inch cubes. You can use one large salmon filet or a few smaller ones. I like to use a large, very sharp knife to get clean cuts through the fish as I break it down into bite-sized pieces.
• Soy sauce: This is the base of the sauce and also seasons the fish, which is why you don’t see any added salt in the recipe. If needed, you can substitute tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten-free and/or soy-free alternative.
• Honey: For a bit of sweetness. This also helps create that crisp caramelization on the edges of the fish. You could easily use maple syrup if you don’t have honey.
• Rice vinegar: Also called rice wine vinegar.
• Sesame oil: This stuff packs a punch, so you don’t need a lot of it to bring a lot of flavor.
• Garlic: I prefer fresh minced garlic, but you can use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder if you are out of fresh.
• Ginger paste: You can find ginger paste in the produce section of most grocery stores. It often comes in a tube so it’s easy to measure out and store for later. But an equal amount of grated fresh ginger (use a microplane to grate it!) will work here, too.

How to make these air fryer salmon bites

These air fryer salmon bites are super quick and easy.

Set your air fryer to preheat for a few minutes while you prep the salmon and the sauce. Having the air fryer already preheated when you add the fish will help it cook faster and create more of those crisp edges we love.

Whisk together the sauce until well combined. Before adding the salmon pieces to the sauce, take a few seconds to pat the fish dry with paper towels.

Lightly grease the basket of the air fryer and then add the coated salmon pieces in an even layer. Don’t overcrowd the basket or else the fish won’t cook properly. If needed, cook the salmon in batches.

Cook the salmon bites at 400°F for 6-8 minutes. I like to give the basked a shake halfway through, just to make sure everything is cooking evenly.

The fish is done when the edges are lightly crisp and the centers have reached your preferred doneness.

Salmon cooking temperatures

The USDA recommends cooking salmon to an internal temperature of 145°F. However, you’ll find that many professional cooks recommend the following temperature guides for doneness:

• Medium-rare: 120-125°F (tender, slightly translucent center)
• Medium: 125-130°F (flaky and still moist)
• Well done: 140-145°F (Firm, fully opaque, and beginning to dry out)

Remember to test the doneness of the fish in the center of the thickest piece using an instant-read thermometer.

Make-ahead and storage

If you want to prep the salmon bites ahead of time, you can cube the salmon and mix the sauce up to 1 day in advance. Store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.

When ready to use, toss the cubed salmon with the sauce and cook according to the recipe directions.

Store leftover salmon bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat the leftovers in the air fryer for 2–3 minutes at 350°F to bring back some of the crispness.

Serving suggestions

I love these crispy salmon bites alongside cooked jasmine rice or brown rice. I always cook my rice in my rice cooker using my friend Julie’s instructions for how to cook jasmine rice.

Add some sliced scallions, sliced fresh cucumbers or even pickled cucumbers, and some sesame seeds for extra crunch and freshness. You could even finely slice up some pickled garlic scapes to add to the bowl.

My shaved carrot salad also goes perfectly with this air fryer salmon recipe, as would some roasted broccoli.

If you don’t want to go the traditional rice route, try pairing the salmon bites with cauliflower rice or quinoa, or add them to your favorite salads!

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