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Ultimate Crispy Air Fryer Salmon with Lemon Garlic Butter

Close-up of a perfectly cooked piece of air fryer salmon with a dark, seasoned crust and fresh parsley garnish.
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Achieve perfectly crispy skin and flaky, juicy interior with this simple air fryer salmon recipe. It is a healthy, low-carb meal ready fast for your weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin on or off
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. Pat the salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels. This step is key for crispy skin.
  2. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside.
  3. Rub the salmon fillets lightly with olive oil.
  4. In a separate small bowl, mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Sprinkle this seasoning mix evenly over both sides of the salmon fillets.
  5. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes.
  6. Place the seasoned salmon fillets in the air fryer basket in a single layer, ensuring they do not touch. If using skin-on, place them skin-side down.
  7. Air fry for 10 to 12 minutes. Cooking time depends on the thickness of your fillets. For thicker fillets, start checking at 10 minutes.
  8. Brush the tops of the salmon generously with the lemon garlic butter mixture during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
  9. Remove the salmon from the air fryer. Garnish immediately with fresh chopped parsley. Serve this quick air fryer fish right away.

Notes

  • For the crispiest skin, make sure the salmon is very dry before seasoning and place it skin-side down first.
  • If your fillets are very thick (over 1.5 inches), you may need to increase the cook time by 1-2 minutes.
  • This recipe works well for making air fryer salmon bites; cut the fillets into 1-inch cubes before seasoning and reduce the cook time to 7-9 minutes.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://bringdish.com/air-fryer-salmon-crispy-juicy-lemon-garlic/