Air Fryer Honey Garlic Salmon is an easy dinner that comes together quickly with tender salmon fillets coated in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce. The air fryer cooks the salmon beautifully while helping the edges caramelize, giving you a flavorful dinner without a lot of work.
If you're new to air frying check out this guide - How to Use An Air Fryer for the First Time.
Also check out these salmon recipes - Salmon Foil Packets, Air Fryer Salmon Recipe, Tiktok Salmon Rice Bowl, and One Pan Boursin Salmon Pasta!
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Why This Works
This salmon recipe is perfect for busy weeknights because the sauce takes just a few minutes to mix together. Serve it with rice, roasted vegetables, or your favorite side dish for a simple meal the whole family will enjoy.
I've been making a lot of Asian recipes for dinner lately since they don't have dairy in it. A couple of nights ago, I made Honey Coconut Cashew Chicken and that was delicious.
My brother actually made this salmon recipe the last time I was over at his place and everyone loved it. It's a recipe that comes from Gina's recipe book over at her website Skinny Taste. He served it with this Thia Quinoa Salad. Very healthy and delicious.
What Ingredients do I need?
- Fresh Salmon - Use fresh or thawed salmon fillets. Try to choose pieces that are similar in thickness so they cook evenly.
- Soy Sauce - Soy sauce adds a salty, savory flavor that balances the sweetness of the honey. Use low-sodium soy sauce if preferred.
- Honey - Honey adds sweetness and helps the sauce caramelize as the salmon cooks.
- Rice Vinegar - some good substitutes for this type of vinegar is White Wine, Apple Cider, or Sherry Vinegar
- Sriracha Sauce - for some heat
- Grated Fresh Ginger - I like to use the stuff that comes in the tube cause all you have to do is squeeze it.
- Minced Garlic - Chopped fresh garlic can take some time to chop so I often always use the freshly minced garlic that comes already made in a jar.
- Sesame Oil - is a delicious and versatile ingredient that is commonly used in Asian cuisine. It is made from toasted or raw sesame seeds and has a rich, nutty flavor that can add depth to many dishes.
- Freshly Chopped Scallions or Sesame Seeds for Garnish
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Air Fryer Honey Garlic Salmon
Step 1: In a 1-gallon zip-top plastic bag or glass pyrex dish, combine the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, Sriracha, ginger, and garlic. Add the salmon, toss to coat evenly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours, turning the fish once.
Step 2: Air Fryer: Set the temperature to 350 degrees and the timer to 12 minutes. Take the fresh salmon out of the zip lock bag and place it down in the air fryer basket. Use any leftover marinade on top of the fish after cooking.
Stove Top Method: Remove the salmon from the bag, reserving the marinade. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the sesame oil. Rotate the pan to coat the bottom evenly and add the salmon. Cook until one side of the fish is browned, about 2 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook until the other side browns, 2 more minutes. Reduce the heat to low and pour in the reserved marinade. Cover and cook until the fish is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.
Pro Tips for Air fryer Honey Garlic Salmon
Pat the salmon dry before adding the sauce. This helps the honey garlic mixture adhere to the fish.
Try to use salmon fillets that are similar in size and thickness. This makes it easier for all of the pieces to finish cooking at approximately the same time.
Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. Leave space around each piece so the hot air can circulate properly.
Keep an eye on the salmon toward the end of cooking. Honey can caramelize quickly, especially at a high temperature.
For the juiciest salmon, avoid overcooking it. Start checking thinner fillets around the 7-minute mark.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover honey garlic salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, place the salmon in the air fryer at 350°F for a few minutes, just until warmed through. Avoid overheating it because salmon can become dry when reheated too long.
You can also enjoy leftover salmon cold over a salad or flaked into a rice bowl.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Air Fryer Honey Garlic Salmon with steamed broccoli, green beans, asparagus, or roasted vegetables for an easy dinner.
Instant Pot Jasmine Rice is another great option because it soaks up the extra honey garlic sauce. Try white rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, or cauliflower rice.
For a lighter meal, serve the salmon over a large salad with cucumber, carrots, and a simple lemon dressing.
Equipment Needed
Here are some tools that will help you with the recipes. All links will open in Amazon. Yes I do get a small earning if purchase from the link
Ninja Foodi Air Fryer - for cooking the fish
Glass Mixing Bowls or Plastic Zip Lock Bags - for mixing the marinade
Air Fryer Recipes To Try
If you tried this Air Fryer Honey Garlic Salmon or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
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Air Fryer Honey Garlic Salmon
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 10 to 12 min
- Total Time: 56 minute
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Easy
- Method: Air Fryer or Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This sweet and spicy marinade made with honey and sriracha is one of the best marinade recipes I've used for cooking salmon in the oven or air fryer. I recently added air fryer instructions to the recipe.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 pound wild salmon fillet, cut into 4 (4-ounce) pieces
- 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions, for garnish
Instructions
- In a 1-gallon zip-top plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, Sriracha, ginger, and garlic. Add the salmon, toss to coat evenly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours, turning the fish once.
- Air Fryer: Set the temperature to 350 degrees and the timer to 12 minutes. Take the fresh salmon out of the zip lock bag and place it down in the air fryer basket. Use any leftover marinade on top of the fish after cooking. Place a piece of salmon on each of 4 serving plates and sprinkle with the scallions.
- Stovetop: Remove the salmon from the bag, reserving the marinade. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the sesame oil. Rotate the pan to coat the bottom evenly and add the salmon. Cook until one side of the fish is browned, about 2 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook until the other side browns, 2 more minutes. Reduce the heat to low and pour in the reserved marinade. Cover and cook until the fish is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.
Notes
myWW points: Blue 2; Green 5; Purple 2
Personal Points 9
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salmon fillet
- Calories: 229
- Sugar: 2
- Fat: 8.5
- Saturated Fat: 1.5
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Fiber: .5
- Protein: 26
Poppy Steinbrecher says
Gina, I’m making up some freezer meals for my grandson who is away at college and am wondering if I could put the salmon and marinade in individual freezer bags and freeze them for him. Hopefully all he’d need to do is defrost and air fry when he’s hungry for salmon. Have you ever tried it, or do you think it will work? I don’t want the fish to get gummy from the vinegar.