Brown Sugar Garlic Air Fryer Salmon - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to flip salmon in air fryer? ›

Air fry the salmon with the skin side down, on the bottom. -You do not need to flip the salmon while cooking. -For seasoning you can use any combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder, garlic salt, seasoning salt, Italian seasoning, cayenne, or a seasoning mix.

To make sure your air fry salmon isn't dry, remove it around 135 degrees F, then cover it and let it rest. The carryover cooking will bring it to temperature, and your salmon will be moist and flaky.

Brush the salmon on both sides with the oil and sprinkle with the garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and salt. Arrange the salmon, skin side up if any, in the air fryer basket. Cook until the skin is crisp and the flesh is barely opaque throughout, about 10 minutes.

To prevent your salmon from sticking, spray or lightly coat the air fry basket with oil. Then place the salmon in one layer, evenly across the bottom of your basket. Learn more about air frying in your oven or standalone appliance.

Foil is safe to use in an air fryer so long as you follow three basic rules: never let foil touch the heating element; make sure the foil is weighted so it doesn't blow around the basket; and avoid contact with acidic ingredients, which can cause the foil to leach onto your food.

Salmon Method: Poached in Olive Oil

Heat over low heat until the oil reaches 120 degrees F, at which point you'll transfer the entire pan to a 225-degree F preheated oven for 25 minutes. Results: I will admit that this method yielded the best-tasting salmon — but what would you expect from cooking something in fat?

The white stuff on salmon is called albumin.

As the meat cooks, the coagulated albumin gets squeezed out and appears in the form of the weird, slimy, white substance that you are probably familiar with (and weirded out by).

You can totally cook frozen salmon in the air fryer if that's what you have on hand. For frozen salmon: Wrap the filets in foil and cook first at 400ºF for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, unwrap the salmon and cook for another 6-11 minutes or until the salmon is crisped and the internal temperature is 145ºF.

Adding a little bit of water can help to hydrate the food in your air fryer and prevent it from becoming too dry. It adds moisture into the atmosphere of your air fryer and it's a great way to refresh any baked items you might want to cook in your air fryer.

Yes, and here's what you need to know. Parchment paper is a safe and effective liner to use in the air fryer. To avoid safety hazards, weigh down the paper with food and keep away from the heating element. Parchment paper can be heated up to roughly 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to get a crispy skin on salmon? ›

Cook Through on Skin Side Before Flipping

This is the big trick for salmon. Salmon skin typically has a thick layer of fat underneath it. This fat needs to be rendered to get the skin crisp and pleasant.

Use a salad fork or the tip of a paring knife to test whether the top of the fish flakes apart easily. It's done cooking if it's flakey. If salmon is hard to the touch and doesn't flake when testing it with a utensil or finger, it needs to cook a little longer.

In the middle of the cooking process, you'll want to flip the fish, for even cooking. Regardless of whether or not you need to lengthen your cooking time, the process will still be quick. For example, a six-ounce cod filet can cook in as little as 12 minutes.

This no-flip technique requires that you work with skin-on pieces of salmon. Have skinless salmon filets? Use aluminum foil to form a thin barrier between the fish and the grill. The layer of skin or foil (along with cooking oil) will help keep the fish from sticking and over-cooking.

SHAKE OR FLIP FOOD

Most air fryers require you to shake the basket at least once during the air fry process to ensure every bit is crisped and browned to perfection. Some recipes call for flipping or shaking every 5 minutes, so don't stray too far from your air fryer while cooking.