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–+ servings
Cooked salmon with skin.

Easy Air Fryer Salmon Fillet with Crispy Skin

Kaylie
This air fryer salmon recipe has the crispiest skin ever, and will become a favorite in your weeknight dinner rotation. The salmon comes out perfectly cooked—not dry at all—with a delicious skin that crunches like a potato chip! Make this tonight in about 20 minutes, for an easy, no-fail meal.
5 from 7 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 3 people
Calories 128 kcal

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • trivet/rack or something heavy like to 2-3 spoons/forks to weight the salmon skin down

Ingredients
  

  • ½ pound salmon filet, skin on about 1 inch thick
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
  • Debone and de-scale the salmon filet as needed. Pat completely dry.
  • Drizzle the salmon (meat side only) with olive oil.
  • Season with brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt and pepper.
  • Add the salmon fillet on to the air fryer basket, skin side up.
  • Air Fry for 10 minutes.
  • This step is necessary for extra crispy salmon skin! Remove the salmon and place it onto a plate. Use a fork to carefully lift the skin from the salmon (it should remove easily after the salmon is cooked).
  • Place the salmon skin back into the air fryer, weigh it down with a trivet and air fryer for an additional 3-4 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
  • Serve the salmon with the skin immediately with a side of fresh lemon wedges.

Notes

*Nutritional facts provided are only an estimate, accuracy is not guaranteed.
  • For a salmon with the thickest part at 1”, it takes about 10 minutes at 400. Adjust the cooking time according to how thick the filet is.
  • The only way to truly get crispy skin without overcooking the salmon is to air fry the skin separately after the salmon is done. I’ve tried many attempts and this is the best way to get perfectly cooked salmon with the best crispy skin!
  • When cooking the salmon skin, make sure to weigh it down properly, otherwise it will fly into the vent. Use a trivet or two forks/spoons. 
  • Make sure the air fryer basket is clean before you cook it. The oil from the salmon skin can cause it to smoke up.

Nutrition

Serving: 3peopleCalories: 128kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 15gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 422mgPotassium: 393mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 359IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 1mg
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