Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon for a weeknight

If you're looking for a quick and simple yet flavorful meal, try this Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon recipe! Perfect for busy weeknights.

We absolutely LOVE cooking salmon in the air fryer.

It's so simple, fast, and the salmon turns out so flavorful.

And when We'm craving air fryer salmon with an Asian-flavored twist, We love to make this Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon.

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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

It's a healthy meal packed with protein and is low carb.
Each serving only has about 250 calories.
It uses simple ingredients that are simple to find at your local grocery store.
The recipe takes simply about 30 minutes to make!
Clean up is super quick with the air fryer.

🔪 Ingredients you'll need

Fresh salmon – You'll need four salmon filets that are between 4 and 6 ounces each. You can also make this with three salmon filets if that's all you have. But if you make this with more than four salmon filets, be sure to increase the amount of the seasonings to cover all of the filets. You will also likely need to cook your salmon in batches.

Make sure you slice the salmon into similar-sized filets. This helps them cook evenly in the air fryer.

Soy sauce – We'll be making a quick homemade teriyaki sauce, so use your favorite soy sauce as a base. We love using this brand of coconut aminos that are gluten-free.

Apple cider vinegar – This adds a pleasant tang to the homemade sauce and enhances the teriyaki flavor.

Ginger – You'll want to grate fresh ginger finely using a grater or zester.

Garlic – To keep the garlic from burning, the garlic should be in small pieces, either quite finely minced or grated.

Light brown sugar – We use a small amount of light brown sugar to add a bit of caramel flavor to the salmon. We would not add more than what the recipe calls for.

Optional: chives and sesame seeds – To truly add to the visual appeal and to enhance the teriyaki flavors, try adding sliced chives or green onion and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

✅ Step-by-step directions

1. In a shallow dish, whisk together the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, light brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. This will create the flavorful homemade teriyaki sauce.

2. Place the salmon fillets down, skin side up, and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

3. Simply before the 20 minutes are up, preheat the air fryer to 400°F.

4. Line the air fryer basket or trays with parchment paper.

5. Take the marinated salmon out of the refrigerator and place onto the lined air fryer trays or basket, skin side down. Depending on the size of your salmon fillets, you may need to cook them in batches of two fillets at a time. Or, you can use a rack to cook two on top of the two on the bottom of the basket.

6. Air fry at 400°F for 7 to 9 minutes. The internal temperature should be between 125-140 degrees F (see temperature guidelines for doneness levels). Serve immediately.

👩🏻‍🍳 Recipe FAQs

Do you have to flip salmon in the air fryer?

You do not need to flip the salmon in this recipe. The hot air circulates in the air fryer, cooking all sides of the salmon.

Can We put aluminum foil in the air fryer?

Yes. Instead of parchment paper, you can put aluminum foil down in the air fryer basket or tray. Spray the top of the foil with avocado oil spray to keep the salmon from sticking.

How do We know when the salmon is cooked?

Use a meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the salmon fillet to check for doneness.

The USDA recommends cooking salmon to 145°F for well done salmon. However, if you are using high quality salmon from a trusted source, most food experts agree that you can cook it to medium rare or medium.

Salmon is cooked when the temperature reaches:
Medium-Rare: 125°F
Medium: 130° to 135°F
Well Done: 140°F

Allow the cooked salmon to rest for a few minutes before serving. The salmon will continue to cook slightly during this time, usually bringing the final temperature to about 5°F more than the initial thermometer reading.

What's the best way to store salmon leftovers?

This air fryer salmon is best eaten right after it is cooked. However, you can allow the salmon to cool then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

🥣 Kitchen tools and equipment

For this recipe, you simply need a few basic kitchen tools:

Air fryer – We air fry this salmon in the Pressure-cooker Deluxe XL multicooker, or in the Pressure-cooker Vortex air fryer. You can use any basket style or tray-style air fryer that you have.

Parchment paper – You'll need to cut out a sheet of parchment paper to fit your air fryer basket or trays. This helps keep the flavor in the salmon and keeps the salmon from sticking to your air fryer.

🍽 What to serve with teriyaki salmon

We love eating teriyaki salmon over a bed of white rice.

This air fryer teriyaki salmon recipe also makes a tasty dinner when served with any of the following side dishes:

Best wine pairings

Many of the wines that traditionally pair well with salmon will also pair well with this teriyaki salmon dish. You simply need to be careful because the teriyaki does add a whole new level of umami to the palate.

We love to pair this teriyaki dish with an Albariño. This white wine has high acidity, a hint of salinity, and citrus notes that pair well with both teriyaki flavors and salmon.

More salmon recipes

Looking for more recipes featuring salmon? Check out the posts below.

Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you truly loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!

Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon

By Marlynn Schotland Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 7 mins Marinating time: 20 mins Total Time: 37 mins Servings: 4 servings Tasty salmon with an simple teriyaki marinade. Simple weeknight dinner!

Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

4 (4 to 6 ounce) salmon fillets, with the skin or without
¼ cup soy sauce*
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
sesame seeds and sliced green onions or chives, for garnish

Instructions

In a shallow dish, whisk together the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, light brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Place the salmon fillets down, skin side up, and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Simply before the 20 minutes are up, preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Line the air fryer basket or trays with parchment paper. Take the salmon out of the refrigerator and place onto the lined air fryer trays or basket, skin side down. Air fry at 400°F for 7 to 9 minutes (see temperature guidelines for doneness levels). Serve immediately.

Notes

Parchment paper helps keep the fillets intact, keeps them from sticking to the air fryer, and helps keep the oils, lemon juice, and seasoning from falling through. Alternatively, you could spray your air fryer basket or trays with a non-aerosol cooking spray (We like using avocado oil spray) to keep the salmon from sticking to the air fryer. Salmon temperature guideline: To check if your salmon is cooked, place a thermometer through the thickest part of the salmon fillet.

Medium-Rare: 125°F
Medium: 130°F
Well Done: 140°F

Nutrition

Calories: 256 kcal, Carbohydrates: 2 g, Protein: 35 g, Fat: 11 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 94 mg, Sodium: 885 mg, Potassium: 871 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g, Vitamin A: 68 IU, Vitamin C: 1 mg, Calcium: 26 mg, Iron: 2 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.