How long to cook salmon in the air fryer
A salmon fillet about 3 cm thick takes 9 minutes at 200 °C, skin side down and not turned. Pick what you have and how thick it is: the timer tells you when to season, shake or glaze.
What kind of salmon?
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How to air fry salmon in three steps
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Pat it dry, oil and season it
Pat the fillet dry with kitchen paper, especially the skin, then rub it with a teaspoon of oil and season the top. A dry surface browns; a wet one steams and leaves the fish grey.
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Skin side down, with room around it
Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C (400 °F) and lay the fillets in skin side down, not touching. Start the timer and leave them alone: salmon is not turned, because the top browns in the fan and a cooked fillet breaks when you lift it.
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Check that it flakes
Push a fork into the thickest part and twist gently. Done salmon is opaque and pale pink and separates into large flakes. If the middle is still dark and glassy, give it another minute.
Air fryer salmon times and temperatures
For salmon in a basket air fryer of 4 to 6 litres, preheated, skin side down and not turned. Thickness matters more than weight: measure the fillet at its thickest point. A supermarket fillet is usually about 3 cm.
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Not yet
Deep orange and glassy in the middle. Another minute.
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Just right
Opaque, pale pink and moist, just starting to flake.
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Too long
Dry and chalky, with white beads of albumin pushed out.
| Salmon | Time | Temperature | Halfway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fillet, skin on, 3 cm | 8–10 min | 200 °C · 400 °F | – |
| Fillet, skinless, 3 cm | 7–9 min | 200 °C · 400 °F | – |
| Thin fillet, 2 cm | 6–8 min | 200 °C · 400 °F | – |
| Thick fillet, 4 cm | 11–13 min | 200 °C · 400 °F | – |
| Frozen fillet | 12–15 min | 200 °C · 400 °F | Season at 5 |
| Salmon bites, 3 cm | 6–8 min | 200 °C · 400 °F | Shake |
| Glazed, honey or teriyaki | 7 + 2 min | 200 °C · 400 °F | Glaze |
| Large piece, 500 g | 14–18 min | 190 °C · 375 °F | – |
| Frozen salmon fishcakes | 10–12 min | 200 °C · 400 °F | Turn |
| Reheating cooked salmon | 3–5 min | 180 °C · 350 °F | – |
Many cooks take salmon out at 55 to 60 °C (130 to 140 °F) in the thickest part, when the middle is still a little translucent and very moist. That is a choice about texture, not the safe figure, which is the 63 °C (145 °F) in the box below. If you are cooking for someone pregnant, very young, older or unwell, cook it through.
The white beads on an overcooked fillet are albumin, a protein the muscle squeezes out as it tightens. A little is harmless. A lot means the fish went too far, and next time it needs a minute or two less.
Food safety
What the official guidance says
- Fish
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Safe at 63 °C (145 °F) in the thickest part, checked with a food thermometer.
Source: USDA - Without a thermometer
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Fish is cooked when the flesh has turned opaque and separates easily with a fork.
Source: UK Food Standards Agency - Don’t overfill the basket
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Crowding stops the air circulating and can leave food undercooked. Cook several fillets in batches.
Source: USDA - Leftovers
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Into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking.
Source: USDA
Checked against the official pages, September 2026.
Skin on or skin off
Leave the skin on if you can. It sits against the basket and protects the underside of the fillet from drying, and it crisps in the air fryer in a way it never does in a pan of water or foil.
If you do not want to eat it, it slides off easily once the salmon is cooked. Skinless fillets work too: they take about a minute less, and a sheet of perforated baking paper stops them sticking.
The white stuff
The white beads that appear on cooked salmon are albumin, a protein pushed out of the flesh as it heats and tightens. A few are normal. A crust of them means the fillet cooked too long or too hot.
A short brine helps: ten minutes in water with a teaspoon of salt per cup before cooking. The salt keeps the proteins looser, so less albumin is pushed out and the fish stays moister.
Glazes and marinades
Honey, maple syrup, teriyaki and brown sugar all burn at 200 °C long before the salmon is cooked. Cook the fillet plain first, brush on the glaze for the last two minutes, and it sets glossy instead of black. The Glazed preset counts both.
Citrus marinades start to cook the fish on their own. Keep them to 30 minutes at most, or the outside turns soft and opaque before it goes in.
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Questions about salmon in the air fryer
How long do you cook salmon in the air fryer?
8 to 10 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F) for a skin-on fillet about 3 cm thick, skin side down and not turned. A thin 2 cm fillet takes 6 to 8 minutes and a thick 4 cm one 11 to 13. Skinless fillets take about a minute less.
What temperature do you air fry salmon at?
200 °C (400 °F). Salmon is quick and the high heat browns the top before the middle overcooks. A large piece of 500 g or more does better at 190 °C (375 °F), so the outside is not dry before the centre is ready.
How long does frozen salmon take in the air fryer?
12 to 15 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F), straight from the freezer. Cook it plain for the first 5 minutes, then brush it with oil and season it, once the surface has thawed enough for the seasoning to stick. Check the thickest part flakes before serving.
Do you flip salmon in the air fryer?
No. Cook it skin side down the whole time. The top browns in the circulating air, the skin protects the bottom, and a cooked fillet is fragile enough to break if you try to turn it. Salmon bites are the exception: shake those halfway.
How do you know when salmon is done?
The flesh turns from glassy and deep orange to opaque and pale pink, and separates into flakes when you twist a fork in the thickest part. The safe temperature is 63 °C (145 °F), from the USDA. White beads of albumin on the surface mean it has gone a little too far.
How long do salmon bites take in the air fryer?
6 to 8 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F) for cubes of about 3 cm, shaken halfway. Cut them from a skinless fillet, toss them in a little oil and seasoning, and spread them out so they do not touch.
How do you make honey glazed salmon in the air fryer?
Cook the fillet plain for 7 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F), then brush on the glaze, such as honey and soy sauce in equal parts with a little garlic, and cook it for 2 more minutes. Glazed from the start, the sugar burns before the fish is done.
What is the white stuff on cooked salmon?
Albumin, a protein that the flesh pushes out as it cooks. It is safe to eat. A small amount is normal, but a lot of it is a sign the salmon was cooked too long or too hot. A short brine in salted water before cooking reduces it.
How do you reheat salmon in the air fryer?
3 to 5 minutes at 180 °C (350 °F), until it is hot all the way through. Lower heat keeps it from drying out. Only reheat salmon that went into the fridge within two hours of cooking.