It’s no secret I am a seafood lover through and through. If I could eat seafood in some form every single day I would. My dad loves to tell stories about how I used to order steamed clams and a glass of cold milk at a local restaurant when I was a toddler. Seafood in all varieties — fish, shellfish, sushi, you name it — is one of my all-time favorite foods so when I see a seafood-related recipe blowing up the internet, you better believe my interest is instantly piqued. That was certainly the case with air fryer salmon bites!
I kept seeing little cubes of salmon all over Instagram and every recipe variation I saw pop up online made them look so easy. Sign me up! I’ve tested out more than a few salmon bite recipes and must say the recipe for salmon bites I’m sharing with you today is my all-time favorite because it requires such minimal effort but still delivers in the flavor department. This one was born out of trial and error… and laziness. Keep scrolling if you like easy (aka lazy) recipes that are also 100 percent delicious!
How to Make Salmon Bites
Salmon bites aren’t anything crazy. They’re simply cubes of raw salmon tossed in a sauce or marinade and cooked in the air fryer but they are wonderful in their simplicity. You guys know by now that if a recipe isn’t easy, I’m not going to make it so rest assured, these salmon bites are E-A-S-Y.
The hardest part about making salmon bites is removing the skin from raw salmon. But this step may already be done for you depending on where you buy your salmon. (You can request the skin be removed for you at the seafood counter if you are buying fresh salmon. In fact, many varieties of frozen salmon come with the skin removed.) Once the salmon skin is removed, you’re home free and well on your way to digging into delicious bite-sized salmon for lunch or dinner or even breakfast if that’s your thing. (Yes, I’ve been known to eat cold salmon out of the fridge for breakfast on a busy morning. No judgment over here!)
All that’s left to do now is slice your salmon into cubes, season it with a delicious marinade and cook it in the air fryer!
Ingredients
You don’t need too many ingredients to make air fryer salmon bites and I’d be willing to guess you may already have a few of the ingredients on hand in your fridge or pantry.
- Salmon (duh)
- Toasted Sesame Oil (this adds such a lovely depth of flavor)
- Maple Syrup or Honey (for the perfect pop of sweetness)
- Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos (for that delicious umami flavor)
- Garlic Salt (because who doesn’t love garlic?)
- Ginger (to add a bright little zing to the salmon)
Instructions
Make your marinade! In a large bowl, whisk together maple syrup or honey, soy sauce or coconut aminos, toasted sesame oil and ginger. If salmon filets are not pre-skinned, remove salmon skin. Slice salmon into bite size cubes and then place into the bowl with your marinade. Toss to coat salmon. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. (Do not marinate the salmon for too long as a longer duration can cause the fish to toughen.)
Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees. Spray bottom of air fryer basket with olive oil and add salmon cubes, discarding any remaining marinade. Take care not to overcrowd the salmon, as you want each piece to get those fabulous crispy edges and if too many salmon cubes are crammed in at one time, this may not happen. I like to try to make sure each piece of salmon is not touching another piece of salmon and may cook my salmon bites in two batches for this very reason. (If you don’t want to do this, please make sure to shake the basket of salmon bites halfway through cooking to help prevent the salmon bites from sticking together.)
Cook salmon bites for approximately 5-7 minutes until salmon is fully cooked and lightly browned on the edges.
Serve salmon with your favorite sides, on top of rice, with greens or even poke-bowl style with a drizzle of spicy mayo.
These salmon bites are best served fresh out of the air fryer, but they’re also wonderful as leftovers. I’ve enjoyed them as a salad topper, incorporated into a stir fry and even dipped into a favorite sauce as a quick, protein-packed snack. They’re also perfect for fish tacos, rice bowls and as a main dish with your favorite sides. (They pair so well with my ginger sesame broccolini!)
If you decide to give these air fryer salmon bites a try, I hope you love them so much! I promise you they’re a breeze to make and really hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Air Fryer Salmon Bites
How to Make Salmon Bites
Description
Simple, delicious and fast, these air fryer salmon bites are easy to make, full of flavor and pair well with a variety of sides.
- 1 pound salmon filets (skin removed)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together maple syrup or honey, soy sauce or coconut aminos, toasted sesame oil and ginger. If salmon filets are not pre-skinned, remove salmon skin. Slice salmon into bite size cubes and place into the bowl with your marinade. Toss to coat salmon. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. (Do not marinate the salmon for too long as a longer duration can cause the fish to toughen.)
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. Spray bottom of air fryer basket with olive oil (or preferred cooking spray) and add salmon cubes, discarding any remaining marinade. Take care not to overcrowd the salmon, as you want each piece to get those fabulous crispy edges and if too many salmon cubes are crammed in at one time, this may not happen. I like to try to make sure each piece of salmon is not touching another piece of salmon and may cook my salmon bites in two batches for this very reason. (If you don’t want to do this, please make sure to shake the basket of salmon bites halfway through cooking to help prevent the salmon bites from sticking together.)
- Sprinkle tops of salmon bites with garlic salt. Cook salmon bites for approximately 5-7 minutes until salmon is fully cooked and lightly browned on the edges.
- Serve salmon with your favorite sides, on top of rice, with greens or even poke-bowl style with a drizzle of spicy mayo.
Additional Salmon Recipes
In case you’d like to try some additional salmon recipes I’ve shared on the blog, below you will find some of my favorites:
