Air fryer salmon is quick, healthy, and easy to make—and the honey sriracha glaze adds just the right amount of heat to this gluten free and paleo-friendly meal!
Table of Contents
- Air Fryer Salmon is so fast and easy!
- Tips for the best air fryer salmon
- What is the best internal temperature for cooked salmon?
- Can you make this honey sriracha salmon in the oven?
- Ingredients
- How to make air fryer salmon with honey sriracha glaze
- What can you serve with this?
- How do you save leftovers?
- Other paleo air fryer recipes
- Air Fryer Salmon with Honey Sriracha Glaze (Gluten Free) Recipe
Air Fryer Salmon is so fast and easy!
Loyal Nomsters know that once I become obsessed with certain kitchen appliances (e.g., The Instant Pot), I can’t stop creating recipes for them. Well, my newest obsession is the air fryer—specifically, my 6-quart Instant Pot Vortex Plus. It cooks food quickly and efficiently, and clean up is a breeze—whether I’m making a whole chicken, crispy Taiwanese popcorn chicken, or these perfectly cooked air fryer salmon fillets!
These fabulous air fryer salmon fillets take less than 10 minutes to cook in the air fryer, and are accompanied by a delicious gluten-free and refined sugar-free honey and sriracha sauce that goes with everything. Save the extra sauce so you can use it to make more fast-and-easy meals in the future!
Tips for the best air fryer salmon
- Thickness matters! Make sure you choose salmon fillets that are about the same size and thickness so they’ll finish cooking at the same time. Remember: the thinner and narrower the fillet, the shorter the cooking time! If your salmon fillets are 1 inch thick or less, start checking for doneness at the 4 minute mark. Got a big fillet (over 1½ inches thick)? The cooking time will be closer to 10 minutes.
- Preheat the air fryer if needed! Not all air fryers require preheating, but if yours does, make sure you preheat it before adding the salmon. This way, your salmon fillets will cook evenly!
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer! The beauty of an air fryer is that the salmon cooks quickly and evenly because hot air circulates around the fillets. If you overcrowd the basket, the hot air won’t be able to do its thing.
- Use a meat thermometer! The key to perfectly cooked, moist salmon is to cook it to the right temperature! I always use my Thermapen One to quickly and accurately check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the salmon.
What is the best internal temperature for cooked salmon?
Although the USDA recommends a temperature of 145°F, you’ll end up with a dry and chalky final dish if you stick with that guidance. Instead, most chefs (and the smarties at Cook’s Illustrated) recommend an internal cooking temperature of 125°F. At this temperature, the salmon will be moist, tender, and fabulous!
Can you make this honey sriracha salmon in the oven?
Yes! An air fryer is basically a countertop oven with a fan that cooks food faster by circulating hot air in a confined space. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can place the salmon on a rimmed baking pan (lined with aluminum foil or parchment for easy cleanup) and bake it in a 400°F oven for 8 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the salmon reaches 125°F. The oven method works great, but it’ll take longer; by the time your oven finishes preheating, you could have already gotten your air fryer salmon on the table!
Ingredients
- Center-cut salmon fillets: My favorite kind of salmon to use for this air fryer salmon recipe is wild King Salmon because it’s fattier and more mild than wild Sockeye Salmon. I buy my salmon locally when available, but a great online source for wild and sustainable seafood is Vital Choice.
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Coconut aminos: A soy sauce substitute that adds umami and slight sweetness to the sauce. If you’re using gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos (both of which are saltier than coconut aminos), you can omit the salt when seasoning the salmon.
- Honey: Adds a touch of sweetness to balance the spiciness from the sriracha. If you want to make this dish Whole30-compatible, substitute 2 tablespoons of 100% fruit juice sweetened jam for the honey. (St. Dalfour brand peach or apricot jam work great in this recipe.) If you want to make this dish keto-friendly, you can substitute 2½ tablespoons of liquid allulose for the honey.
- Sriracha: If you don’t need to keep this dish strictly paleo, you can use your favorite store-bought sriracha sauce. Otherwise, whip up some of my paleo sriracha or my Whole30 version.
- Garlic: Just one clove works in the sauce, but you can definitely add more!
- Arrowroot powder: This starch helps thicken the sauce and helps it cling to the salmon. You can leave it out, but the sauce won’t adhere as well to the fillets.
- Avocado oil cooking spray: I like to coat the bottom of the air fryer basket with avocado oil or olive oil to keep the salmon from sticking. Make sure your spray doesn’t contain other ingredients; otherwise, the spray may leave a sticky residue on the basket.
- Toasted sesame seeds or sliced green onions (optional garnish)
How to make air fryer salmon with honey sriracha glaze
Season the salmon
Pat the salmon dry and sprinkle on some salt and pepper.
Time to make the honey sriracha sauce!
In a small saucepan combine coconut aminos, honey, sriracha, and the minced garlic.
Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the honey dissolves and the sauce comes to a simmer.
While the sauce is heating up, whisk together a small amount of water with the arrowroot powder in a small bowl to make a suspension, or slurry.
Whisk the arrowroot powder slurry into the simmering sauce and cook until slightly thickened. Take the sauce off the heat.
Brush some of the sauce on the salmon fillets, covering all of the surfaces except the skin. (You’ll have extra sauce so make sure you pour some out so you don’t contaminate the remaining sauce with raw fish.)
Air fry the salmon fillets
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Spray the inside of the air fryer basket with some avocado oil.
Lay the salmon fillets in a single layer, skin-side down.
Air fry the filets at 400°F for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches about 125°F for medium. Thin fillets that are less than 1 inch thick will cook in about 5 minutes and thicker fillets (1½ inches thick or more) can take about 8 to 10 minutes. Err on the side of checking earlier rather than later!
No instant-read thermometer? Use a fork to check that the meat is barely cooked through. You want moist flakes!
Taste for seasoning and brush on more reserved sauce if desired. Feel free to garnish the fillets with toasted sesame seeds or sliced green onions!
What can you serve with this?
A big green salad, rice (if you eat it), or your favorite potato side dish taste great with this spicy salmon entrée. If you’re looking for specific veggie options, check out these Nom Nom Paleo favorites:
How do you save leftovers?
The leftover air fryer salmon can be kept in a sealed container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. I don’t normally reheat leftover salmon before I eat it because you run the risk of overcooking it. Instead, I flake it up and add it to my salads.
Save any extra sauce in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator or up to two months in the freezer. The sauce is fantastic in stir-fries, as a marinade for other proteins, or as a sweet and spicy dipping sauce. Trust me: you’ll be so excited to have this flavor booster in your fridge!
Other paleo air fryer recipes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Air Fryer Salmon with Honey Sriracha Glaze (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets about 5 ounces each
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons honey or 100% fruit juice sweetened jam for Whole30
- 1 tablespoon Whole30 Sriracha
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
- avocado oil spray
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds optional garnish
Instructions
- Pat the salmon dry and sprinkle on some salt and pepper.
- In a small saucepan combine coconut aminos, honey, sriracha, and the minced garlic. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the honey dissolves and the sauce comes to a simmer.
- While the sauce is heating up, whisk together a small amount of water with the arrowroot powder in a small bowl to make a suspension.
- Whisk the arrowroot powder slurry into the simmering sauce and cook until slightly thickened. Take the sauce off the heat.
- Brush some of the sauce on the salmon fillets, covering all of the surfaces except the skin. (You’ll have extra sauce so make sure you pour some out so you don’t contaminate the remaining sauce with raw fish.)
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Spray the inside of the air fryer basket with some avocado oil.
- Lay the salmon fillets in a single layer, skin-side down.
- Air fry the filets at 400°F for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches about 125°Ffor medium. Thin fillets that are less than 1-inch thick will cook in about 5 minutes and thicker fillets (1½-inches thick or more) can take about 8 to 10 minutes. Err on the side of checking earlier rather than later! (No instant-read thermometer? Use a fork to check that the meat is barely cooked through. You want moist flakes!)
- Taste for seasoning and brush on more reserved sauce if desired. Feel free to garnish the fillets with toasted sesame seeds.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition facts is calculated using 1 tablespoon of sauce per serving.
- If you want to make this dish Whole30-compatible, substitute 2 tablespoons of 100% fruit juice sweetened jam for the honey. (St. Dalfour brand peach or apricot jam work great in this recipe.)
- If you want to make this dish keto-friendly, you can substitute 2½ tablespoons of liquid allulose for the honey.
- The leftover air fryer salmon can be kept in a sealed container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. I don’t normally reheat leftover salmon before I eat it because you run the risk of overcooking it. Instead, I flake it up and add it to my salads.
- Save any extra sauce in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator or up to two months in the freezer. The sauce is fantastic in stir-fries, as a marinade for other proteins, or as a sweet and spicy dipping sauce. Trust me: you’ll be so excited to have this flavor booster in your fridge!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Michelle, does that air fryer have a non-stick coating? We’ve really been wanting one but can’t find one that has stainless steel on the inside basket. No judgement though..I just have health issues so I have to be extra careful. Thanks.
Hi- Can’t wait to make this! I’m the only one at home that eats salmon, so I keep fillets in the freezer (individually sealed). Any guess-timates on how many minutes to add to the cook time? TIA
Michelle defrosts her fillets first. The only time she cooks straight from frozen is when she uses her Anyday bowls!
I went another way, made this into a one pan dinner. First, I seared the salmon skin side down. Flipped, placed on a plate. Combine the sauce and omit the arrowroot flour. Poured the sauce into the same pan, added the salmon flesh side down. Cooked until flaked with a fork
Really love it yummy!!!
I made this for dinner tonight. My husband actually cried out in delight after the first bite. My 13 year old ate his whole piece with no complaints. My autistic stepson, who cries when I serve fish, gobbled up an entire serving. The votes are in – this is a winner!
I subbed 2 T of Just Date syrup for the honey.
I fixed this for dinner last night. I thought it was a little spicy but my husband loved it (we are going to use the left over sauce on chicken thighs tonight’s dinner).
My mom was a terrible cook so my brother and I went to Culinary School.
We were never allowed to cook though, not until she passed did I prepare a meal for 20 people.
I got your books from Buy Nothing and love the whimsy of the style and the recipes.
I’ve made 3 meals and love the ease of making them.
Bonus is the fact all of it is Gluten Free.