Name: Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 42 min
Yield: 4 fillets
Ingredients: 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce; 2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tsp minced ginger; 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic; 1/2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch (can add more to thicken your marinade into a teriyaki glaze as needed); Note- If you want extra sauce to serve on the side or use as a salad dressing, DOUBLE this recipe.; 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce; 4, 6 oz salmon fillets; Green onion for topping; Sesame seeds for topping

This air fryer teriyaki salmon is coated in a tangy homemade teriyaki sauce and air fried until it is crispy on the outside yet juicy on the inside. It’s the perfect protein to pair with a side of roasted vegetables, add to salads, or to use in teriyaki salmon noodle bowls.

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One of my favorite kitchen tools to use on a busy weeknight is my air fryer. From air fried chicken wings to crispy salmon, the air fryer gives you a crispy outside that mimics a deep fryer but with lower fat and lower calories. Plus, it cooks quickly and cleans easily!

When I want a delicious air fryer recipe that is versatile, flavorful, and full of nutrition I almost always make this air fryer teriyaki salmon recipe. It’s perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and can be used in a variety of recipes making it an easy weeknight dinner recipe to serve every week.

Marinaded in a tangy homemade teriyaki sauce and brushed with some extra teriyaki glaze before it finishes cooking, this salmon is loaded with family friendly flavor. Air fried in under 15 minutes, you’ll have a quick and easy salmon fillet that is perfect for teriyaki salmon noodle bowls or crunchy salads.

Let’s get to the recipe:

Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon

Why you’ll love this air fryer salmon with teriyaki sauce:

With the goal to eat fatty fish at least twice a week, this air fryer salmon recipe is one I find my self reaching for every week because it is:

Coated in a homemade teriyaki sauce: I used to be intimidated by making a homemade teriyaki sauce until I realized that it’s just a few steps beyond a basic soy sauce. We’ll whip up an easy teriyaki sauce for a marinade then thicken it to a teriyaki glaze for some extra flavor.
Full of protein and healthy fats: Salmon is rich in protein and full of heart healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids. With its healthy nutrient profile, the American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish at least two times a week.
Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside: With a few of my tips and tricks, you will end up with the most perfectly cooked air fryer salmon. It’s crispy on the outside but maintains a soft and flaky inside that is so delicious.
Versatile: Enjoy this air fryer salmon on its own, serve your teriyaki salmon with noodles, or make a teriyaki salmon bowl with rice and steamed vegetables for a healthy and flavorful dinner.
Perfect for a school night dinner idea: Apart from marinating the fish, this air fryer salmon recipe cooks up in under 15 minutes and is the perfect protein to cook for a school night dinner.

How to air fry teriyaki salmon:

If you like salmon that is crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside then I think that air fryer salmon is the way that you should go. After many trials and errors, I do think that I have perfected making salmon in the air fryer… even when it’s coated in a delicious sauce like in this teriyaki salmon recipe!

Tips to make perfect air fryer salmon:

Do not cook it from frozen: For the juiciest air fryer salmon, I recommend air frying your salmon fillets from fresh. While you certainly CAN air fry frozen salmon, I personally think it dries out in the inside.
If you are going to be used salmon out of the freezer, be sure to set it out the night before so that it can de-thaw in the refrigerator prior to cooking.
Allow your air fryer to pre-heat: Just like you preheat your oven to get it to temperature, be sure to pre-heat your air fryer for 2 minutes at the cooking temperature listed. This gets the inside of your air fryer hot and will make the listed cooking time more accurate.
The type and size of salmon fillet DOES matter for cooking time: My suggested air fryer temperature for salmon is 375 but how long to cook salmon in air fryer at 375 depends on a few factors like how the salmon was raised as well as the thickness of your salmon fillet.
I find that wild-caught salmon cooks a little bit faster than farm raised salmon fillets do and of course thinner fillets cook up quicker than thicker fillets will. When I air fry salmon, it always takes about 10-12 minutes for a thick sliced, 6 oz fillet that is typically farm raised.
For this specific recipe: most fillets will be just fine at the 6 minute mark when you brush on your teriyaki glaze, try to check your salmon every minute or so after that 6 minute mark to be sure that you cook YOUR salmon fillets perfectly. No-one wants dry salmon!
Add an oil to the top: Whether you give your salmon fillets a spritz of avocado oil or brush on this homemade teriyaki glaze that has some sesame oil in it, the oil will help you achieve that crispy outside.
Add your sugar containing sauce towards the end of cooking: Whether its this teriyaki glaze or another sauce that you are using on your salmon, the sugar content will caramelize (and even burn) long before your salmon will be cooked through.
With that said, I recommend brushing on your teriyaki sauce half way through your cooking time. This will allow the salmon to cook on its own and will give enough time for the salmon to finish cooking, the sauce to caramelize, and avoid burning the sugar in your sauce.
Use a food thermometer: A tip for cooking ANY protein whether it be air fried salmon or oven baked chicken is to check the meats internal temperature with a food thermometer. This let’s you check the temperature without needing to cut into your food. Trust me, just buy one.

If you follow these rules, you will be well on your way to the perfect air fryer salmon that’s comes out delicious every time!

Air Fryer Soy Salmon Nuggets

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Ingredients and Instructions:

Ingredients:

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this air fryer teriyaki salmon:

For the teriyaki sauce:

Low sodium soy sauce: The base of teriyaki sauce is soy sauce and I recommend using low sodium soy sauce to help lower the sodium level. If you need a teriyaki sauce substitute, you could always just sweeten soy sauce with honey and some sesame oil for flavor.
Brown sugar: The difference between soy sauce and teriyaki sauce is that teriyaki sauce is much sweeter from the addition of sugar. While I prefer to sweeten my teriyaki sauce with brown sugar, you could also make teriyaki sauce with honey as well.
Seasoned rice vinegar: This adds a little bit of tang to your teriyaki sauce and I think it brightens the flavor. If you do not have seasoned rice vinegar, add some lemon juice instead.
Sesame oil: I love the flavor that sesame oil adds to the teriyaki sauce and it will also help your salmon crisp up on the outside.
Minced ginger (or ginger paste): Feel free to use jarred ginger paste to save time.
Minced garlic: Feel free to use jarred minced garlic to save time.
Corn starch: To turn your teriyaki sauce into a homemade teriyaki glaze, stir in some corn starch as needed. This will thicken up your sauce and allow your to brush it onto your salmon fillets.

For the salmon:

Salmon fillets: This can be wild caught or farm raised salmon but try to buy salmon fillets that are produced the same way and uniformly sized. This will help them cook more evenly.
Teriyaki sauce: We will use the teriyaki sauce recipe listed above. Note- If you want extra teriyaki sauce to pour onto a bowl or use as a salad dressing, I would double the recipe for teriyaki sauce here!
Green onions: For topping and flavor:
Sesame seeds: For topping.

Teriyaki Salmon in the Air Fryer Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1

Mix together your teriyaki sauce. Add 1/3 cup of your teriyaki sauce into a medium glass container and set the remaining portion of teriyaki sauce aside to be used later.

Place your salmon fillets flesh side down in the container with your teriyaki sauce, cover, and slightly shake the container to coat the salmon entirely. Allow your salmon to marinate in the teriyaki sauce for 30 minutes

Step 2

Preheat your air fryer to 375 for 2 minutes.

Spray your air fryer basket with non-stick spray and place your marinated salmon skin side down into your air fryer, being sure not to overcrowd them.

Step 3

Air fry your salmon for 6 minutes. After the 6 minutes is up, remove the air fryer basket and use a basting brush to brush the remaining portion of teriyaki sauce over the tops and sides of your salmon fillets.

LTN Tip: If you want to turn this teriyaki sauce into a teriyaki glaze for brushing, add an extra 1/2 to 1 tbsp of corn starch.

Step 4:

Return the basket to the air fryer and air fry for another 4 to 6 minutes, or until your salmon is cooked through and crispy on the outside. Top your salmon with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Note- The sugar in the teriyaki sauce will caramelize quickly in the air fryer. As your salmon gets closer to being fully cooked, check it every 30 seconds or so to ensure you do not burn the sauce.

How to serve air fryer teriyaki salmon:

Beyond its delicious flavor, what I love the most about this air fryer salmon recipe its versatility. You can use this salmon to make:

Teriyaki Salmon Noodle Bowls: Pairing this teriyaki salmon with noodles is probably my personal favorite way to serve this recipe. It tastes just like comfort food, but was made at home with healthy cooking methods and simple ingredients.
Teriyaki Salmon and Cabbage Salads: Chopped greens, cabbage, green onion, carrots, and some crushed ramen noodles will give you an easy salad base that pairs well with teriyaki salmon.
Teriyaki Salmon Bowl: As pictured, you can pair this salmon with cooked basmati rice or easy steam quinoa bags and serve it with steamed vegetables for a healthy dinner that is perfect for busy nights.

And more! Make this teriyaki salmon recipe your own and tag me on instagram with any fun ideas you come up with!

Recipe FAQ:

Is teriyaki sauce gluten free?
1. It definitely can be if you use gluten free soy sauce! Condiments and sauces can be hidden source of gluten so making homemade teriyaki sauce where you can control the ingredients used is the easiest way to ensure that your sauce will be gluten free.
Is this teriyaki sauce spicy?
1. No, this teriyaki sauce is not spicy at all. In fact, it has a sweeter profile than plain soy sauce which makes it a family friendly sauce to pour onto your proteins. If you want a spicy teriyaki sauce recipe, stir in some sriracha or add a scoop of crunchy chili onion.
Help, my sauce looks like it’s burning!
1. The teriyaki sauce for this salmon is going to crystallize and thicken up in the air fryer, this is completely normal! To avoid burning your sauce, be sure to brush it on half way through cooking or even in the last few minutes so that your salmon is fully cooked through.

Other healthy air fryer recipes you will love:

Looking for other healthy air fryer recipe ideas? I have a few on my blog that I think you will love:

Peanut Butter Air Fryer Granola

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Air Fryer Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

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Air Fryer Red Potatoes with Parmesan and Dill

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Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon

Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon