Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Delicious, crispy Air Fryer Salmon Bites with a flavorful creamy garlic sauce, ready in less than 15 minutes. Make a dinner out of it and pair it with some cooked rice and your favorite steamed veggie. So good and so simple, you’re going to love it!

Easy Salmon Bites Made In The Air Fryer

My favorite small appliance comes through for us again with these incredibly tasty and tender little morsels, salmon bites! Within minutes, you can enjoy a delicious dinner that’s got lots of flavor, is good for you and your whole family will enjoy!

It’s such a terrific quick and easy way to cook salmon, no fussing around, just cut your salmon, season it and let the air fryer do the rest of the work. I have prepared a yummy, creamy garlic Parmesan sauce here just to turn this salmon into more of a decadent meal, and trust me it’s worth it. The recipe makes enough sauce that you can even drizzle loads of it over your rice or veggies.

• Salmon – Opt for skinless salmon fillets which you can easily cut into small 1-inch pieces, however if you buy wild salmon, more often than not it comes with the skin on. Not to worry though, you can either remove the skin from the salmon or simply air fry it with the skin on and you can easily remove it after it’s cooked.
• Garlic – You’ll need some fresh garlic for the creamy garlic sauce and some garlic powder to season the salmon with.
• Soy Sauce – Look for a low sodium soy sauce. This ingredient is optional, I prefer using it over salt, because it gives our cooked salmon a nice darker color, however feel free to replace it with salt to taste.
• Olive Oil – I like a drizzle of olive oil over the salmon, it helps a bit with the pieces not sticking together in the air fryer, especially if you’re trying to fit all the salmon in the basket.
• Butter – We need a bit of unsalted butter for our creamy sauce to saute the garlic in. Opt for an unsalted butter, since we’re adding Parmesan cheese to this sauce, there’s plenty of sodium there.
• Heavy Cream – For our creamy sauce. If you’re looking for a healthier alternative, go ahead and use milk and simply thicken it with some cornstarch. I already added a couple teaspoons of cornstarch to thicken the sauce a bit, so you might need a full tablespoon.
• White Wine – You’re looking for a white dry whine, like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, etc. If you want to keep this alcohol free, simply replace it with a bit of chicken broth or vegetable broth.
• Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed is best, and we just need a bit to add a bit of tang to our sauce.
• Parsley – Freshly chopped parsley.

1. Prep the salmon. Pat dry the salmon bites with paper towels, this will ensure the salmon will get nice and crispy. Toss the salmon pieces with the soy sauce, black pepper, garlic powder and olive oil. Spray the basket of the air fryer with cooking spray.
2. Air fry the salmon. Place the salmon bites into the air fryer basket and cook for 8 minutes at 390°F flipping over half way through, or simply just shaking the basket a couple times.
3. Make the creamy garlic sauce. While salmon is cooking, prepare the creamy garlic sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the white wine (or chicken broth) and cook for another minute until most of the wine has reduced.
4. Finish the sauce. Reduce the heat to low-medium, add the cream to the saucepan and bring to a simmer, while stirring occasionally. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and simmer until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens. Add the lemon juice and parsley and stir. Taste for seasoning and season with salt and pepper as needed. I mixed my lemon juice with a couple teaspoons of cornstarch to thicken the sauce a bit, but this step is totally optional.
5. Plate and serve. Serve the salmon bites with the creamy garlic sauce drizzled over along some rice and steamed veggies.

How Do I Know When My Salmon Is Cooked Through?

The easiest way to tell when salmon is cooked right, is when you gently press it with your finger it should gently flake. If the salmon is overcooked, it will be dry and tough when you eat it. Using a meat thermometer will also ensure your fillets are cooked properly. The temperature of cooked salmon should be above 110°F but below 145°F.

I Don’t Have An Air Fryer, How Else Can I Cook These Salmon Bites?

Not a problem! Luckily, this salmon can be cooked either in a skillet on your stovetop or on a baking sheet in your oven. Here’s how:

Stovetop

Add a little bit of oil to your skillet, preferably a non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned salmon pieces and cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes longer or until your desired doneness is reached. You might have to work in batches, if not all the salmon pieces fit in your skillet.

Oven

Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the seasoned salmon bites on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until desired doneness is reached.

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