Easy Air Fryer Lemon Garlic Salmon Recipe - delicious crispy and flavorful keto air fried salmon packed with tons of lemon and garlic flavor in under 12 minutes!
To buy an air fryer lid for your Instant Pot to be able to make this in your instant pot, please buy one with my affiliate code here - Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid.
This lemon garlic salmon has the most amazing flavor - and you'll be shocked just how easy it is to get.
If you can season salmon filets and pop them in an air fryer - you can master perfect, tender, and juicy salmon that isn't tough or dry - and is BURSTING with lemon garlic flavor!
This easy lemon garlic salmon can't get any simpler when you want a healthy, beautiful dinner in no time - with almost no work.
Even if you don't have an air fryer you can make this salmon in a snap - I'm providing a super easy foil pack oven option below as well!
I hope you love this delicious, naturally low carb and keto salmon recipe as much as I do. It's a perfect elegant dinner you can make any day of the week, and fits in most diets!
Here at Sweet C's, we have lots of types of readers - those who like to get straight to the recipe, and those who would like more information, including tips and tricks to feeling more comfortable in the kitchen.
We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
Table of contents
How To Air Fry Salmon
If you've never used an air fryer machine before, you might not get the fuss.
I will note, however, before we get into this recipe more, that the name "air fryer" is a bit misleading - since nothing actually gets fried in oil. Instead, it's more like a super-convection broiler - where food is bombarded with quickly moving super hot air, mimicking the way food would fry in hot oil, but on your countertop with only a bit of oil.
This allows you to cook at a steady high heat with less oil - giving you crispy crunch on the outside, and juicy, tender, and never dry meat.
Air frying salmon is a great way to cook your salmon perfectly, every time!
Tips To Perfect Air Fried Salmon
To air fry salmon, I recommend following the tips below:
-Drizzle olive oil over your salmon evenly.
This will help give your salmon a lightly fried texture and allow the oil to crisp on the salmon. Don't skip the oil!
-Season salmon liberally.
-Arrange lemons to touch salmon while cooking.
The lemons break down quickly, dousing your salmon in lemon juice that is sweet and tart, not bitter.
-Don't worry about appearance.
When I pulled salmon out of my air fryer for the first time, my heart sank, because the top looked to be very overcooked (covered in white). That's just how the salmon looked on top - the meat within, however, was soft, full of flavor, and perfectly cooked.
Check out the meat in the picture below:
How Long To Cook Air Fryer Salmon
Knowing how long to cook air fryer salmon can be tricky - especially since when cooked in the air fryer you can't see it.
This is a recipe where you have to trust in the process - which I will admit is not my strength!
For salmon filets (no thicker than 3-4" across), follow these times for desired doneness when air frying at 400 degrees:
-10 Minutes for salmon filets that have just a little bit of red in the very center (medium).
-12 Minutes for salmon with no red in the middle, but still soft.
-14 Minutes for well done salmon filets.
How To Make Lemon Garlic Baked Salmon
If you think this recipe looks great - but you dont have an air fryer - no worries!
You can easily make this recipe in the oven, too.
Simply wrap the salmon and lemon in foil, and bake at 375 for 15 minutes, until top is speckled white but albumin (white fat) has not released.
What to Serve With Air Fried Salmon
This salmon is so easy and delicious - it goes with all sorts of side dishes. I am listing some of my favorite dishes to serve alongside this lemon garlic salmon below:
- 10 Minute Broccolini Recipe
- Orzo With Sun Dried Tomatoes and Basil Pesto
- The Best Easy Cacio E Pepe Recipe Ever
- The Best Ever Cauliflower Rice
- Easy Pan Fried Halloumi Greek Cheese
- The Best Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus Recipe
- Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Scallops Recipe
Other Easy Air Fryer Recipes You'll Love:
If you have an air fryer and want to try some other deliciously easy air fryer recipes, please visit my favorites below:
- The Best Easy Air Fryer Cornish Game Hens Recipe
- The Best Keto Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts Recipe
- The Best Air Fryer Keto Rolls Recipe
- The Best Air Fryer Pork Chops Recipe
- The Best Easy Air Fryer French Fries Recipe
- Air Fryer Lettuce Wrap Cheeseburger Recipe
- Lemon Garlic Air Fryer French Fries Recipe
- Garlic Parmesan Air Fried Shrimp Recipe
Instant Pot Air Fried Salmon
This recipe is a snap to make in your instant pot with the crisping lid.
Follow the directions below to make perfect air fried salmon right in your instant pot:
- Add crisping lid to Instant Pot.
- Preheat instant pot to 350 degrees. Get pot inside scorching hot - preheat for at least 10 minutes.
- Spray pan with a mist of oil to prepare pan for fish.
- Carefully add salmon to pan, skin side down. It should sizzle loudly.
- Quickly close Instant Pot with crisping lid and cook using instructions below.
It is essential to preheat the instant pot so the pan in side is ready to crisp the salmon skin, you want it scorching hot.
Be very careful to not burn hands while cooking salmon in an instant pot - I like to use long tongs to protect my hands and arms! The sides are tall, so the risk it a little more when adding food to a very hot IP.
To buy an air fryer lid for your Instant Pot to be able to make this in your instant pot, please buy one with my affiliate code here - Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid.
Easy Air Fryer Lemon Garlic Salmon Recipe
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Easy Air Fryer Lemon Garlic Salmon Recipe
Easy Air Fryer Lemon Garlic Salmon Recipe - delicious crispy and flavorful air fried salmon packed with tons of lemon and garlic flavor in under 12 minutes!
Ingredients
- 4 6 oz salmon filets
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp celtic sea salt
- 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
- 1 tsp lemon juice (I put a flexible cutting board down when slicing my lemon, as I'll usually just use the juice that comes from cutting it.)
- 2 tsp Italian herbs
Instructions
- In a large bowl, drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over salmon and rub to make sure the salmon filets are evenly coated.
- Season generously with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs.
- Arrange salmon filets in air fryer basket, making sure they dont touch too much (don"t over crowd the basket, so air can move around salmon easily).
- Arrange lemon slices on and around salmon in air fryer basket.
- Set air fryer to 400 degrees and cook for 10 minutes for salmon with a little bit of red in the middle.
- Cook for 12 minutes for salmon with no red in the middle, 14 for well done salmon or thicker salmon filets.
- Serve and enjoy!
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Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1 salmon filetAmount Per Serving Calories 462Total Fat 28gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 21gCholesterol 107mgSodium 724mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 2gSugar 8gProtein 39g
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imsen
Great food with less effort…just how cooking should be! Absolutely loved this recipe and will definitely be making again! Also really loved the aluminum foil tip.
Quick and Easy Family Recipes
Sarah R. Mickens
I tried the LEMON GARLIC SALMON RECIPE, the salmon was amazing, but the lemons made it too lemony for my taste. Very tender salmon. I cooled it for 12 minutes, it was perfect. Besides the lemon. Trying it again without the lemon on top.
Floranet
I think it's just great!! Incredible work!!
Christine
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’ve tried your air fryer chicken, shrimp and meat ball recipes and they have all been fantastic! I’m sure this one will be too. Thank you!
Jocelyn
I love how easy and delicious the air fryer makes this salmon!
Taylor
So delicious! Love that lemon flavor!
Allyson Zea
I LOOOOOOOVE the air fryer!! I can't wait to try this as I already have all the ingredients!
Minze
I have all the ingredients too but don’t see where the recipe tells me to use the garlic powder. I assumed and added it with the salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Must have been right. It came out amazing. I have done the steamed salmon and the skin well... we just peeled it off and got rid of it. I don’t like doing that. This was great all around. Thank you for this recipe.
Becky Hardin
Delicious! I bet this salmon just falls apart and has tons of flavor.