Best Damn Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon

Tender, flaky salmon fillets are coated in tangy teriyaki sauce and cooked to crispy perfection in the air fryer. This Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon can be on your table in about 30 minutes with just 8 simple ingredients!  Excellent for a delicious, quick dinner.

Why I Love This Recipe

My favorite way to cook salmon is in the air fryer.  It’s a quick, super easy, fool-proof, no-hassle method!

What really makes this recipe a winner is the teriyaki sauce.  The salty, sweet, and tangy flavor is awesome with salmon! Plus, it comes together in just about 10 minutes. 

Ingredients and Equipment

Of course, the star of this recipe is the salmon. You can use skin-on or skin-off salmon fillets, whatever you prefer. Each fillet should be around 6-8 ounces.

Next, you’ll need to gather the ingredients for the teriyaki sauce.  Here is what we’re going to use:

• Soy sauce – Soy sauce will be the base of our teriyaki sauce. It gives it a salty, umami flavor.
• Honey – Honey gives our teriyaki sauce the perfect touch of sweetness.
• Vegetable oil – Vegetable oil gives the sauce a smooth texture.
• Sesame oil – Sesame oil will give our sauce a deep, toasty flavor. In a pinch, you can substitute the sesame oil with an additional tablespoon of vegetable oil.
• Rice vinegar – Rice vinegar adds some tanginess, which really balances out all of the flavors in the sauce.
• Garlic – Because everything is better with garlic!
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch thickens the sauce to the perfect consistency.

A garnish of green onions and sesame seeds is an excellent addition when serving if so desired. 

For equipment, all you’ll need is your air fryer. We used a standard 6qt, basket style air fryer for this recipe. You may also need a cutting board and sharp knife to mince the garlic (or you can use the jarred stuff) and slice the green onions (if using).

It’s All About The Sauce!

You truly can’t go wrong with a classic teriyaki sauce.  It’s sweet, savory, garlicky, and all-around delicious!

Simply add soy sauce, water, honey, vegetable oil, sesame oil, vinegar, garlic, and cornstarch to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir all ingredients for about 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. 

And that’s it! Your sauce is ready to go. This recipe will leave you with extra sauce, which you can use to make another batch of salmon or to serve with rice and veggies. Drizzling it over the whole dish adds more delicious flavor.

Preparation

Start by giving those salmon fillets a pat-down with some paper towels to get them nice and dry. This helps ensure they cook up evenly and get that crispy exterior.

Next, generously brush your salmon fillets with teriyaki sauce. Let them marinate for 5-10 minutes.

While the salmon is busy marinating, go ahead and preheat your air fryer to 390°F for 4-5 minutes.

Cooking

Carefully place those marinated salmon fillets into the air fryer basket, making sure they’ve got plenty of space to cook up nice and crispy. You don’t want them overlapping or touching.

Let them cook for about 10 minutes at 390℉. You may want to adjust the cook time by 1-2 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets.  You’ll know they’re ready when they’re opaque with some charred bits at the edges. The internal temperature should be 145° when measured with an instant-read thermometer.  They should flake apart easily with a fork.

Once your salmon filets are cooked through, carefully remove them from the air fryer and transfer them to a serving platter.

Serving

Plate your salmon fillets and drizzle some extra teriyaki sauce on top.  I recommend garnishing with sliced green onions and sesame seeds for added flavor and texture.  This is optional but highly recommended!

Air fryer teriyaki salmon is great served over rice with steamed veggies on the side.  Broccoli, bok choy, and green beans are all great options!

Storage and Reheating

Pop any leftover salmon into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

When you’re ready to dig back in, simply reheat it in the air fryer at 350℉ for 3-5 minutes until it’s warmed through.

Substitutions and Adjustments

Larger salmon filets:

Adjust the cooking time accordingly if your salmon filets are larger than 6-8oz. Check after 10 minutes and then every 1-2 minutes until the center of the salmon fillets is 145°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Using premade teriyaki sauce:

We love our homemade teriyaki sauce! But if you’re looking to make the recipe with a pre-made or store-bought teriyaki sauce, the cooking times and temp will be the same.

Doubling the recipe:

Want to make 4 filets? No problem! You’ll have enough teriyaki sauce for 4 filets. Time and temp will be the same. Just make sure your air fryer has room for all 4 filets to fit comfortably without touching.

No sesame oil?

The sesame oil adds a wonderful flavor that’s very common in Asian cuisine and in teriyaki sauce. But if you don’t have any, go ahead and use more vegetable oil in its place.

Can frozen salmon be used?

You’ll get the absolute best results if your salmon filets are defrosted first. See our quick quide to defrosting salmon.

Goes great with…

Air Fryer Roasted Lemon Pepper Broccoli – another great air fryer recipe that’s the perfect addition to so many meals. You’ll love it with salmon!

Instant Pot Brown Rice – I’m a huge fan of brown rice! The deep, earthy flavor adds so much and the Instant Pot is ideal for making it quickly and perfectly every time. A great addition to your salmon dish.

Print

Recipe