Living in Minnesota, my entire family loves to fish. We head up north several times a year and enjoy quiet time on the water, teaching my daughter and son to bait their own hooks and cast their own lines. I think this is one reason my kids love to eat salmon and other types of fish so much. And one of their favorite ways to eat fish is this quick method for making air fryer salmon bites. I’m always glad when they request it because it’s one of the fastest weeknight dinners out there, and I love serving it bowl style over rice and with a side of quick pickled cucumbers.
Recipe Highlights
Quick cooking: It takes me only 10 minutes of prep time and just 5-7 minutes of cook time in the air fryer to make this easy recipe. For minimum effort, I get a delicious cooked protein that can be added to a variety of meals.
Nutritious: The quick marinade for the salmon pieces is made from every day pantry ingredients that add sweet-savory-garlic-ginger flavor to every bite. The salmon itself is not only delicious, but a great source of monounsaturated fat, including important omega-3 fatty acids, as well as high-quality protein and B vitamins, so I always feel good about serving salmon recipes like this one.
Many ways to serve: My favorite way to serve these crispy flaky salmon bites is bowl style, over top of cooked rice and assembled with quick pickled cucumbers and a drizzle of honey-Sriracha sauce. But I’ve also served these salmon bites just on their own with honey mustard dipping sauce or this yum yum sauce and a side of cooked veggies, such as sauteed broccolini. They’re also good over top of a green salad or to replace the grilled salmon in these Mediterranean salmon bowls. And if I have leftover salmon bites, I love to use them to make fish tacos.
A Few Key Ingredients
- Salmon – I love salmon that has crispy skin still attached to it, so I prefer to use fresh salmon fillets with the skin still on. But skinless salmon fillets are just fine to use, especially if you’re not a fan of the skin or wouldn’t eat it anyway. Buy sustainably caught salmon fillets and cut them into pieces that are as close to 1-inch cubes as possible. The consistent size helps ensure everything cooks evenly in the air fryer. Frozen salmon works, too, as long as it is fully thawed and patted dry with paper towels.
- Coconut aminos – I’ve really become familiar with this simple condiment lately, which my registered dietitian friends call for often in recipes on this site. It’s similar to soy sauce but made from the sap of young coconut trees. It’s also naturally gluten free and much lower in sodium than traditional soy sauce. Feel free to use tamari or soy sauce instead. If doing so, use 2 tablespoons soy sauce plus 2 tablespoons water to replace ¼ cup coconut aminos.
- Rice vinegar – this ingredient adds some acid to the marinade to round out the flavor and even tenderize the salmon a bit. Rice wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar can also be used.
- Sriracha – this Thai chili sauce adds a nice tangy, spicy, and slightly sweet flavor to the salmon cubes. I often have a bottle of Huy Fong sriracha on hand, which is really the original Sriracha sauce. It was created by a Vietnamese immigrant in the 1980s and is still made in Los Angeles today. I also recently discovered Yellowbird Sriracha, which is also really good and sweetened with caramelized dates. May sub any favorite Sriracha, hot sauce, Thai chili paste, or gochujang sauce.
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Making Salmon Bites
Similar to this grilled salmon kebabs recipe, making salmon in the air fryer results in pieces that are crispy on the outside and perfectly tender and buttery on the inside.
- Cut the salmon into cubes: Using a sharp knife, cut the salmon filet into even bite-sized pieces that are close to 1-inch cubes. If the salmon fillet still has the skin attached, it’s fine to cook the salmon with it on. If the salmon fillet is skinless, that works, too.
- Marinate the salmon pieces: Mix together the marinade ingredients in a large bowl (the coconut aminos, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, honey, sriracha, salt, and black pepper). Then add the salmon pieces to the bowl, toss gently, and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes. The salmon can be marinated for up to 4 hours. If marinating it for longer, omit the vinegar from the marinade and refrigerate the covered bowl of marinating salmon pieces for up to 4 hours.
- Air fry: Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF, which will take about 5 minutes. Mist the basket of the air fryer with nonstick spray. Lift the salmon pieces out of the marinade, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Then place the salmon cubes in the air fryer basket making sure they are not touching. If the air fryer basket is small, this may need to be done in two batches. If the salmon pieces have the skin attached, place them skin side down in the basket.
For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.
No Air Fryer? No Problem!
If these recipe photos have you drooling but you don’t own an air fryer, don’t worry. You can still make these air fryer salmon bites in the oven. To do so, line a sheet pan with parchment paper, then spread out the marinated salmon cubes in an even layer. Bake them at 400ºF until the salmon is cooked through, which will take about 10 minutes.
Serve On Their Own Or Build A Bowl
My kids request these crispy salmon bites almost as much as they request chicken nuggets. The salmon bites themselves serve as a delicious protein addition to help round out our dinner plates or to serve on top of a salad. They also make a great appetizer to set out with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a favorite dipping sauce.
When I want to turn this recipe into a complete main course, I serve the salmon bites bowl style. I do that by precooking some jasmine rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice (for a low-carb option). I also prepare some quick pickled cucumbers, which can marinate while the salmon is cooking, and stir together a quick honey-sriracha sauce to drizzle on top. Then I assemble the bowls, placing piles of the pickled cucumbers and hot cooked salmon bites over the cooked rice. I garnish the bowls with some avocado, edamame beans, scallions, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, and some sesame seeds. It’s gourmet, I tell ya!
By the way, if you want to serve your salmon as a rice bowl, too, I’ve included instructions for both the pickled cucumbers and sriracha sauce in the recipe card.
Make Ahead Components
To meal plan this recipe, there are a few components that can be prepped ahead. For example, the quickled pickled cucumbers can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days before assembling the bowls. The creamy honey-Sriracha sauce and the cooked rice can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve. Also, the salmon itself can marinate for up to 4 hours. If marinating the salmon for more than 30 minutes total time, omit the vinegar from the marinade so the salmon doesn’t start to cook from the acidity.
Keeping Leftovers Fresh
Store leftover cooked salmon bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, saute them (adding 1-2 tablespoons of broth or water) in a skillet over medium-high heat, or reheat back in the air fryer for a few minutes.
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Air Fryer Salmon Bites Recipe
A simple, quick, and delicious way to cook salmon, this air fryer method results in salmon pieces that are crispy on the outside and perfectly tender and buttery on the inside. Enjoy the salmon bites as an appetizer, a protein addition to meals, or over top of a main dish salad or rice bowl.
Ingredients
For the Salmon:
- 1 – 1 ¼ lbs skin-on or skinless salmon fillets
- ¼ cup coconut aminos*
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure honey
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced (or 1½ teaspoons garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (or ½ teaspoon dried ginger)
- ½ teaspoon Sriracha (may sub gochujang or another hot sauce)
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Olive oil spray or avocado oil spray
(Optional) To Make Salmon Rice Bowls:
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice or cooked cauliflower rice
- ½ cup thinly sliced fresh cucumbers or Quick-Pickled Cucumbers (see recipe in Notes below)
- Creamy Honey-Sriracha Sauce (see recipe in Notes below) or Yum Yum Sauce
- Optional garnishes: diced avocado, edamame beans, crushed red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and/or sliced green onions
Instructions
- Slice the salmon into 1-inch cubes, ensuring the pieces are all about the same size so they will cook evenly.
- In a large shallow bowl or pie plate, combine the coconut aminos, vinegar, honey, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, Sriracha, salt, and pepper; whisk to combine.
- Add the salmon pieces to the marinade, turning each piece a few times to coat well. Set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes or as long as 4 hours.**
- Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF, which will take about 5 minutes.
- When hot, mist the basket of the air fryer generously with cooking spray. Place the salmon chunks in the basket, skin side down, making sure they are not touching. NOTE: If the air fryer basket is small, it may be necessary to cook the salmon in two batches.
- Air fry until the salmon flakes easily, 5 to 7 minutes.
- If serving the salmon bowl style, the Quick Pickled Cucumbers can be prepared while the salmon marinates. And the Creamy Honey-Sriracha sauce can be combined while the salmon cooks. See Note section below for ingredients and directions.
- To assemble the bowls, divide the cooked rice among serving bowls and top each with some of the pickled cucumbers and the air fried salmon. If desired, garnish with avocado, edamame, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, sliced green onions, and a drizzle of the creamy Sriracha sauce.
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Notes
* May use tamari or soy sauce in place of the coconut aminos. To replace ¼ cup coconut aminos, use 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce mixed with 2 tablespoons water.
** The salmon should marinate for a minimum of 15 minutes, but can be marinated for up to 4 hours. If marinating it longer than 30 minutes, omit the vinegar from the marinade so the acid won’t “cook” the salmon or cause it to become too tough.
No air fryer? The salmon can be cooked in the oven instead. To do so, line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread out the marinated salmon cubes in a single layer. Bake at 400ºF until the salmon pieces are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Quick Pickled Cucumbers: To a medium bowl, combine ⅓ cup rice vinegar, ⅓ cup warm water, 1-2 teaspoons cane sugar, and ½ teaspoon fine salt. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and salt. Slice 1 small (or ½ of a large) English cucumber into very very thin slices (a mandolin works well for this). Add the sliced cucumber to the vinegar mixture and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes. These can also be made up to 2 days ahead and marinated in the refrigerator. Drain well before serving.
Creamy Honey-Sriracha Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons honey, and 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha. Whisk in ½ teaspoon rice vinegar until the sauce reaches a drizzling consistency (adding up to an additional ½ teaspoon rice vinegar, as needed.)
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 4 oz cooked salmon bites only
- Calories: 177
- Fat: 6 g
- (Sat Fat: 1 g)
- Sodium: 391 mg
- Carbohydrate: 6 g
- (Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 5 g)
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 52 mg
Dietary
The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.
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This looks pretty amazing and is a great summer dish! How would I get the skin off the salmon? Where I purchase fresh fish, it is always on, and I do not eat the skin?
You can use a very sharp, thin blade knife to cut the skin from the flesh before cooking (either remove the skin from the whole filet or from each individual piece) or you can do as I do and cook the salmon bites with skin on — placing them skin side down in the airfryer – then slip the skin off each piece as you add them to your bowl.