Air Fryer Honey Garlic Salmon

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This Honey Garlic Salmon Air Fryer recipe is a quick and easy dinner that is both healthy and delicious. The sweet, sticky glaze adds a lot of tasty flavor to the salmon filet.

Air fryer honey garlic salmon on a plate with rice and asparagus.

Salmon is one of my favorite types of fish. It is easy to cook and takes on all kinds of spices and marinades so well. When cooked properly, it is delectably moist and flaky. The crispy skin adds another layer of flavor and texture, too.

The Asian flavors in this honey garlic sauce complement the fresh salmon flavor beautifully. The salty soy sauce and the sweet honey are a heavenly combination. Serve this with your favorite side dish to have a complete meal in a flash.

This melt-in-your-mouth honey garlic glazed salmon in the air fryer is a crowd favorite! If you are a fan of the honey garlic flavors, these recipes for Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs and Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Meatballs are also fantastic dinner ideas.

Why You’ll Love This Honey Garlic Salmon Air Fryer Recipe

Quick and effortless: The air fryer makes cooking this honey garlic salmon easier than ever.
Ready in 30 minutes: It takes less than a half hour to make this tasty meal.
Customizable: This air fryer salmon recipe is easy to customize so you can make it your own.
Great flavors: From the flavorful dry rub which enhances the salmon's flavor to the irresistible honey garlic sauce that makes a glaze on the salmon that's both sweet and savory, this dish truly shines!

Ingredients

Simple and easy-to-find ingredients are used for this honey garlic salmon recipe. Look below to the recipe card to find exact measurements and more information.

Salmon filets: I use fresh salmon but if you have frozen salmon, ensure it is fully thawed before making this honey garlic salmon recipe. Feel free to use skin-on or skinless salmon depending on your preferences.
Honey: Adds a natural sweetness to this easy air fryer salmon recipe and helps create a caramelized glaze on the salmon during cooking. Any variety of honey is great. Use local honey or a bottle from the grocery store – whatever you prefer.
Soy sauce: Soy sauce gives the juicy salmon a savory and salty umami flavor. I used low sodium for this recipe but you can use regular if you like.
Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice always tastes better, but bottled lemon juice also works.
Garlic: Garlic is added to both the dry rub and the tasty sticky sauce, for a robust and aromatic flavor to this recipe. Feel free to add extra garlic to the sauce if you prefer it to be more garlic-forward.
Spices: For the spice rub, I use onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Regular paprika can be used if that’s what you have on hand.

See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact quantities of each ingredient.

Variations

Spicy: Add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, jalapeno powder, smoked jalapeno powder, or chipotle powder to the spice rub. You can even use sriracha in the honey garlic sauce.
Orange glaze: Swap lemon juice for orange juice. It pairs well with the honey and soy flavors!
Different fish: You can use trout, mahi-mahi, cod, halibut, barramundi, or tilapia as alternatives. Adjust the cooking times based on the filet thickness to ensure their internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C) for safe consumption.

How to Make Honey Garlic Salmon in the Air Fryer

Here are the instructions on how to make this honey garlic salmon recipe.

Step 1: Make the dry rub. Combine all the spices in a small bowl and whisk until well-mixed.

Salmon on parchment sprinkled with seasoning mixture.

Step 2: Pat dry and season. Rinse your salmon filets and pat dry. Sprinkle all sides of each filet generously with the spice rub.

Step 3: Prepare the sauce. Add the remaining ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until thickened.

Step 4: Cook the salmon. Place the salmon filets in the air fryer basket and cook until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. This should take approximately 10-12 minutes.

Step 5: Baste with sauce. Brush the cooked salmon filets with the sauce and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Garnish and serve. Use lemon slices, green onions, or sesame seeds to garnish the honey garlic air fryer salmon and serve with your favorite side dish.

⭐️ Hint: Air fry the salmon skin side down. This will make it nice and crispy. If you don’t like the skin, go ahead and remove it before cooking.

If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy air fryer teriyaki salmon, Salmon Quiche, Salmon Omelet, Salmon Pizza or check out these kid friendly salmon recipes.

Spooning the honey garlic sauce over a piece of salmon on a plate.

Serving Suggestions

Here are some ideas of what to serve with honey garlic salmon.

I love rice with the flavors of the sauce! Simple white rice is amazing but you can take it up a notch and make Easy Coconut Ginger Rice.
Have extra honey garlic sauce? Feel free to drizzle it over the salmon or use it as a dipping sauce when serving.
You can’t go wrong with a tasty veggie. I love serving Easy Broiled Asparagus or Skillet-Roasted Broccoli with honey garlic air fryer salmon.
If you aren’t a rice fan, make noodles instead. I highly recommend Gochujang Sesame Noodles and Chili Oil Ramen Noodles.
Potatoes go great with pretty much everything! Try a great garlic potato like Air Fryer Garlic Potatoes or something more simple like Air Fryer Steak Fries.
Leftover salmon is great, too! Enjoy it cold over a green salad or Classic Pasta Salad.

Glazed salmon on plate with fork and asparagus on the side.

Tips

Use a thermometer: The best way to see if your salmon is cooked properly is to use a thermometer.
Marinate the salmon: Divide the sauce and use half of it as a honey garlic salmon marinade to infuse the fish with even more flavor before it cooks.
Don’t skip preheating: To cook your food in the air fryer to perfection every time, preheat it just like you would with your oven.
Thickness of salmon: I recommend using filets with a thickness of around 1 inch or more. Adjust the cooking time slightly for thicker or thinner filets.
Prep the air fryer basket: Place the marinated salmon in a single layer in an air fryer basket that has been brushed with a little oil or sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
Storing: Store leftover honey garlic salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes. To freeze, store in a freezer-safe container and keep for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating it.

FAQ

Can I make salmon bites?

Yes. Turn this recipe into honey garlic salmon bites in the air fryer! Simply cut the salmon into chunks and adjust the cooking time by a few minutes because the smaller pieces will cook faster.

Can I make this recipe in the oven?

Of course. Place the salmon filets on a lined sheet pan and bake for the same amount of time at 400 degrees F. Switch the oven to broil after basting to get caramelization on top.

How do I know the salmon is cooked?

Use a thermometer to ensure it is cooked to 145 degrees F in the thickest part of the filet. It will also be opaque and flaky when it’s ready.

Can I use parchment paper or aluminum foil in the air fryer for this recipe?

Yes, you can use parchment paper or aluminum foil in the air fryer for this recipe; doing this will keep the salmon from sticking to the air fryer basket and is great for easy cleanup.

What should I do if the salmon gets too brown during air frying?

If the salmon is browning too quickly, I recommend tenting it with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.

Honey garlic salmon served up with rice and asparagus.

More Delicious Salmon Recipes

Do you like salmon? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.

Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.