Everybody loves an easy salmon recipe! These Air Fryer Salmon Bites pack huge flavor with very little effort. Cubed salmon is marinated in a garlic butter herb mixture, then air fried to perfection for a quick 10 minutes. This easy salmon dinner recipe is perfect for weeknight meals, and also works great for meal prep.

Ingredients for Salmon Bites

Salmon
- You can use any type of salmon you like. Here’s a great guide!
- I prefer Atlantic salmon because of its thickness. It’s also got a higher fat content resulting in perfectly juicy salmon bites.
Butter
- Using butter helps coat the salmon and give it a crispy, browned finish.
- If you don’t like the idea of butter, you can also use olive oil, or ghee.
Garlic
- Fresh is best but pre minced will work in a pinch.
- You can also use granulated if that is all you have.
Honey
- Or agave.
Lemon Zest
- We use lemon zest for flavor. Avoid using lemon juice as the acid will cook the salmon.
Fresh Herbs
- We used parsley from our garden, rosemary would also be delicious.

How to Prepare Salmon for Salmon Bites

You want to use skinless, deboned, deveined salmon. The cleaner the salmon, the better the bite!

Start with a filet (or filets) of skinless salmon. Slice the salmon into vertical strips, and then horizontally, resulting in cubes of the same shape. We really recommend trying to get all of the salmon cubes the same size for consistent cooking. Once the salmon are cut into cubes, place them in a plastic bag.

Making Garlic Butter Marinade Recipes for Salmon Bites

Mix your choice of marinade and pour over the salmon in a plastic bag.
- For our recipe, we used a combination of butter, garlic, lemon zest, and herbs, however the possibilities are endless!
If you want to make this ahead of time, you can prepare the salmon up to a day in advance, and refrigerate.
- Note, if you are making butter garlic salmon bites ahead of time, the butter may slightly solidify in the refrigerator (this is okay).

More Marinade Ideas for Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Asian Marinade: 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp ginger paste, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp ketchup, 1/2 tsp sesame oil.
Blackened Salmon Bites: 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper.
Spicy Salmon Bites: 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp hot chili oil, 1 tsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp sesame oil.

Air Frying Salmon Bites

Once the salmon is done marinating, place the salmon bites onto (or into) the air fryer tray or basket using tongs.
We recommend spraying the basket/tray with nonstick spray, especially if you’re using a marinade with honey nor sugar in it, as the sugar can tend to make it sticky.
Place the tray in the air fryer.
Air fry the salmon for about 6 minutes at 400 degrees, then give the basket a gentle toss. Air fry again for another 6 minutes.
Salmon is fully cooked once it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees fahrenheit. You can read about food safety and seafood here.

Serving & Storing Air Fryer Salmon Bites

We love serving these little salmon nuggets with rice and a fresh, crisp salad. Here are a few side dish recipes we recommend!

Storing & Reheating Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Place the salmon bites in an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply place in the air fryer on reheat (or enjoy cold!).

Other Salmon Recipes We Love

We are HUGE salmon lovers in our house, which makes sense given that we’re originally from Seattle! Get all of our best salmon recipes here.

What do you think about this recipe? Have questions? Comment below! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram and tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula,while you’re at it…We love to see your pics!

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Enjoy! – Kathi & Rachel